> Water and River Murray > Basin, River Murray, Lakes, and the Coorong > Education and visiting resources

River safety

Enjoy your trip to the River Murray by staying safe. Do your research on the places you’ll be visiting so you can be prepared.

Here are some useful links to safety information to help you get started. Your safety is our concern but your responsibility.

During floods

Access the latest information about staying safe and healthy during River Murray floods, including boating and other activity restrictions.

Access near real-time information on current SA SES warnings, incidents and, when available, locations to collect sandbags. You can also follow the SA SES Facebook page.

View the current water levels, updated daily, at monitored sites between Lock 6 and Lake Alexandrina.

River Murray flows

Weekly River Murray Flow Reports provide information about water levels, flow rates and barrage operations as well as any navigation issues or construction activities.

Subscribe to receive the River Murray Flow report each week.

Safety on the water

Exercise caution when travelling in the river area. The currents are often stronger than they appear.

When swimming, wear a life jacket and only swim in areas that are slow-flowing and free of submerged hazards. Find out more about respecting the river on the Royal Life Saving website.

When travelling on houseboats or other watercraft, it’s advisable to contact commercial houseboat operators for advice. Or visit Destination Riverland's website.

It’s never a good idea to mix water and alcohol. Please be mindful when considering drinking in the area.

National parks and camping

We’ve compiled some safety tips to help make your National Parks experience a safe and happy one, and many can be applied to any visit to the river. Remember to always take direction from our park rangers as they have the greatest knowledge of local conditions.

Check the national parks website to find up to date information on park closures and alerts.

Also remember to Fight the Bite to avoid mosquito bites becoming something more serious.

Hazards

This hazard map and related information for the River Murray, Murray Lakes and Lake Bonney is by the Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure. It also has maps showing the location of hazards in Lakes Alexandrina and Albert.

Recreational boating

The South Australian Government's boating webpage provides information about licensing and registration requirements, planning and preparation, safety equipment, navigation, protecting the environment and more.

Riverbank collapse

Riverbank collapse is more likely to occur during times of low water levels. There have been no reported incidents of riverbank collapse since early 2011.