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June 22, 2009
Bit by bit the evidence indicates that the southern region of the Murray-Darling Basin is undergoing a significant drying event.
There is increasing evidence that a real shift in weather patterns has occurred over south-eastern Australia that is causing a generally warmer and dryer environment.This drying is expressed in less rainfall, less run-off, less river flows and now evidence of less water replenishing the groundwater systems.
Gary Sauer-Thompson, Lake Albert, June 2009
With the consistent reduction in the amount of rainfall over the Murray-Darling Basin since 2001 we have seen reduced run-off from the catchment areas into the dams, reduced flows in the rivers and streams, drying out of the floodplains and wetlands and of course reduced amounts of water being used for irrigation.
What we don't see in this drying process is the reduced amount of water that slowly moves from the ground surface through the upper soil layers into the underlying aquifers feeding the groundwater system. In the absence of fresh water the dairy farmers around the lower lakes are tapping into the salty ground water.
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Lake Albert is receding. That means a declining future for Meningie.