Recent news article shines a light on the long-term challenges for the water balance in the Limestone Coast

Back in March, I wrote a blog for the NGT Newsletter that touched on the issue of declining groundwater in the South East – or Limestone Coast – region of South Australia.

Since I wrote that article, the long dry continued, and has only recently been interrupted by some seasonally late – and, as yet, not quite wet enough – breaking rains.

This topic has also been in the news again recently, with an article written by Brook Mitchell featuring in the Guardian, which is well worth a read, given its concise overview of some of the key issues. You can read the article here or click on the image shown.

Sustainable groundwater management is a big and complex topic, with far-reaching implications for all communities, industries, and the environment, including the wetlands and aquatic species that we talk so much about at NGT.

As clearly articulated in the Guardian article – and despite the positive, measurable impact NGT is having through our efforts to restore wetlands and recharge aquifers – at the broader regional scale, we’ve now found ourselves in a situation where the formula for how water is allocated and used in the Limestone Coast doesn’t quite ‘add up’ anymore.

From an environmental and water resource sustainability point of view, we also know that the elevation of the water table beneath our feet is the only long-term indicator that really matters in the end. This is placing huge importance on the Lower Limestone Coast Water Allocation Plan review and amendment process, which is currently underway.

To learn more about that review and the comprehensive process that underpins it, please follow this link to the wide range of information and resources on the Limestone Coast Landscape Board’s website.