Lake Eucumbene

The mighty Snowy Mountains Authority project post war Australia was and probably remains the biggest infrastructure project this country has ever seen. The tunnels, dams and hydro-electricity power stations, certainly some of the greatest engineering feats seen in this Country.

The flaw in the project from my perspective is that water once released can only be pumped back up just one level. Imagine if water could be pumped all the way back up to the massive header dam of Lake Eucumbene. Imagine if we could fill it (I don't believe it ever has).

What could that do to preserve flow in the Murrumbidgee, Murray and Snowy River.

Makes a bit of sense to me.

We continue to pay lip service to the health of our Major River System

So the Menindee Lakes scenario remains mostly unresolved. The Capital works to consolidate on the major lake in times of drought seems to have waffled all over the place with no serious resolution.

The NSW Government is now going to build a pipeline from the Murray to the Lakes. Great, and so they must to protect Broken Hill.

But here we are creating a greater burden on the Murray which is clearly detrimental to the health of the River and the whole MDB.

It has been announced that a Concentrated Solar Power plant will be built at Port Augusta. Superheated steam from the Sun and Green Energy generated. Now when steam condenses I reckon I have a byproduct called distilled water, drinkable, usable, fresh water.

Back in 2000, I was privy to a feasibility study for a similar project in Whyalla and one of the potential outcomes was that it could not only provide sufficient fresh water for Whyalla it could possibly turn the Morgan/Whyalla pipeline around and service all of those centres along the way, including the Broughton a River irrigation area. 

Why can't this happen with Port Augusta plant? Why is this not being spoken about or considered? 

My sadness, the apathy in dealing with the issue, regardless of financial cost, merely confirms my fear that disinterest in Australia and its environment is crushed over and over again by greed and the power of the almighty dollar.

Broken Hill - Menindee Lakes

Broken Hill is being concerned about Water Supply and considering a pipeline from the Murray amongst other things. Some years ago there was considerable funds allocated to improve the management of the Menindee Lakes and minimise evaporation of this valuable resource. The work could not be done as the Darling flooded and has not been completed. It is my understanding that the money is still on the table. Get on with the job and stop looking at the Murray as the saviour.

Why has such an important project not been completed. We talk and talk about what we are are really doing about the Murray Darling Basin, the drought cycle will return and this important project has just been overlooked.

Water Harvesting along the Balonne

An interesting article from Crikey - wonder if anyone is listening

Follow this Link

Snowy Mountains Hydro Electric Authority

I am really wondering what effect the need for spinning reserve in the Snowy Hydro scheme is affecting water flow. Spinning Reserve defined here http://tinyurl.com/473a3sd. Also wondering whether this whole control of our Murray Darling headwaters is even considered by the Murray Darling Basin Plan.

Looking for the Murray Darling Basin Public Submissions

Looking for the Murray Darling Basin Public Submissions
You can find them here - it gives a chance to understand the diversity of the problem

MDBA View Feedback page

3.30pm 4/1/2011 leaving my home by boat.Measuring 13M, 6ks do... on Twitpic

3.30pm 4/1/2011 leaving my home by boat.Measuring 13M, 6ks do... on Twitpic

Twitter friend of mine have to leave home by boat. She lives in the shadow of water harvesting levees that have been indiscriminately built.

Levee Repair work begins

Cannot believe I wrote about levee danger this morning at one o'clock this afternoon ABC News release the article attached to the heading of this article. Just hope it is not too little too late!

Murray levels Surges to 20 year highs

This Article in The Adelaide Advertiser today is amazing.

I am absolutely astounded that it has taken our authorities this long to issue a warning on the impending flood conditions in South Australia. What is also not being mentioned is that the degeneration of the River Bank and levees because of the drought may not be good enough to hold it back. Blind Freddy could see this coming at least three weeks ago.

Menindee full, Lake Victoria full, Lake Cargellico full, the Murray, the Darling, the Murrumbidgee, tributaries all flowing and varying degrees of flood. The Hume is full, Burrinjuck is full, Blowering is full. Downstream is already running very high. All of this water finally gets together up by Mildura how obvious is this people.

I am also fed up with people bleating about the desalination plant here in Adelaide. We have missed the point here - ADELAIDE MUST HAVE A DESAL PLANT - when our reservoirs are full we only have 9 months supply of water. We already rely too heavily on the River.

All of the measures to secure South Australia’s water are required in this State - storm water harvesting, waste water recycling and desalination.

The flood will go by and by this time next year we could well be out of water. The drought is coming Mother Nature has told us so. She has just given us sixty seconds of think music.

