Woolwonga people killed four mine workers Johannes Noltenius, John Landers, Thomas Schollert and Henry Roberts on 3 September 1884.

Both occur just after the wet season when the flooded river is falling fast, and clear water is pouring in off the floodplains which is thought to be the best time for fishing.

This would come under the Oolloo Dolostone Aquifer Water Allocation Plan that has already been overallocated by the Northern Territory Government.

Major flood events devastated the town of Daly River in 1899 and 1957, causing widespread property damage.

The largest flood event post colonisation was in 1998, when floodwaters were fed by heavy rainfall in the wake of Tropical Cyclone Les reaching a peak of 16.25 m (53.3 ft) at the Daly River Police Station gauge, the highest level recorded to date.