Junk for Code : Rhizomes1

looking for something firm in a world of chaotic flux

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August 4, 2008

Finally Rhizomes1, my photoblog, is up and running even though it has yet to be integrated into the Thoughtfactory's very minimal homepage. So, for the moment, Rhizomes1 can be accessed from the top of the weblog page, where it sits alongside the other weblogs. I'm not sure what to do about developing the homepage beyond being a shop front.

Gary Sauer-Thompson, Milang, Lake Alexandrina, 2008

I'm continuing my photography of the lower lakes in the southern Murray region when the weather permits--it has is raining a lot this last week. The lakes are definitely drying out from lack of fresh water coming down the river and, by all accounts, they will continue to do so. They already are below sea level.

The federal Government's $50 million water buyback is largely ineffective: it will return less than 10megalitres to the Murray River this year - the equivalent of just 10 Olympic swimming pools. Around 300 to 400GL of water by the end of spring is what is needed. I just cannot see that happening. So the Lakes will continue to dry out.

| Posted by Gary Sauer-Thompson at 3:43 PM | Permalink

| Comments (4)

Comments

Gary
The water level in the lakes is now below sea level and they are drying out rapidly. If they do not receive significant amounts of fresh water by spring, they will be irreversibly damaged and become just another degraded estuarine system, no longer internationally recognized for the diversity of its bird life.

Posted by: Pam | August 5, 2008 3:52 PM

Pam,
there needs to be a rescue package for the Lower Lakes – there has been rainfall in the Darling catchment over last summer and some of this water is stored in public and private dams. Governments could buy or borrow water and transfer it to the Lower Lakes to mitigate the immediate crisis.

There also needs to be reform of the water trading rules to enable the Commonwealth government’s water buyback. Currently there are rules restricting the amount of water that can be traded out of catchments which are hampering the buyback plans.

Posted by: Gary Sauer-Thompson | August 5, 2008 4:08 PM

Gary
the Rann Government is now presiding over the destruction of the Corrong---a RAMSAR-listed wetland.

Posted by: Pam | August 7, 2008 8:13 AM

There is water in storage in both NSW and Victoria and in the Meindee Lakes. But there is no public information on how much is in reserve. Penny Wong says:

There is not enough water in the system to bring down the sorts of quantities of water you'd need to fill the lower lakes and to handle the evaporation in the lakes and transmission loss -- that is, what you'd lose along the way.

Perhaps. But the information should be public so we can see what is going on.

Posted by: Gary Sauer-Thompson | August 7, 2008 1:20 PM