Murray zones to guide river activity bans

Eight zones have been established along the Murray in South Australia to progressively lift restrictions on river activities as flood waters recede.

Recreational activities, including fishing and swimming, were banned along the river late last year amid safety concerns as water levels rose to heights not seen for more than half a century.

The peak has now passed Renmark and other Riverland towns but is yet to reach communities downstream, including Mannum, east of Adelaide.

Premier Peter Malinauskas said it made sense to treat the various parts of the river differently as the floodwaters moved through the system.

"Restrictions are never an easy thing to apply. It hurts some businesses, it makes life inconvenient for some communities," he said. 

"But naturally when we've got a huge volume of water coming down the river at a record pace, that provides dangers as does the amount of debris.

"By having these eight zones, we're acknowledging the fact that what is occurring in the Riverland is very different to what's occurring in Murray Bridge."

Police Commissioner Grant Stevens said work was underway to develop a set of principles to guide the lifting of restrictions across the river zones.

They will centre on flow rates, river heights, the condition of levees and river banks and the amount of debris at various locations.

Mr Stevens said officials hoped to lift restrictions as soon as possible but it was too early to tell when they would start to be eased.

The flooding in SA has so far impacted about 3400 properties, including nearly 400 primary residences.

It has also closed 119 roads across river communities with nine ferries shut down.

The Murray is expected to peak at Waikerie and Morgan this weekend and at Blanchetown, Swan Reach and Mannum by January 13.

This week, the continued surge breached or inundated a string of agricultural levees including those at Mypolonga, Toora, Mobilong, Cowirra, Wall Flat, Long Island and Long Flat.

The SA State Emergency Service said more issues with levees could be expected as peak flows moved down the river.

Authorities are also keeping a close eye on the release of more water from the Menindee Lakes in NSW which would eventually flow into the Murray.

SA SES Chief Officer Chris Beattie said that the water would start to have an impact in SA in early February and was not a great concern at this stage.