The Unforseen Problem

(1) The unforeseen problem – Windblown erosion and deposition of lake bed soils.

• The movement of sand and dust whenever the wind gets above a gentle breeze is a serious environmental and human problem – and these are very windy places. (See Photos 1, 2 and 3– North-westerly winds sweep across the exposed Currency Creek sand flats and obscure Goolwa from Clayton and the Finniss estuary) . Click on any photo to enlarge.

Photo 1                                            Photo 2                                        Photo 3

• Thousands of tonnes of sand accumulating along former shore lines are irreversibly changing the physical landforms and the RAMSAR lakeside wetland littoral zone will never be the same again.

(See Photos 4 and 5 – sand dune build up along the shore near Clayton)

                                        Photo 4                                            Photo 5

• In March 2009, pockets of acidic soils exposed by wind erosion near the Finniss/Goolwa Channel junction have been carried and deposited on new galvanised iron structural cladding near Clayton with subsequent light rain leading to rapid corrosion of the zinc surface.

(See Photo 6 – recent surface corrosion on galvanised corrugated iron structural cladding)

                                                                        Photo 6

• Potential detrimental health effects of windblown dust on residents of lakeside communities (with acidic and/or toxic heavy metal contaminants) is still to be determined. From roof to rainwater a potential issue.

• Acidic dust intrusion within homes and potential corrosive damage to electro-mechanical goods, (television, sound equipment, cameras etc), for example, is also a worry.