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May 31, 2009
Although the commonwealth buy back of over-allocated water licences in the Murray-Darling Basin for environmental flows continues, the lower lakes and the Coorong are slowly drying out from a lack of water flowing down the River Murray. So a weir at Wellington, at the mouth of the lower lakes, is being proposed to secure Adelaide's water security.
What then of the lakes themselves? What becomes of them with no fresh water inflows coming down the River Murray? As they dry out the acid suphate soils become exposed. The worst possible outcome for the lakes is acidification, since acid kills everything. If the lakes acidify, then nothing lives in them. This outcome is increasingly being accepted as a political reality. So what can be done to prevent the process of acidification in Lake Alexandrina and Albert?
Opening the barrages and Flooding the drying lakes with saltwater to prevent acidification has been the main option so far. Another option is bioremediation---- using lime and planting cereal rye to stimulate plant growth, which would mitigate, if not, neutralize the acid sulphate soils.
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