Mound Springs in SA
September 22-October 3, 1997
click on images to see larger versions
The Great Artesian Basin is one of the largest groundwater systems in the world, underlying one-fifth of the Australian continent and providing water for much of inland eastern Australia. Most of the recharge for the basin occurs along the western slopes of the Great Dividing Range in NSW and Queensland. From this entry point it takes up to 2 million years for the water to reach the South Australian portion of the basin.
Natural springs, known as Mound Springs, occur on the southern, southwestern, and western margins of the Great Artesian Basin in isolated desert environments where they support oases with a diverse range of flora and fauna, some species of which are endemic and rare. These springs form when the groundwater pressure is great enough to force water to the surface through natural fissures in the rock. A series of spectacular Mound Springs occur in a loop from Marree, under the southern tip of Lake Eyre, to Oodnadatta. They were important places for Aboriginal communities, as shown by the abundance of stone chips and other artifacts in their vicinity. They remain of great significance to Aboriginal communities and have great historical, scientific, and tourism potential. The Arabunna community in Marree is establishing a tourist venture based on these springs and the surrounding country.
Extraction by Western Mining Company (WMC) of huge amounts of water from borefields in the southern portion of the Great Artesian Basin is threatening the long term viability of these springs and is already associated with the drying up of some springs. Venable and Priscilla Springs have completely dried up and others, such as Bopeechee and Beatrice, now show signs of decline. The extracted water is used for processing copper, uranium, gold, and silver ore at WMC's Olympic Dam mine near Roxby Downs.
Over 40 million litres of water per day will be extracted from the Great Artesian Basin. In other words, an invaluable water resource, most of it fossil water of great antiquity, is being mined. This raises the question of whether this water extraction is sustainable at this present level, let alone any additional extraction of water proposed for future mines and expansion in northern South Australia.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Dead Boy and Sulphuric Spring
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
