 The inflow of saline groundwater into the lower reaches of the river in recent years has severely affected its water quality, making the water more salty than sea water in several locations.The river is crossed by the Pyrenees Highway near its source, the Henty Highway south of Horsham, and the Western Highway west of Horsham and again west of Dimboola.The Wimmera has a feature typical of desert drainage patterns in that it has distributaries, the Dunmunkle Creek and the Yarriambiack Creek which divert water away from the Wimmera at times of high flow or flood.