Construction of the 72-kilometre Bald Hill and Wimpinmerit drain is anticipated to be finished around the end of summer, enabling effective and adaptable management of water resources in the region.

USE program leader Jane Hosking said the work marks the final phase of the USE Dryland Salinity and Flood Management Program, which began in 1993 to manage flood risk and remove saline groundwater from the agricultural landscape.

“More recently, we have developed the network to ensure environmental flows are prioritised alongside benefits to farmlands,” she said.

The Bald Hill and Wimpinmerit drain will enable floodwater to be captured and channelled into vegetated floodplains and wetlands, as well as remove an estimated 10 to 15 gigalitres of saline groundwater from the landscape and send it to the Southern Lagoon of the Coorong.

The average salinity levels of this water are 21,000 EC which is at least 100,000 EC less saline than water in the Southern Lagoon, and will help to freshen the water in the Coorong near the outlet site at Salt Creek.

“With the drainage network balancing environmental and agricultural needs, this is an important step for the Coorong, USE wetlands and landholders,” Ms Hosking said.

“We have maintained regular contact with directly-affected landholders during the course of planning for the drain construction, and will continue to do this during construction.”

In addition, some construction on the drains will lay the groundwork for the floodways project (known as REFLOWS) which is due to start in 2010 and will link water flows from the Lower South East to the USE wetlands and Coorong.

“REFLOWS is an important project – it aims to reinstate natural flooding along the historic watercourse to renew flows to wetland environments, while still protecting the region’s agriculture by minimising the extent of flooding,” Ms Hosking said.