A week ago I decided to try windsurfing a local irrigation channel. A few people had suggested trying irrigation canals, and I had been looking at it for about a year. Mulwala Canal is the largest irrigation canal in the southern hemisphere, and has a straight section 3 km long and 50 m wide near the start at Lake Mulwala.
Most of the year there is not much water in the canal, because the irrigation supply and demand is very seasonal. When I went the daily flow was 5000 ML/day. The maximum capacity of 10,000 ML/day was last achieved in 2012. At the present flow the canal is quite deep 4? m, and the flow velocity is 1-2 knots.
This section of the canal runs approx WNW, so the optimal wind direction is S for run downstream, or W for run upstream. When I went the local BOM weather station was reading SW 13-17 knots with gusts 16-20 knots. The wind reading standing on the edge of the road next to the channel was gusty 5-15 knots. I rigged up the big gear I normally use on Lake Mulwala - Isonic 127L/82w, 44 slalom fin, 8.6 m Mach 2 sail.
With the present flow the water level is about 2 m below the surrounding ground level (the banks of the channel are 2 m high at present). This means there is less wind down at water level, and more gusty. The north side of the channel has a dirt road next to it and a mound about 4 m high, which is presumably from the excavation of the canal. The south side also has a dirt road, but no mound for a distance of 1.8 km. I hoped this 1.8 km section would be enough wind to sail.
With the BOM SW wind reading, at the canal it seemed to be coming from W to SW direction. I had to tack from side to side of the canal to go downstream, then had a straight run upstream back to the start. Unfortunately the wind was so weak and gusty I could not even get planing. So I would call it a failure as a potential windsurfing spot. The land to the south is fairly flat and open, but the height of the water level below the banks, and the mound along the north side make the wind too light and gusty.
After trying the canal I went for a sail on Lake Mulwala using the same gear, and had no problems planing in similar or slightly less wind reading at the local BOM weather station.
Looks like it could have potential, just have to be there at the right time I guess. Thumbs up for giving it a go, wonder if your the first one to ever sail it. You might be a pioneer !
Great try!
I've often looked at the canals up around the Murray and thought about potential.
They're a lot narrower, but no banks.
Private land as well.
Good on you for giving it a go and posting it
possibly a 'kite' speed spot on a windy day ? kite is going to sit well above all those banks ,
I would want the water quality checked before I went in one of those, if it's anything like the UK or Canada all sorts of chemical and animal dung is found in them
