The Big Dry.

[Dagabond]

Went for a drive today around some of the local Reservoirs to have a look at the dwindling supplies of water, these are only local Western side of Melbourne Reservoirs about 50k's up the Western Highway.

Lake Merrimu

Capacity:32,516ML

Current: 5011ML

15.4%

At it's best:

This afternoon 28/12/06:

Merrimu dam and lake are 50 km from Melbourne on the Coimadai Creek, northeast of Bacchus Marsh. The first stage of the reservoir was completed in 1969. In 1987 the embankment was raised by eight metres, increasing the storage capacity to its current 32,516 ML. There is provision for a future third stage if required.

The Werribee River Basin has an annual flow averaging approximately 92,500 ML, coming mainly from the forested hills north and west of Bacchus Marsh. Before the construction of Lake Merrimu, only 45% of this flow could be stored in Pykes Creek and Melton Reservoirs.

Lake Merrimu safeguards supplies by providing a reserve storage on Coimadai Creek, a tributary of the Werribee River upstream of Melton Reservoir. In addition, it supplies water for the expanding urban and industrial needs around Werribee, Bacchus Marsh and Melton through harvesting of bulk supply water on behalf of Western Water.

To supplement the Coimadai Creek flows, the reservoir also draws water from Goodman’s Creek to the west, through a 1.6 km tunnel. A further tunnel 4 km long draws water from a third stream, the Lerderderg River, and discharges it to Goodman’s Creek upstream of the first tunnel, so providing more water for storage in Lake Merrimu.

Pykes Creek

Capacity:22,119ML

Current: 1462ML

6.6%

Dead Storage Level: 1750ML

At it's best:

This afternoon 28/12/06:

The small clump of trees on the rise in the middle of the photo above is usually an Island in the middle of the lake which boats drive around but as can be seen Toyotas are currently driving round.....

The venerable Pykes Creek dam, first built in 1911 and enlarged in 1930, is located on a tributary of the Werribee River, 72 km west of Melbourne on the Western Highway. It impounds a storage with a capacity of just over 22,000 ML and is an earthen dam 39 m high.

Along with Melton Reservoir and Lake Merrimu, it supplies irrigation water for the Bacchus Marsh and Werribee Irrigation Districts. The Western Highway crosses the site by an embankment constructed below the dam.

The lake’s convenient location makes it a favourable spot for Melbourne’s boating enthusiasts. Anglers and swimmers also enjoy the facilities provided.

Bostock Reservoir

Capacity: 7455ML

Current:397ML

5.3%

No historical image available.

This afternoon 28/12/06:

Korweinguboora and Bostock reservoirs are the catchment reservoirs for the East Moorabool system. Water released from Korweinguboora Reservoir travels eight kilometres down the East Moorabool River to Bolwarra Weir. There it is diverted into the Ballan channel and flows a further 37 kilometres to the Upper Stony Creek reservoirs at Durdidwarrah, north of Anakie.

Water from Bostock Reservoir also is transferred to the Upper Stony Creek reservoirs along the 10-kilometre Bostock channel, which connects with the Ballan channels.

Stony Creek is the site of Geelong's original reservoir built in 1870.

The entire Melbourne System Total:

Capacity: 1,773,000 Megalitres.

Current: 693,918 ML.

39.1%

http://conservewater.melbournewater.com.au...ent/storage.asp

The volume of water supplied varies between a maximum of 1,313 megalitres per day, during peak summer use, and a minimum of 326 megalitres per day.

The entire Geelong System Total:

Capacity:98,285

Current: 22,111

22.5%

If I can steal myself away from the pc for 5 minutes in the next few days I'll head for some of the larger dams.

[Dagabond]

Bit hard to tell but the Rock edge in the Pykes Creek Photo's is about 15 feet above the water line.

[jEtONiT]

that is farken shocking.. real eye opener

we'll be dry sooner than I imagined by the look of things.

[Flukey]

Unbelievably bad right now.

