Decision on construction of temporary weir at Lower Lakes likely by late September
The South Australian Government is likely to by the end of September make a decision on whether to construct a temporary weir below Wellington at the entrance to the River Murray’s Lower Lakes, according to the state’s Minister for Water Security Karlene Maywald.
Ms Maywald says the Murray-Darling Basin Commission is expected to provide the results of its investigations into the management options for the Lower Lakes to the Murray-Darling Basin Ministerial Council by the end of September.
“Also, by the end of September, all jurisdictions in the Murray-Darling Basin will have a better idea of the volume of inflows from winter and early spring rains and whether they will be sufficient to improve water quality and quantity,” says Ms Maywald.
While the minister has stressed the State Government has not yet made a decision on whether or not to construct the temporary weir, she says the government will need to have the relevant approvals and initial materials on stand-by as well as preliminary site access works completed prior to the outcome of the commission’s investigations, so if a weir does need to be constructed, works can start immediately.
If constructed, the weir is expected to consist of an embankment stretching 2.6 kilometres from Pomanda Island across to the eastern side of the river.
Ms Maywald says water quality is continuing to deteriorate in the Lower Lakes and at the bottom end of the river channel.
Copyright Hallmark Editions 2010. All rights reserved.