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- In reference to the proposal from the universitys School of Earth and
Environmental Sciences in the Sunday Mail.
The Government seems to have ruled out purchasing water for the Lakes
even a small amount to give it a chance for survival, instead opting to build
weirs costing millions of dollars.
This year in July - August Lake Alexandrina was greatly revived by good
rains.
Numerous benefits were evident. The Lake was temporarily saved giving
many animals a much-needed resurgence and encouraging much regrowth on acid
sulphate soils.
Apart from freshening the Lakes it slowed tube worms from growing on
turtles.
Golden Perch, Congolii, Bony Bream and many non-consumptive species were
induced to spawn.
Yabbies and shrimps were witnessed to have eggs under their tails,
mussels were freshened up after many had died last year and aquatic plants
produced new shoots.
That two months of rain breathed life back into the Lakes.
A weir would stop this, it would stop the life giving wind tides, it
would lock the saltiest area in the Lakes (the Goolwa channel) into the very
area you are trying to save, the Finniss River and Currency Creek.
Deep refuge holes for many species were freshened by the environmental
flows.
Refuge holes in Holmes Creek, Boundary Creek, Shooters Creek, and Deep
Creek were all freshened.
A weir at Clayton would stop these life giving flows and sacrifice Lakes
Albert and Alexandrina and if the drought continues next year nothing would be
saved.
We can use the monies that are allocated for the two hideous weirs to
purchase enough fresh water to save the Lakes until it rains.
I do agree with Professor Patons views re pumping hyper saline water
from the Coorong.
Henry Jones
CLAYTON
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