Brisbane can mothball it’s desal because now their Reservoirs are full they have 13 years supply of water without another drop of rain. They have also linked all of their storage so whichever dam fills they can then pump surplus to another, thus not wasting water to the Ocean e.g. Hinze Dam on the Gold Coast Hinterland fills most years even in drought. It is now able to pump back to Wivenhoe and others. I am fed up with politicians, bureaucrats, scientists and the public living in their stupid little silos and not taking a long term whole of Australia view on this. Please do not tell me it costs too much to fix this. This is an expense that simply must happen and must take into account all stakeholders. The River System is over allocated and there has to be some recovery of allocation. Uncontrolled flood plain water harvesting is a travesty to the environment and needs to have serious review. There are so many issues that must be considered regarding environmental and economic consideration. We must take all of these issues into consideration now.

The Chairman of MDBA quits over advice on the terms of reference governed by the Act. The Australian Public has spoken we are not happy with the terms of reference. The Prime Minister in her news conference following the resignation of the Chairman of MDBA reflected the wishes of Australians and the CEO tells us he is just going blindly forward on the report as originally laid out in the act. Hello is anyone listening we need the whole issue looked at and it is not just confined to the Murray Darling Basin. Is Minister Burke supporting the comments of the Prime Minister I am confused – will the report meet the wishes of all stakeholders based on Prime Minister Gillard’s statement or simply continue down what MDBA tells us is the limitations of what they can do under the act.

Tony Burke MP tells us of the population growth aspirations of this country. How does he intend to feed and water them if we do not address this problem now? If the act needs changing pass the amendment now. Show me a politician who could possibly object to allowing the report to address the whole problem.

The loss of production in the basin, which represents one third of Australia’s food supply, would have horrendous effect on our economy, if not now certainly in the future when the minerals run out.

This is problem is man made and can be fixed by men. E.g. Burrinjuck and Blowering are overflowing into the Murrumbidgee and Tumut rivers respectively. They are just adding to the downstream flood big time. Snowy Mountains Hydro in a flood has no ability to recycle that water back to Lake Eucumbene that sits at the Head of this and is currently only at one third capacity (one Sydney Harbour). No, the water is just adding to the floods being experienced downstream. Think, if we could pump back to Eucumbene and fill it (3 Sydney Harbours) contemplate the ability to maintain flows, environmental and economic in times of drought.

Think if we could fill every water storage up and down the Eastern Seaboard, Dartmouth, Eildon, Warragamba etc etc.

This is a cost Australia must look at now, a cost that will be amortised into infinity. Equally we must put into play Nationwide Controls and Management. The warning I give is we are not taking a helicopter view point here – each Silo is sitting in its own little space and completely ignoring the issues of the Silo alongside.

Water in this country is not just restricted to the Murray Darling Basin it is a National issue please, please, please Prime Minister take a holistic affirmative view on a solution that benefits all. The current perspective is narrow minded and short term view.

Listen to Mother Nature but it is still only sixty seconds of think music.

Ironically as I write this Prime Minister Gillard is announcing the NBN Business Plan. I support NBN please tell me why is the cost of fixing Water Security any less important than an improved Internet connection.

Here comes a whole lot of water

If this is the state of play in the Murray River below Mildura then what is going to happen when this actually gets here. Where this photo was taken by Senator Simon Birmingham the Murrumbidgee has not yet peaked. There is whole lot of water going on and from what I hear most wetlands all the way down are now full. The Darling is flowing and the wet season has not started yet. The Murray and all its tributaries are in flood upstream.
I just hope we use natures relief period to ensure that we get it right for natures next drought.

Get with the Program

Do we honestly think we can sit in a country of approximately the same size as the USA with only 20million people compared to 300million in the USA. Global population will insist that ultimately we are going to have to use our space to accommodate the world.
Science is going to have to work out how we find enough water and resources to deal with what commonsense says is inevitable.

I ask therefore why doe Governments ignore the fact that Water is going to be a basic requirement for this inevitable population requirement.

Why therefore do we insist on ignoring the engineering and scientific advancements that will see the desalination of water and use of our Northern Rivers to water our population and our food resources. Israel, Saudi Arabia have been looking at and developing the kind of technologies we can use for years and yet we sit on our hands until we have to start marching down the street to protect our families and livelihood.

It seems to me as an island with a few Kilometres of Coast line, some wide open spaces and a fair bit of arable land if only we can get water to it that we do not start now. Solar power generation and desalination technologies exist - they are about as green as we can get right now but we turn our back on them

Frankly if we used our brain this country could be drought proof if we used the known technologies right now.

