170:, formed to oppose the weir. In addition to the many concerns above they also pointed out that the water held back by the proposed weir would be stagnant because "winds from the northwest to the south circulate oxygenated waters from the lakes up the river for many kilometres and winds from the north and northeast bring back freshened water benefiting both areas and precisely fitting in with our anti-clockwise wind rotation". Additionally there were widespread concerns about the release of toxic metals and acidity through the drying out of the acid sulphate soils that are widespread around the lakes.
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The
Wellington Weir was officially dropped by the South Australian Rann government in 2009, primarily due to community pressure about the environmental damage it would result in, and the construction of the Port Stanvac desalination plant. Drought-ending floods in the upper
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Questions of over-allocation of water were significant in the debate regarding the cost of a weir. For instance, why not spend money on buying water licences from irrigators that use water from the Murray River system to grow cotton in
143:, and that already endangered species in the lakes and Coorong could become extinct. Sim and Muller trace the complex history of the area. Lloyd argues the weir diverts attention from the real issue: the sustainability of the
116:, 274 km from the Murray Mouth. The lowering of water levels in the lake system would severely impact on all who rely on the lakes and river for their livelihood. This would include irrigators, such as those in the
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Webster IT, Maier H, Baker P & Burch M (1997) ‘Influence of wind on water levels and lagoon levels and lagoon river exchange in the River Murray, Australia’, Australian
Journal of Freshwater Research vol. 48,
77:. The weir would perform two roles: first, it would maintain a pool of water up-river, sufficiently deep enough to allow continued use of the pumping station at
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155:, as part of an international convention that aims to halt the loss of wetlands and conserve those that remain through wise use and management.
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Opponents of the weir contended that the planned weir would severely damage the environment of the lakes and
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during prolonged drought conditions; and second, the weir would reduce the flow of fresh water into
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194:) to make plans for it in December 2009, one week before the first of the drought ending floods.
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conducted for the proposed weir. The area that would have been impacted is subject to a
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in April and May 2010 ended the matter. Significantly the local
Aboriginal group, the
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Much of the river is already controlled by a system of locks and weirs, including the
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Australian
Government - Department of Environment and Water Resources. (2006)
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A Fresh
History of the Lakes: Wellington to the Murray Mouth 1800s to 1935
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The
Wellington Weir project was announced in 2006 by the state
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Water crisis - govts must buy back water from irrigators
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A rally by 'Stop The Weir' protesters on the steps of
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Why are cotton farmer being offered yet more water?
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213:River Murray Catchment Water Management Board
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43:several kilometres south of the town of
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168:River, Lakes and Coorong Action Group
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247:Australian Conservation Commission
226:Adelaide Advertiser, 6 January 2007
209:Sim, Terry and Kerri Muller (2004)
166:Local action groups, including the
275:Address to the Alexandrina Council
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163:, rather than build this weir?
149:environmental impact assessment
62:, who secured the agreement of
224:Weir plan recipe for disaster.
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340:River regulation in Australia
56:government of South Australia
89:which evaporates over 1,000
178:in late 2009 and the upper
118:Langhorne Creek wine region
64:Prime Minister of Australia
45:Wellington, South Australia
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237:The Convention of Wetlands
27:Parliament House, Adelaide
16:Proposed dam in Australia
264:Letters, 11 January 2007
345:Dams in South Australia
128:, and fisherpeople at
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147:system. There was no
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311:33.400°S 115.983°E
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350:Dam controversies
287:pp. 541–550.
277:, 15 January 2007
251:. 12 January 2007
122:Narrung Peninsula
120:, farmers on the
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39:proposed for the
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222:Lloyd, Tim
126:Point Sturt
114:Blanchetown
87:Lake Albert
67:John Howard
329:Categories
198:References
188:Brewarrina
161:Queensland
99:cu ft
91:gigalitres
108:near the
60:Mike Rann
302:115°59′E
130:Meningie
97:10
75:Adelaide
299:33°24′S
141:Coorong
134:Clayton
69:at the
192:Bourke
79:Mannum
35:was a
190:and
132:and
124:and
93:(3.5
85:and
37:weir
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95:×
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