Scott T: The Blog
As the water slowly recedes
Posted Tue, Feb 05, 2008 at 12:22pm by ScottTagged: everyday, water
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It's now been nearly 5 months since the lake was initially cut-off and during that time, it's been hard to not notice the slow retreat of water from the grass on the foreshore. Before the closure and before the river level dropped too much, the "beach" was probably 2m wide at most.
[[img|/images/gallery/4/73_med.jpg]] [[img|/images/gallery/4/74_med.jpg]]
While the beach is now much, much wider ...
... there are locations around the back of the lake where the normally submerged clay is starting to be uncovered. This isn't exactly the nicest smell you've ever encountered and it won't be too long before it's uncovered on the town side either which could make for interesting times. Here are some comparison photos. The one on the left is from the end of last November and the one on the right was taken Feb 2nd.
[[img|/images/gallery/4/60_med.jpg]]
Yes - all three tree stumps on this page are the same one. On the top photo, you should just be able to make out the ledge just below the water level. Some more of the photos taken last weekend I put up in the gallery.
And yes, we still sail and swim in it regularly.
I'm Home!
Posted Wed, Nov 28, 2007 at 12:54pm by ScottTagged: fires, sailing, uni, water
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It's been a little while since the last post so time for an update. Firstly, exams are over! Hopefully everything went well. I'm also home again after leaving my uni accommodation after the final exam last Friday. I also picked up a new computer on the way :D
The fires were put out towards the end of last week and I got to see all the burnt out areas on the way home. A lot of the weed area that was there is now bare (and black) land. The Australian election was held on the Saturday with a reasonably one-sided victory to the Labor Party.
Finally, we also had state titles over the weekend so I spent a bit of time down at the yacht club, which also allowed me to see how the water has dropped.
I know the photo may not show a lot for those unaware of the area, but the water used to be some 10cm or more above that ledge on the log not too long ago so that gives ~20-30cm drop in the last few months. The lake also now has a beach approximately three times as wide as it used to be.
[[img|/images/gallery/4/60_med.jpg]]
What's That Falling from the Sky?
Posted Mon, Nov 05, 2007 at 8:44pm by ScottTagged: fires, uni, water
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I went home for a weekend of attempting to ignore the pending exams - I enjoyed it but all good things come to an end and here I am back at uni for another 3 until exams are over. Tea each night was better than I get down here through my accommodation and I can't wait to get back after exams are over :)
The trip down was fairly uneventful although most of the way was spent with rain falling - quite a refreshing change although in the end there wasn't enough of it! The rest of the weekend was also winter-ish weather with a cold wind blowing both days (not that it stopped us from sailing).
[[img|/images/gallery/4/57_med.jpg||float=right|Mosquito state titles 2005-06]] Probably the most surprising thing was to find the that the lake level had fallen about 10cm since being blocked off some 7 weeks ago. Yes - our lake (photo on right taken October 05) was blocked off in order to help save the rest of the River Murray, predicted to save some 30 gigalitres of water per year from evaporation losses. As much as I didn't want it to occur, I see why it had to be done. Hopefully the water situation soon improves and the rain continues, especially upstream.
We have unfortunately been in a drought like stage for quite some years now. And I can't see it likely to improve dramatically any time soon - although El Niņo effects have officially ceased, and the opposite (La Niņa) is now in place, it has come too late, hence the rains associated are somewhat less likely to form. Great.
The lack of rain and water crisis also continue to remind me of a verse from "The Wine Song" by The Cat Empire:
In summer the bushfires rage and rage-And rage-On such beautiful days-And we fight them with water that runs through the cracks-Water we're desperately trying to save --- The Cat Empire, Wine Song
Rather appropriate given the precedent set last summer.
Phew... 6 lattes, 2 long blacks, and a hot choc. :)