lake menindee any water

Apparently the NSW Govt. has first go at the water, to replenish the Menindee Lakes Storage System, before any substantial flow will make it further down the Darling. Let's all hope that there's heaps more water on the way down - for everyone's sake.

Ditto -It's still bloody dry down in Mildura-Rain guage for the month of FEB =Nothing!!!

If Vic and NSW ran all their water in pipes and not in stone age earth open channels there might be a bit more water around it must waste a s#it load of water in seepage and evaporation.
Apparently in NSW just the main channels not the sub channels waste more than SA use.Over 900 km of open earth main channels.

It would be great to stop the waste.But $$$$$$$$$ I suppose.

Just my point of view.

Scoof.

The only reason SA run the water in pipes is because they don't have any suitable rivers.

I am aware of irrigators in NSW who have lined dams up to 100,000 megalitres capacity with a vinyl liner to avoid losses to seepage. Last time I saw it they were planning to put a cover on the same dam to deal with evaporation. There is also a pipeline being put in along the Darling River Annabranch from Menindee area to the Murray.

I suspect that piping water from the Murray to Whyalla is not the most environmentally friendly option. I know it has other merits but it is not good for the natural environment at either end of the pipline.

The problem with Menindee is that the lake is about 8km in diametre and only about 4m deep. The Dept Water Resources in NSW will not put any water in that lake until they are confident that it will remain pretty much full for some time.

Duncs

Duncs don't you think that a open earth channel is a extremely wasteful way of distributing water to the farmers.

Here we are blocking of lake's and back waters to stop evaporation and us SA'ens drive over the border and see such a wasteful use of water in Vic and NSW.

To me it's primitive in light of the lack of water.

Maybe I'm just p!ssed off I have to buy water from Vic and NSW at $880.00 a meg to keep my fruit block alive.When all that wasted water could be flowing down the river.

Cheers Scoof .. :-)

Hey Scoof

I feel for you as I do for anyone trying to make a living off the land these last few years.

I also appreciate what you are saying about the open channels. I guess my point is that some people are trying to improve things.

The guy with the lined dam also had all his irrigation under ground with computer monitored moisture levels, so his plants only got what they could use.

We have been asking a lot of the Murray Darling Basin in the last few years. It seems the dryer it gets the more we ask the river to give up.

Having lived in Broken Hill for a few years I am more aware than most of the problems on the Darling. The farmers at Wentworth blame those at Pooncarie, those at Pooncarie blame those at Menindee, blame those at Bourke, blame those in Qld and so it goes on. The real criminals are the government ministers from all states and the commonwealth who have given out more licences than the river can sustain.

Poor old river can't keep everyone happy.

Good luck with the fruit block, hope you get some good rain when it's needed.

Duncs

Yeah Duncs I hope it p!sses down, It's a shame when you see couple hundred year old gum trees dying from lack of water. You just wish something could be done.

Cheers Scoof .. :-)

Hi stayed at Copi Hollow Oct 2007 just dry clay at the end of the boat ramp hardly any water in the lake just a little over by the ski club house and a sign on the toilet block warning of blue green algea.So great to here it's all good for now anyway.

Regards Scoof.. :-)

We were up there about the same time Pesty and were told that Copi was full.

Water level in Lake Balaka dropped alot in the week that we were there, which meant that the yabbies were 'off the bite'. More than one local said that there is more water coming down. I just hope so.

The water at the bridge at Menindee was looking a lot better that it was 11 months ago, colour wise and height wise.


Mrs S