What are we waiting for get the engineers and scientists going and shift water to where we need it for environmental and socio economic purposes. Why have various Murray Darling Authorities religiously ignored the opportunities that have been presented to them - even in the last decade.

Can someone tell me please?

How far advanced is the work on the Menindee Lakes, how many kilometres of open channels have been converted to pipes since the promises to carry out this work three years ago.

In action is the issue not ripping of peoples livelihoods and exposing this country to yet more imported product.

The report - the modelling

Out of the mouth of the Mike Taylor the Chairman of MDBA at the Public Meeting in Shepparton this morning.

Taylor: ''The models are on the table to be questioned.''

How can we proceed on a report when the Chairman tells us the modeling is questionable.A fact that has been stated ever since the report was released.

Equally a local says that the Murray Valley is sustainable. My information is that Lake Eildon is over allocated at full capacity.Compliments of this season the Lake is back to a bit above 57% capacity how long before it is gone.

Must find more water.

Great Article Scary Photos

The article prepared by UNSW is very informative. The photos beg the question - is this viable water usage. Open Canals and Flood Irrigation just does not make sense in this country.

So the Brisbane Dams are full and overflowing

Contemplate this Brisbane dams are full and spewing Gigalitres to the sea.

The water reserve full Dams offers Brisbane is about 11 years supply. It is interesting that they are not getting rid of water restrictions - good plan in my view.

Full Dams in Adelaide represents 9 months supply and we are easing water restrictions - why.

Brisbane is now concerned about floods similar to the 1970's when more rain hits this week.

Now what if that water was being pumped with that of other flooding rivers (e.g. Bellingen)to water storages further south to fill up all Eastern Seaboard Dams. What if the excess was being pumped to the Warrego and its tributaries and therefore ultimately down the Darling.

Why are these things not being considered and please stop talking about cost. Amortised over infinity it looks pretty cheap to me.

The Murray Darling Basin Report

It is of course with great interest that we all have now seen the infamous report. It is also interesting that at this time the economic modelling attached to this has not been released but as the Chairman pointed out his term of reference hinged very largely on the environmental requirements of the river.

How does a report that is so hamstrung by its terms of reference mean anything at all when the economic model is clearly so fundamentally wrong. Until the Federal Government takes total control of the Basin a balance point of view can never be gained.

The primary production issues of the Murray Darling Basin must be taken into account and if we place any credence in Julian Cribb and his assertions in His Publication the Coming Famine we simply cannot afford to be short sighted on these issues.

The issues are much wider and deeper than what this report actually tries to address. Our new Minister for Sustainability will need to urgently consider how we are going to genuinely feed and water our own burgeoning population. It is stated that our population will grow in excess of 400,000 per annum ( I believe that is conservative and will accelerate quite quickly) let alone foreign investment viewing a vast expanse of unpopulated areas (regardless of their sustainability) and this is evidenced by the amount of Rural Property that is being purchased by Asian Interests. Believe me they will just throw money at the problems as they recognise their own inability to house and feed their own burgeoning populations. (China is growing at the rate of approximately 1 million per quarter).

Of course we must consider the environment but we seem to conveniently forget that our major River system prior to the advent of locks and dams was fairly intermittent at best and many of our wetlands would dry out regularly anyway.

Clearly we have over allocated and this must be addressed. It is my opinion that water trading only exacerbated the problem and not even sure how we allowed that to happen that water could be traded at all let alone separately from the property. I really believe that water allocations should be nothing more than a licence to draw water that can then be managed by the Authority. Trading only assures that all allocation is drawn.

We really must find additional water for the whole of the eastern system. Today the Wivenhoe in Queensland is full and water is being allowed to escape to the sea by the gigalitre.

I still believe every river on the eastern seaboard needs to be connected by pipeline and every reservoir and dam filled from flood water. If we achieved this all the way from Cape York to Wilson’s Promontory then these dams could ensure water supply for our major population centres and be used to direct flow in to tributaries of the Murray Daring Basin. If major storages like Warragamba (Currently 55%) Lake Eucumbene (currently 30%) Lake Eildon (Currently 57%). And this does not even begin to consider the amount of storage that is currently under capacity. And yet flood waters go out to see daily.

Yes the project is huge and will cost a lot but it sure makes for one hell of a stimulus package for the good of all Australians. When the Minerals run out we still want to export food.

Hydro stations could be built into the system to power the pumping required and also add additional green energy to the grids of Australia.

