The drought in Queensland

[sprintcyclist]

It seems to me there is a current drought.

We have not had any rain for about 3 weeks. it was about 1/2" then.
There was probably 2 - 3 months before that for any rain.

Recently there has been 2 abbatoirs in Ipswich closing.
Because the beef farmers have no stock, because of the ongoing drought.

It seems to me droughts are getting longer, deeper and closer together.

[Black Orchid]

Apparently Queensland is 87% drought affected. The highest in recorded history. This is affecting the cane industry and cattle production enormously and the time Australia spends in drought is expected to increase. Die-back in the bush is exponentially increasing.

We just aren't doing enough to manage our water wisely. Would underground dams be a start?

The return of drought in eastern Australia is a reminder that Australia has not yet done enough to secure our future water supplies by protecting our groundwater.

Groundwater constitutes around 95 per cent of the nation's fresh water resource. Besides supporting $34 billion in mining, agriculture and manufacturing industries it also keeps the Australian landscape, including its lakes, rivers and wetlands, alive. It is in short our main water bank: yet we do not fully know the balance, the deposits or the withdrawals.

An underground water bank has one huge advantage - unlike a surface dam, water loss by evaporation is minimal. In a country like ours, where evaporation rates often exceed rainfall, this is a vital consideration. It has the added plus of not drowning landscapes, avoiding the clashes so often seen over surface dams. If ever there was an infrastructure challenge worthy of Australia's mettle it would be the development of a network of large ''underground dams'' to conserve surplus water for the dry times we know are on the way.

There is, apparently, a plan to build 100 surface dams in northern Australia to unlock development - but if these dams are on the surface, most content will be lost into the sky. In effect, evaporation means we will have to build twice as many as we need. If the water could be stored underground, not only would construction costs be less - but so will water losses.

Modelling underground water recharge and discharge may not sound very exciting to some but it is an old truth that ''if you can't measure it, you can't manage it''. And Australia is insufficiently equipped to accurately measure and manage its groundwater across the whole continent. Without these sophisticated computer methods we lack the essential tool for effective water governance, one that, like a car fuel gauge, can tell us how close to ''full'' or ''empty'' the nation is at any time.

http://www.smh.com.au/comment/undergrou ... 34v8m.html

[sprintcyclist]

I had never heard of underground dams.
Great idea.

Have known shallow dams are of little benefit, that is sensible.

[sprintcyclist]

http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/change/in ... iod%3D1970

[sprintcyclist]

'Shocking images' reveal death of 10,000 hectares of mangroves across Northern Australia

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-07-10/u ... ie/7552968

[Rorschach]

OMG! A drought in Australia.
BTW no rain for 3 weeks is not a drought.

[sprintcyclist]

When I first got to Brisbane we had a storm every afternoon. About 4:30 to 5 pm

After a few years people removed many 100's of kms of mangroves.


Soon after that, the afternoon storms stopped.

[Rorschach]

Wasn't like that when I was up there.

[Neferti]

It got to 22C in Canberra today ..... a HEATWAVE (by Scottish standards of Summer temps) or time to put a jumper/cardigan on in Queensland.

[Black Orchid]

Last time I was in Queensland there were daily late afternoon storms but I haven't been to QLD for many years. No afternoon storms now?