That's not a drought...

[starrkers]

...this is a drought.

We went to the big storage dam and recreation area today. It used to be a major haunt of water sports types - lots of water skiing.
When full it looks something like this:
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y286/starrcats/wyangalawall.jpg

Today it looked like this:
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y286/starrcats/wyangala-25.jpg

 

[cheerful_deviant]

Looks like somebody left the plug out of the tub.

 

[oggbashan]

We've had similar sights in the UK in recent years but it seems that Australia has a real long term problem.

I remember the excitement generated by the Snowy Mountain scheme that was going to save the Murray/Darling basin from droughts but my geography teacher wasn't convinced that it would do more than extend the periods between major droughts - for a while.

I hope SE Australia gets plenty of rain soon.

Og

 

[Guest]

"It it's yellow, let it mellow. If it's brown, flush it down."

That sucks. I didn't realize you guys were having such a problem. International News in the US is non-existent.

 

[starrkers]

We've had similar sights in the UK in recent years but it seems that Australia has a real long term problem.

I remember the excitement generated by the Snowy Mountain scheme that was going to save the Murray/Darling basin from droughts but my geography teacher wasn't convinced that it would do more than extend the periods between major droughts - for a while.

I hope SE Australia gets plenty of rain soon.

Og

You might find this interesting. If it doesn't rain, the snowy scheme's hydro plants may have to shut down in the next couple of months.

The pics I took are of Wyangala Dam. It's one of the major sources (if not the number one source) of irrigation water for the Central West of NSW. We live downstream of the dam and, even with daily release of water from the dam for irrigators, the river isn't flowing.

We moved back here over four years ago. My youngest son has never owned a raincoat. They have been caught in the rain coming home from school four times (maybe 6) in that time.

 

[firstkiss]

oh, starkkers --- that's not good!

move to Canada - we have plenty of water (as our American friends like to constantly remind us -- they also want it all!)

Hope you have some rain soon - it's raining here this morning, so I'll send a little your way!

 

[Penelope Street]

...this is a drought.

We went to the big storage dam and recreation area today. It used to be a major haunt of water sports types - lots of water skiing.

Simply stunning. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Jenny_Jackson]

Similar things going on here. And to think GW still insists the Science of Global Warming isn't worked out yet.

 

[oggbashan]

I think the AH Prom should include a rain dance for our Australian friends.

What form should an AH Rain dance take?

Og

 

[Zeb_Carter]

The same thing happen in Acworth Georgia each year at Lake Altoona...the Army Corp of Engineers allow the water level to drop through out the year until late in the summer it's not much more than a mud hole. Lake Altoona is a man made lake and the water is used to keep the level of the Chattahoochee up.

 

[3113]

I think the AH Prom should include a rain dance for our Australian friends.

What form should an AH Rain dance take?

Does this mean you're coming to the prom!?

There should indeed be a rain dance...perhaps you could lead it? As a symbol of Britain where it tends to rain a lot.

 

[N0madS0uL]

That's sad. But drought isn't non-existent and most of the South Asian countries still rely on monsoon rains to irrigate their crops which is shocking 'coz there's hardly any "management" of water collected in the dams. Monsoon rains are unpredictable and the governments of these countries are driving the farmers insane.

 

[oggbashan]

Does this mean you're coming to the prom!?

There should indeed be a rain dance...perhaps you could lead it? As a symbol of Britain where it tends to rain a lot.

I'll come to the Prom with my Yeoman of the Guard and Headsman to ensure that no outsiders are admitted to the secret rituals of the AH. Perhaps I could crown the King and Queen? Better me than my headsman. He gets carried away in his professional capacity.

Og

 

[3113]

I'll come to the Prom with my Yeoman of the Guard and Headsman to ensure that no outsiders are admitted to the secret rituals of the AH. Perhaps I could crown the King and Queen? Better me than my headsman. He gets carried away in his professional capacity.

[threadjack]Oh, now THAT is an excellent idea! Hm...does that make you class president or the school principal? Who gets to crown king & queen at a High School prom?[/threadjack]

Back on topic: Geeze! I feel for you! We're in a drought too, but nothing as bad as that.

