Current projects

The Renmark to the Border LAP has once again been successful in attracting a range of grants, including funding from the SA Murray Darling Basin Natural Resources Management Board (SAMDBNRMB) Community Grants Program, as well as a range of other government and private sector funds.

The following is a list of the current projects that the LAP is running during 2008/ 2009. If you would like further information on any of our projects or would like to become invloved please call the office on (08) 8586 6633.

This interesting trial is a partnership between Rural Solutions' Irrigated Crop Management Service (ICMS), and Renmark to the Border LAP. The trial is examining crop water use, as well as soil solution salinity and nutrient content. Water use is examined by comparing that modelled with IRES (Irrigation Recording and Evaluation System software) and that measured with soil moisture monitoring devices, whilst soil solution is extracted using solusamplers, which are permanently installed into the soil at various depths.

Please view the attached presentations below (pdf), for further information on the trial, and some preliminary data for selected sites so far:

Introduction and early season data (November)

March update, with updated data (including nitrate and chloride for one property each)

Data collection for the trial will run until the end of May 2009, and a final report should be available early into 2009/ 2010 financial year.

Lyrup Salt Flats Revegetation
In 2006, the old drainage disposal basin to the south-west of Lyrup was formed into a series of mounds, which were planted with salt tolerant native species. Each mound was irrigated via a drip line, which created a low-salt environment in the immediate vicinity of the young seedlings, enabling their establishment.

The site was regularly watered by the Lyrup Village Association, however, after they combined with the Central Irrigation Trust in July 2008, and under tight water restrictions; with no water allocation, this site missed out on its crucial irrigation for several months.

Much work went into establishing this site, so the Lyrup Community weren’t going to just let the trees die. In December 2008, Renmark LAP created an irrigation account with CIT, which again allowed water to be applied to the site. Fortunately, this happened in December, and the surviving trees were given a drink before we got any really hot weather (they hadn’t had any since at least July).

So, from December, we had been delivering water against this account, but still had no water allocation! We approached the Renmark Paringa Council, and they kindly donated the temporary lease of 2 ML for use in the current 2008-2009 season.

Meanwhile, Lyrup resident and retired irrigator, John Jungfer, was wanting to use his permanent water allocation for an environmental purpose. Rather than selling it to the Commonwealth Government, he wanted to see his water used to benefit the environment in his local area. The CIT put him in contact with the LAP, and he donated his full allocation to the LAP’s account.

Thanks go to the Lyrup Village Association and the Lyrup Community (especially Dino Sigismondi and Jim Whellum), for looking after the site, and seeking LAP’s help to find a solution to this problem of having no water. Thanks also to CIT for their patience in us finding an allocation. Kind thanks also go to the Renmark Paringa Council, and especially to John Jungfer, for their generous donations of water.

Crop surveys are completed yearly in the Murtho and Pike River Land and Water Management Planning regions. The aim of the crop survey is to keep the most up-to-date information on the area of crops that are growing in the region, and to provide an indication of likely water use. Information collected includes area planted, crop type and variety, rootstock, age and irrigation type. A summary report is published each year for both regions and is available by contacting the LAP office during business hours.

Salt Tolerance of Native Species

Funded by an Envirofund grant, this project aimed to identify which local native species are appropriate for revegetating saline sites. To expand further on this we are also triailing various bush tucker crops to potentially provide and alternative, productive options to growers and farmers. This project has been completed, and an information booklet is now available to the public. Please contact the LAP office if you would like a copy.

Floating Flag Monitoring

This project was new in 2006 and is designed to monitor water level and salinity levels (EC) of floating flags that have been installed previously by the LAP and are known to still regularly float. This includes approximately 100 flags within our LAP boundary. Regular monitoring will enable a database to be produced and give a regional overview of groundwater movements within the Renmark to the Border LAP irrigation areas. From the data collected over the next 12 months a small report will be produced that will be made available to the public. This report will only include district scale reporting (e.g. Ral Ral, RIT, Pike, Murtho) and will explain what the groundwater is doing in each region and how it has changes seasonally.

Piezometer Monitoring

This ongoing project was new in 2006 and aims to pick up many of the piezometers in the Renmark to the Border LAP area that are not currently regularly monitored by other organisations such as DWLBC. This, together with the Floating Flag Monitoring project will monitor regional groundwater aquifers in relation to both water depth and salinity (EC). Approximately 30 piezometers have already been marked and entered into a database for monitoring, with this number expected to grow. People who have knowledge of locations of piezometers that aren't already regularly monitored are encouraged to contact the LAP so they can be added into the database.