Interesting reading the paper today, a journo interviewed some Qlders holidaying down on The Penninsula. They were complaining how cold and miserable it was and they wanted to go home.

We need many more wet and miserable days soon.

[RHR]

Great Pics there.. Amazing to see how bad it really is

Edited 29/12/06 08:19 AM by revheadrobbo

[Mr X]

Scarey.......it really is.Goyders Line (border of arable vs non arable land) is gradually moving south in SA and farmers are walking away from properties held for generations in the one family.

Adelaide relies on the Murray River for suppliment of metropolitan water supply and we have very tough restrications about to be enforced,as the flow from the river dwindles and it appears that Melbourne faces a similar dilemma.

Spare a thought for the hard working people on the land around the country and lets hope we have a very wet winter in '07

I

[GOLDIE]

I think it is about time that the goverments got seriuos about this northen australia has more water than they can handle and it all flows out into the ocean.

We should be doing some thing about get some of that down to the southern parts of australia.

It will cost a bit but what price can we put on our futures.

Ian

[Skooby]

The (dis)honourable Mr Bracks was 'investigating' the possible uses of refining salt water as drinking water. After many years 'research' and some $150 million spent, the idea has been scapped due to the cost of the refinement. Perhaps if Mr Bracks didn't spend so much time with his head up his arse 'investigating' the process that $150 million could have been spent on the actual refinement.

A lot of people (me included) have been coming down with gastro symptons since before Xmas. The blame has been put solely on the condition of our water. It really is a lucky dip most days as it could be that chlorinated that it comes out bubbling and white. Other days it has a orange muddy tint and if we're really lucky, it comes out in tri colours. It's been said that we will be without drinking water (from the tap) by January 17 2007.

Our water board and council are jumping through hoops because they have found a large catchment of bore water, that will be tapped into our normal drinking water, early next year. They have said that after extensive treatment the water will be drinkable, if not a little harder than usual. I don't give a rats bum what they do to it but I won't be drinking bore water. People have died from drinking that crap and I aint going to be their guinea pig!

I live in a summer holiday destination and by summers end we are going to be in the sh*t. It's ok for these tourists (aka terrorists) because they can go home and still have water, but wtf are we supposed to do? I've been reading in the Herald Sun about all these people whinging about how they can't wash their cars and water their gardens. Woop-de-farkin-doo! Welcome to our club!!

I actually rang the waterboard yesterday because the people staying in a holiday house next to our home washed their boat in the driveway last night - AND LEFT THE HOSE RUNNING THE ENTIRE TIME!! I told him he wasn't allowed and he told me to mind my own business. He copped a fine today and then threatened me over the fence once they had left. What he didn't count on was that I am a local and know the coppers in town. After a brief phonecall they were around 10 mins later issuing him with their own threat.

It shouldn't come to that though. They think cos they are on holiday that they don't have to follow the laws as they do back home (they also leave their manners at home - but that's another story).

Anyhoo, I've drifted way off topic and I feel better after venting. I'm pretty passionate about all things weather/fire etc and follow it pretty closely via the internet. I just wish there were more people that cared enough about our enviroment and didn't take things for granted.

PS: Thanks Dagabond. I really enjoyed reading your post.

Edited 29/12/06 11:52 AM by Skooby

[EvilDaifu]

I actually rang the waterboard yesterday because the people staying in a holiday house next to our home washed their boat in the driveway last night - AND LEFT THE HOSE RUNNING THE ENTIRE TIME!! I told him he wasn't allowed and he told me to mind my own business. He copped a fine today and then threatened me over the fence once they had left. What he didn't count on was that I am a local and know the coppers in town. After a brief phonecall they were around 10 mins later issuing him with their own threat.

That's poetic Skooby!

[stang]

I think the men anyway should start pissing in there back yards rather than going and using the toilet and flushing 2 to 3 times a day every drop counts if you ask me.

Just got to avoid the dog doesn`t bite anything off.