A study is currently underway to determine if excess water from the region’s drainage network could be stored in aquifers for the benefit of local primary industries.
The Limestone Coast Landscape Board (LCLB) and Primary Producers Sustainable Water Group are together investigating the feasibility of this arrangement in an effort to improve water security and sustainability across the region.
Limestone Coast Landscape Board chair Penny Schulz said undertaking this “innovative approach” to water resource management would be a challenge, but hoped it would see benefits for various groups.
“Water is central to the environment, industry, First Nations and community, and balancing the resources across these purposes is complex,” she said.
Managed by Innovative Groundwater Solutions, the feasibility study will work closely with the South East Water Conservation and Drainage Board to further understand the potential opportunity for managed aquifer recharge in the lower Limestone Coast area.
Representatives from major primary industries, landholders, environmental groups, state and local government and First Nations are also invited to provide their perspectives.
Study leaders are seeking feedback on current and future water demands for each sector, including perceptions of surface water availability, knowledge of existing surface water harvesting infrastructure and opinions on the feasibility of using managed aquifer recharge at various scales.
Mount Gambier potato farmer Terry Buckley and member of the Primary Producers Sustainable Water Group said the study would help scope the potential additional water for use in the Limestone Coast.
“This project investigates what resource is available in the drainage network, understanding its quality, its quantity, frequency and what can be sustainable harnessed,” Mr Buckley said. “If this study reveals that it is viable to utilise this drainage water to recharge the aquifer, and subsequently if the aquifer proves to be robust enough to allow extra extraction, it could provide significant new water resources for our region.”
This article appeared in the Naracoorte Community News.
