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Measurement and Evaluation of Key Groundwater Discharge Sites in the Lower South East of South Australia

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Measurement and Evaluation of Key Groundwater Discharge Sites in the Lower South East of South Australia TECHNICAL REPORT MEASUREMENT AND EVALUATION OF KEY GROUNDWATER DISCHARGE SITES IN THE LOWER SOUTH EAST OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA 2011/14 DISLAIMER The Department for Water and its employees do not warrant or make any representation regarding the use, or results of use of the information contained herein as to its correctness, accuracy, reliability, currency or otherwise. The Department for Water and its employees expressly disclaim all liability or responsibility to any person using the information or advice MEASUREMENT AND EVALUATION OF KEY GROUNDWATER DISCHARGE SITES IN THE LOWER SOUTH EAST OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA Cameron Wood Science, Monitoring and Information Division Department for Water January 2011 Technical Report DFW 2011/14 Science, Monitoring and Information Division Department for Water 25 Grenfell Street, Adelaide GPO Box 2834, Adelaide SA 5001 Telephone National (08) 8463 6946 International +61 8 8463 6946 Fax National (08) 8463 6999 International +61 8 8463 6999 Website www.waterforgood.sa.gov.au Disclaimer The Department for Water and its employees do not warrant or make any representation regarding the use, or results of the use, of the information contained herein as regards to its correctness, accuracy, reliability, currency or otherwise. The Department for Water and its employees expressly disclaims all liability or responsibility to any person using the information or advice. Information contained in this document is correct at the time of writing. © Government of South Australia, through the Department for Water 2010 This work is Copyright. Apart from any use permitted under the Copyright Act 1968 (Cwlth), no part may be reproduced by any process without prior written permission obtained from the Department for Water. Requests and enquiries concerning reproduction and rights should be directed to the Chief Executive, Department for Water, GPO Box 2834, Adelaide SA 5001. ISBN 978-1-921923-06-7 Preferred way to cite this publication Wood, C, 2011, Measurement and evaluation of key groundwater discharge sites in the Lower South East of South Australia, DFW Technical Report 2011/14, Government of South Australia, through Department for Water, Adelaide Download this document at: http://www.waterconnect.sa.gov.au/TechnicalPublications/Pages/default.aspx Technical Report DFW 2011/14 ii Measurement and evaluation of key groundwater discharge sites in the Lower South East of South Australia PREFACE On 1 July 2010, the Department for Water replaced the former Department of Water, Land and Biodiversity Conservation. The Department of Water, Land and Biodiversity Conservation and the abbreviation ‘DWLBC’ are referred to in several instances in this report. The reader is advised that these terms are retained in certain contexts within this document in order to provide a correct historical account of the investigation and the production of the technical report document. Technical Report DFW 2011/14 ii Measurement and evaluation of key groundwater discharge sites in the Lower South East of South Australia FOREWORD South Australia’s Department for Water leads the management of our most valuable resource—water. Water is fundamental to our health, our way of life and our environment. It underpins growth in population and our economy—and these are critical to South Australia’s future prosperity. High quality science and monitoring of our State’s natural water resources is central to the work that we do. This will ensure we have a better understanding of our surface and groundwater resources so that there is sustainable allocation of water between communities, industry and the environment. Department for Water scientific and technical staff continue to expand their knowledge of our water resources through undertaking investigations, technical reviews and resource modelling. Scott Ashby CHIEF EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT FOR WATER Technical Report DFW 2011/14 iii Measurement and evaluation of key groundwater discharge sites in the Lower South East of South Australia Technical Report DFW 2011/14 iv Measurement and evaluation of key groundwater discharge sites in the Lower South East of South Australia ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The work detailed in this report would not have been possible without the help of the following people: Dr Glenn Harrington (CSIRO) for help with commencing the project, and ongoing assistance with interpretation of geochemical data. Also Greg Jones and Claire Harding (DFW) for helping greatly with field work and data collection, and shaking countless bottles for radon samples. DFW would also like to thank the Department for Environment and Heritage for granting permission to conduct research in Ewens Ponds Conservation Park and Piccaninnie Ponds Conservation Park. Technical Report DFW 2011/14 v Measurement and evaluation of key groundwater discharge sites in the Lower South East of South Australia Technical Report DFW 2011/14 vi Measurement and evaluation of key groundwater discharge sites in the Lower South East of South Australia CONTENTS PREFACE ..................................................................................................................................................II FOREWORD ........................................................................................................................................... III ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .......................................................................................................................... V EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................................ 1 1. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................. 3 1.1. BACKGROUND ................................................................................................................... 3 1.2. DEFINITIONS ...................................................................................................................... 3 1.3. AIM ................................................................................................................................... 4 1.4. APPROACH ........................................................................................................................ 4 1.4.1. Hydrochemistry................................................................................................................. 5 2. STUDY AREA .................................................................................................................................. 9 2.1. REGIONAL SITE DESCRIPTION ............................................................................................. 9 2.1.1. Geology .......................................................................................................................... 10 2.1.2. Hydrogeology .................................................................................................................. 10 2.1.3. Study sites....................................................................................................................... 11 3. METHODOLOGY .......................................................................................................................... 21 4. RESULTS....................................................................................................................................... 23 4.1. PICCANINNIE PONDS ....................................................................................................... 23 4.2. PICK SWAMP AND CRESCENT POND ................................................................................ 28 4.3. EWENS PONDS AND EIGHT MILE CREEK ........................................................................... 31 4.4. CRESS CREEK AND JERUSALEM CREEK .............................................................................. 38 4.4.1. Cress Creek ..................................................................................................................... 38 4.4.2. Jerusalem Creek .............................................................................................................. 42 5. MONITORING STRATEGY ............................................................................................................. 45 5.1. SAMPLING ROUTINE ........................................................................................................ 45 5.1.1. Piccaninnie Ponds ........................................................................................................... 45 5.1.2. Pick Swamp and Crescent Pond ....................................................................................... 45 5.1.3. Ewens Ponds and Eight Mile Creek .................................................................................. 45 5.1.4. Cress Creek ..................................................................................................................... 46 5.1.5. Jerusalem Creek .............................................................................................................. 46 5.2. TESTING OF MONITORING STRATEGY .............................................................................. 46 6. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS .................................................................................. 49 6.1. CONCLUSIONS ................................................................................................................. 49 6.2. RECOMMENDATIONS .....................................................................................................
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