of water on Kangaroo Island has given decision makers and advisers practical knowledge of the implications of new water rules on the island.

On the tour were members of the KI Natural Resources Management Board and its Water Task Force, personnel from the Department of Water, Land and Biodiversity Conservation, SA Water, Primary Industries and Resources SA.

The all-day tour began with a visit to KI Council’s Kingscote wastewater management effluent ponds which are being upgraded.

Next stop was the existing flow gauge station at Koala Lodge on the Cygnet River. It is part of the Island-wide water monitoring network being extended across the Island: on the Cygnet,

Middle, Stunsail Boom, Eleanor and Rocky rivers.

The road crossing on the Playford Highway over Branch Creek, which has been in place for some time, demonstrated some of the practicalities of undertaking water affecting activities.

At Middle River dam, Glyn Ashman of SA Water talked about plans for storage supplementation and Mardi van der Wielen of DWLBC spoke on the department’s investigation across

the Middle River catchments into the water

requirements of ecosystems.

Board member, Richard Trethewey, was able to demonstrate the productive capacity of water for high-value commodities on his own property on Crabbs Road. He irrigates seed potatoes, tall wheat grass for seed, cherries and marron.

At the Harriet River, the contingent viewed the impacts of last year’s dam failure and gained an overview of the Board’s Harriet River restoration project which is assessing the river system for

erosion potential and identifying remedial works.

In the Haines MacGillivray area the group discussed the concept of creating a community dam.