You may be thinking - why protect the Lake Eyre Basin (Queensland portion) catchments with Wild Rivers legislation? What would be a possible threat to the rivers in Western Queensland?
Any form of water diversion or large scale water take has serious consequences for any river system. This might be in the form of large scale irrigation, or mining projects. However, in Western Queensland, the rivers run on an ad hoc, episodic basis. Direct water extraction or floodplain water harvesting could also harm flows, as the extent and duration of flows is lessened. This would also reduce the interval between flows and the overall pattern of water hole connectivity.
Flows are irregular, and usually in response to major monsoonal influences. These rivers have some of the most variable flow rates of any rivers in the world. Yet amazingly, plant and animal species have adapted superbly to this irratic and unpredictable environment . Therefore, any take of water would threaten this already fragile, yet strangely resilient system.
Lesser threats include land clearing in the immediate vicinity of river areas. The introduction of non local fish species and noxious weeds and pests is also a concern.
However the biggest threat to the river systems is large scale water extraction in the form of mining and irrigation. We need to ensure water take of this nature does not occur.
Karen,
ReplyDeleteAll of these points raised in this blog are just dog whistling.
Mining is unaffected outside the HPA (which is only along the major creeks.
Clearing had already been stopped due to the VMA.
Irrigation could not happen under the Cooper creek water agreement.
whistle, whistle.