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/ SA Drought E-News, 14th August 2008
SA Drought E-News, 14th August 2008
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| SA Drought E-News 14th August 2008 |
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| Basin wide storage remains low |
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Water held in public storages across the Murray-Darling Basin is estimated to be at only 21% of total capacity. Water in private storages is also at low levels.
That’s the main finding of a Basin wide preliminary collection of public and private storages carried out by the Murray-Darling Basin Commission (MDBC) in the first week of August. The MDBC says most of this water is already earmarked for critical human needs and a small amount is held as carry over or announced allocations.
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| Refilling lakes with basin water not feasible – MDBC |
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The Murray Darling Basin Commission (MDBC) has released a fact sheet showing the water needs at the Lower Lakes. The commission says that given the current level of storage, it’s not feasible to refill the lakes by transferring water from other parts of the basin without further significant rain.
It says as little as 20% of any water released in the north of the basin would reach the Lower Lakes in SA, meaning that four or five times the water needed at the lakes would need to be released from that far upstream. The fact sheet is available at www.mdbc.gov.au.
View the Bureau of Meterology’s maps of recent rainfall for the month to date.
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| Hubs connect women to services |
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From Mount Gambier to Renmark and Roxby Downs to Streaky Bay – women across South Australia are being connected to support and services through a new State Government information service. The SA Women’s Information Service is rolling out 30 information hubs in 2008 – coinciding with the service’s 30th birthday.
The hubs provide an opportunity for women to access information on a range of services and provide assistance to rural women struggling with the impact of the drought. Twenty of the information hubs have been established so far in metropolitan and regional areas.
More information and hub locations.
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| Young farmers program success |
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Eighteen young farmers from across the state will take part in the second Drought Leadership program to be held in Adelaide on 26-29 August, with a follow up session in early October.
The goal of the program is to provide a range of specialised professional leadership development opportunities for young people involved in primary production in SA and also to address succession issues and develop an innovative culture within their communities.
Topics will cover personal resilience, communication in families and groups, making good decisions and understanding self and others.
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| Response Centre servicing Riverland community |
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Minister for the River Murray and Member for Chaffey Karlene Maywald officially opened the Riverland Response Centre in Berri this week.
The centre provides the Riverland community with a range of information and support services to help them deal with the challenges for these irrigation communities.
Minister Maywald says that the centre will be very important in keeping the local community up to date with information and services to help them manage the current difficult conditions.
“Experienced rural counsellors and support staff are available to answer any questions people might have, or help them access the relevant services they may need,” she said.
The centre is at 7 Wilson Street, Berri and can be contacted on 8595 2351. Groups which are part of the centre will also be at the Riverland Field Days on 17-18 September.
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| Drought co-ordinator at Cleve Field days |
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| The Eyre Peninsula Drought Co-ordinator Brenton Parsons was on hand in the PIRSA marquee to provide drought information on assistance and other measures to visitors at the Eyre Peninsula Field Days at Cleve on 12-14 August. He was among a range of groups that provide drought services that had a presence at the field days including Centrelink, the Rural Financial Counselling Service and TAFE SA training programs. |
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| New way to fight salinity risks |
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Recent rain has provided irrigators in the McLaren Vale and nearby regions with an opportunity to gain new insights into root zone salinity. A forum was held this week at McLaren Vale on new techniques being used to monitor fertiliser movement and salt leaching within the soil profile.
South Australian Research and Development (SARDI) scientist Dr Tapas Biswas says timing is the key in flushing salt out of the root zone. Growers traditionally apply additional water for leaching salt in summer. However SARDI research has shown that leaching in winter is more effective.
SARDI has recently developed a root zone watch tool, which accurately measures salts and fertiliser within the root zone.
More information is contained in a media release.
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Access and equity
The information in this publication can be provided on request to those who need it in an alternative format or another language. Contact PIRSA Communications and Marketing. Telephone (08) 8226 0539.
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