WMAwater has been engaged by Mid-Western Regional Council (MWRC) to undertake an investigation on flood behaviour in Mudgee and provide an improved understanding of flood behaviour and impacts in the area, in order to better inform the management of flood risk for the community. Mudgee is located in the Macquarie River Basin on the banks of the Cudgegong River. The Cudgegong River has a wide floodplain at Mudgee with the majority of the town built on higher ground on the southern bank of the river.

The town is subject to flooding from the following sources: • riverine flooding from Cudgegong River and Lawsons Creek, with their confluence on the north western edge of town; • flash flooding from multiple smaller creeks that originate on the south western edge of Mudgee and traverse the town until their confluence with the Cudgegong River, and • local urban stormwater flooding.

Major flood events over the last 70 years have occurred in 1955, 1969, 1971, 1974 and 1990. The town also experienced major flooding in February 2003 and December 2010. Recent flood events of lesser magnitude have occurred in 2016 and 2017.