“We need men who can dream of things that never were and ask "why not?”. JFK
The report as it stands is severely under done and needs a much bigger overview before we hurt Australia irrevocably.

If all were full from flood waters then security would be a given and again we could feed the head waters of various tributaries of the Murray Darling Basin.

Step 1. Remove Open Channels in the Murray Valley and Riverina
Step 2. Do the works promised on Meninindee Lakes
Step 3. Review every water allocation along the river and see what is really required not just mass selfish expectation
Step 4. Start a new project that would see every River and Reservoir being utilised sensibly to their maximum and ensuring we capitailse on years like this that have seen a lot of water wasted to the whole Sustainable Australia Need

All Quiet on the Riverfront

It amazes me - so we have had some rain - a reasonable amount of water may make the whole distance to the sea, but the problem has not changed.

All discussion has ceased - action unchanged - what do we have to do?

MP criticises interstate water loss

Adrian Pederick makes a good point in this article. I am very interested why the sudden reluctance in getting on with this job across the whole basin.
I was interested recently that Professor Mike Young almost defended the Federal Minister on this point when in fact it was statistics from his publications that actually got me a bit fired up on this topic in the first place. My photographic trips continue to show a lack of decisive action to stop evaporation and wastage.
Any water saved for the system actually will allow each of the stakeholders a better chance at sharing in the improved management off the resource. The sort of "well it is going to happen response" from the Federal Minister really is not good enough. This issue is urgent so get on with it. Apart from anything else it is a good infrastructure project.
At the AMCHAM luncheon recently Minister Wong referred to the reversing the Clarence River Project. That is not what any of the projects have suggested. They are purley flood mitigation programs when the Pumps can be turned on only when the River is in flood. The project I have seen had Hydro Electricity built in to assist in offsetting the cost. Again our Eastern Seaboard is in massive flood and damage and if we only pumped during these periods the problems on the other side of the range would be fixed.
Minister Pederick how do we get some action?

Iraq rattled by Snake Plague

This recent article I found while researching for another of my Passions "Living with Wildlife" goes to show that the issue of water is going to become a global problem.

Because the Turks have taken control of the flow of the Tigris and Euphrates by over zealous damming and allocation to their own needs, Iraq is experiencing water shortages as a result. So much so that Snakes as inhabitants of the marsh lands of the lower reaches are now desperately seeking alternative refuge. This I am sure can only lead to stressed relations between the two countries in the future. I wish them luck when we are now relying on two not over friendly Governments negotiating to resolve this issue. We cannot even control a fair flow for all under our Federal Government System and have to still sit by while State Governments act totally selfishly and foolishly on our Murray Darling issue.

Indeed it is said that the Garden of Eden was actually located at the joining of the Tigris and the Euphrates. It has only gone down hill from there as each power that has controlled the region has done nothing but destroy the agriculture and livelihood of the region, including the salting of the region by the Genghis Khan.

Just as a post script my experience with snakes is that they rarely attack. Generally they are shy and may be forced to defend from time to time. The snakes of Iraq include Vipers a species not found in Australia and two or three varieties of Cobra, an Elapid which is closely related to the most common species of Snakes found in Australia, including our Brown, Tiger and red- bellied black snakes.

The snake pictured is an Arabian Cobra and for any information on this please visit this site - Snakes of Iraq

"NO TIME FOR BEATING CHESTS" says WONG

Well I have not written for a while and am so fed up with Politicians doing nothing.

I would like to pose a question for Senator Wong - a resident of South Australia. If the good Penny owned a property in the Adelaide Hills and decided the lovely creek running through her property would solve all of her personal issues and dammed the creek. Dammed it so well that water very rarely flowed past her property.

Let me assure her that the laws of this state would instantly require removal of the dam or at least release of sufficient water to allow her creek to flow.

The fact that Cubbie Station holds 530,000 gigalitres of water on its own is stunning. That is the entire Water drawn for Irrigation in the State of South Australia. Let us not also forget that Cubbie is but one of these massive storage facilities now located at the top end of the Darling.

Also as per previous articles written here the University of NSW did a survey of the Murray Darling Basin and found over 2000kms of illegal Dams and levees throughout the system. Why are these not being forcibly removed.

The fact that Cubbie even has a value is largely due to the Queensland Government rushing through legislation five minutes before they handed control to the Federal Government simply to protect the evil that had already been done. Please the motherhood statements being uttered by the Queensland Premier I found rather cynical I am afraid.

Senator Wong there is a solution but it requires strong action from Government to ensure that everyone including the Aussie Battler gets a fair go.