 

[starrkers]

The same thing happen in Acworth Georgia each year at Lake Altoona...the Army Corp of Engineers allow the water level to drop through out the year until late in the summer it's not much more than a mud hole. Lake Altoona is a man made lake and the water is used to keep the level of the Chattahoochee up.

Somehow I doubt it equates. Couple of Wyangala facts I dredged off the net
* The surface area of the dam is two and a half times the size of Sydney Harbour
* The capacity of the dam is 1,217,600 mega litres
* The catchment area is 828,800 hectares
* The length of the wall is 1,510 metres
In Imperial measure this is
* capacity 321,750,678,240 US gallons
* catchment area 2047965 acres
* length of wall 0.94 mile

It's a damn big dam.

 

[colddiesel]

Australia does have a drought problem but its major problem is politicians.

The politicians particularly in the states of Queensland and New South Wales worked it out 15 years ago that they could raise huge revenues by selling water rights to agribusiness, especially cotton farmers. The cotton farmers of Australia now use the equivalent of a dozen of Starkers dry dam. . However the state government's are in a bind because if they cut off water to big agribusiness(Cotton) they will have to buy back $100's of millions in water rights - and pay compensation.

It's a cock up

 

[starrkers]

They're not gonna have a choice if it doesn't rain like stink in the next couple of months.
Never mind the cotton growers. There's rice growers downstream from my dry dam...
And you watch the vege prices skyrocket - I live in a major vege growing area. There's a lot of empty paddocks right now. No water = no veges.

 

[deathlynx]

*Hugg;es Starr!* That sucks! Hopefully things don't get much worse for you!!!

move to Canada - we have plenty of water (as our American friends like to constantly remind us -- they also want it all!)

No we don't we just got flooded

 

[SeaCat]

West Palm Beach is now in catagory one water restrictions. This means that unless they have political clout, or plenty of money they can only water their lawns once a week. (Unless of course they happen to have a private well, which they somehow think doesn't affect the Aquifer.) Oh my, peoples lawns may actually start to turn brown.

The next step is of course the banning of any lawn watering, unlss you again have the political clout. (Not to mention unless you happen to be on Town Property. The towns are allowed to water as always because they ca't have their Green areas turning brown.)

As I've said before too many people just have no idea on how to save or re-use water.

One of these days I will take measurements of our total water used. It should be interesting.

Cat

 

[jomar]

"It it's yellow, let it mellow. If it's brown, flush it down."

Hahahahahaha! Sorry. My son is barely out of middle school and I haven't recalibrated by humor.

 

[starrkers]

This morning it's drizzling. It'll need to do that for quite a while, methinks.

 

[deathlynx]

This morning it's drizzling. It'll need to do that for quite a while, methinks.

That's great news! Here's hoping it keeps up with some breaks!

 

[oggbashan]

This morning it's drizzling. It'll need to do that for quite a while, methinks.

Is that the best that the AH rain dance can produce? We need to put more effort into it.

Now if sex would produce rain, we could solve Australia's drought.

Make love for rain.

That slogan should work.

Og

 

[Guest]

Now if sex would produce rain, we could solve Australia's drought.

Or, Australia could go the way of Tuvalu...

"The problem is that Tuvalu is mostly flat - a series of coral atolls just above sea level, and the seas are rising, scientists say, because of global warming. Higher waves and more violent storms threaten to wash away the tiny island nation within this century."

Last year, islanders took videos during the highest tides anyone could remember. In them, children use their front steps as a diving platform and young men play volleyball on a flooded court.

One school, built a hundred years ago, was a foot deep in water.

 

[oggbashan]

Or, Australia could go the way of Tuvalu...

.

What HAVE they been doing on Tuvalu? Orgies every night? At least three in every bed?

Tuvalu (and other atolls) are threatened by rising sea levels. Australia is threatened by lack of rain. Flooding central Australia to make an inland sea might be a small way to change both situations.

Og