drought panorama
drought panorama
This photograph is of Lake Eppalock taken on February 2006 during the drought. I have some fond memories of swimming by the lakeside with friends when staying at a new school camp in the 1970's.
The level of water in this huge earth and rockfill dam is around 1.5% capacity. The Goulburn-Murray water storage level web page indicates that this since has fallen further to 1.1% I suspect that seepage and evaporation are now taking their toll on the remaining water level.
Compare my photograph with this taken by the DPI two years ago when the lake was at 5% capacity. A local friend informed me that given typical rain falls, they estimate that it will take about five to seven years to refill.
In this photograph is a line of trees from the original Campaspe River stream bed at the lowest level of the lake. In You can see in this photograph, markers placed to record the level of the falling waters and an aerator used to keep the few remaining fish alive. Nature was doing its best to reclaim this man-made lake with grass was growing over the spillway and new plants cascading down the banks
Storm clouds later gathered over the nearby countryside, threatening much but delivering little rain. .
You can view a slideshow of the Eppalock dam wall images by me including some panorama photographs.
[later edited to alter blog title, no disrespect intended]