Alarm As Eildon Evaporates

The Age

Saturday January 3, 1998

Belinda Parsons

Water storage at Eildon Weir would drop to 33 per cent of capacity by the end of February at current usage unless there was good rainfall, Goulburn Murray Water warned yesterday.

Goulburn Murray Water's manager of water services, Mr John Mapson, said the weir was only 48 per cent full, compared with 91 per cent at this time last year.

By the end of January, the level would reduce to about 40 per cent. "So we're really looking for an early autumn break," Mr Mapson said." We would hope to see a bit of rain by March-April at the latest."

He said the weir had been recorded at a lower level in the past but the level had not dropped so far for a long time. Exact figures were not available yesterday.

Mr Mapson said that winter 1996 offered a reasonable run-off but "a very lean summer" preceded the very low rainfall of last autumn, winter and spring.

He said there was concern for dairy farmers, who are big users of water.

© 1998 The Age

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