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Morgan Feast is concerned by groundwater levels in the region. (ABC South East SA: Elsie Adamo)<\/p>\n
Morgan Feast is a fifth-generation cattle and sheep farmer in Wye, south of Mount Gambier, and is not allowed a water licence due to the property’s proximity to Piccaninnie Ponds.<\/p>\n
Instead, the farm relies on water from karst rising springs.<\/p>\n
The flow of freshwater from the springs is also important in stopping seawater intrusion on farmland.<\/p>\n
But Mr Feast said, for the first time since it was dug 80 years ago<\/a>, the drain on the property was running dry.<\/p>\n “There’s just not as much water laying around as there used to be,”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n he said. Long-term water levels at Piccaninnie and Ewens ponds. (ABC News)<\/p>\n Certain areas over-allocated<\/p>\n While water is building up on the property over winter, it is not flowing with enough force to drain into the sea.<\/p>\n Mr Feast said the situation had become “pretty worrying”.<\/p>\n “I hope it doesn’t get any worse, which is hard to see,” he said.<\/p>\n Ewens Ponds has been closed at different points due to low water levels. (ABC South East SA: Sam Bradbrook)<\/p>\n A 2022\/2023 report by the Limestone Coast Landscape Board (LCLB) found current allocation levels would not be sustainable moving forward, with 82 per cent of observation wells showing a declining trend.<\/p>\n “This is an area where there are certainly [management] areas of over-allocation and that is something that we’re looking to understand and address,” said Dr Liz Perkins, the LCLB’s manager for planning and engagement.<\/p>\n She said while a cut to allocations was “within scope”, no decisions had been made yet.<\/p>\n “Any change to allocation is a massive impact to individuals, businesses and industries,”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n she said.<\/p>\n “The board is going to be incredibly considered around making those decisions.”<\/p>\n Dairy is a key industry for the Limestone Coast, with many producers relying on irrigation. (ABC South East SA: Elsie Adamo)<\/p>\n Concerns for food and wood fibre<\/p>\n While some, like Mr Feast, are concerned for the future of the aquifer, others are calling for calm.<\/p>\n Eight Mile Creek dairy farmer Louise Paltridge said irrigation was key to the viability of her farm.<\/p>\n “Without water, we can’t grow grass, so being able to have the underground water that we do here allows us to maximise our production,” she said.<\/p>\n “For dairy farmers, growing grass is one of the most efficient ways to feed our cows.”<\/p>\n Dairy farmer Louise Paltridge, at her farm with dog Maggie. (ABC South East SA: Elsie Adamo)<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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