newsletter-September-2011

Newsletter - September 2011

Hello!  It has been a long time since the last newsletter.  Isn’t it great to have water back in the Lakes?  It’s been a very welcome sight.  If you haven’t visited the Lakes Need Water website in a while, come take a look. 

Seawater intrusions

Over this winter, sea water has been monitored and observed coming in through open barrages during various tidal, wind and storm events - even during times of fresh water flow exceeding 80 GL per day.  These observations, and an explanation can be found within this article titled Seawater Flow Reversals.

However, the salinity observations used in this article are no longer possible due to the telemetry beacons being dismantled by the government.  Budget cutbacks is the reason given. If you would like to send a letter of support to 'bringing back the beacons' check the contact details on this page. 

Rediscover local history

A fantastic source of searchable Australian history is available online from the National Library of Australia, Trove .  For free, and from the convenience of your own home, you can search through digitized local newspapers nationwide going back to the 1800’s. The LakesNeedWater Blog is featuring some interesting stories and reports pre and post barrage construction. Now you don’t have to rely on someone else’s interpretation of history, you can read it for yourself.

Local radio

CounterBalance Radio now has their own website with all their shows available for download in case you missed the original broadcast or are outside their broadcast range.  CounterBalance discusses issues affecting the River Murray, Lower Lakes and Coorong.  There have been some interesting interviews with a wide variety of people over the last year.

Voice your opinion

At Lakes Need Water we take pride in presenting balanced information about the Lower Lakes that might not otherwise be published.

Yesterday, in The Australian is an opinion piece, 'Removing the barrages would turn lower lakes into a dead sea', by Kym McHugh, the mayor of Alexandrina Council and a dairy farmer.

If you have something you’d like to say in response, take a minute over the next day or two and send in a letter, less than 250 words to letters@theaustralian.com.au. This is an excellent opportunity to reach a national audience and is not to be missed.

As usual we welcome your letters and opinions.

Photos of the month

From the Trove website a historical photo from 1919 of the building of the Mundoo Barrage.  And below that a photo of the destroyed barrage August 2011. It's still there, blocking boat access.

"Mundoo Barrage: The temporary, Mundoo barrage was destroyed by explosives in 1917. 1919 new barrage under construction: view of sheet piling being driven across the channel where tidal gates were to be built".

Source: http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/15798820

Remnants of the old Mundoo Barrage, August 2011.  In the distance the Coorong sandhills, and the new Mundoo Barrage to the right in the distance.