Tracking water trends for Clare Valley's future

Clare Valley grape growers, graziers and landholders that rely on water for their livelihoods can help shape future water use at a forum on Wednesday, 8 September 2021.

Hosted by the Northern and Yorke Landscape Board, the ‘Working together for water sustainability’ forum will be held at The Valleys Lifestyle Centre in Clare from 9am to 1pm.

The forum is designed to bring business owners, landholders and the community up-to-speed about the latest water trends and what these mean for future demands on this vital resource.

For grape growers and winemakers, it will be the first chance to reflect on the 2019 industry review of the Clare Valley Water Allocation Plan, which outlines access to ground, surface and imported water. Edge Environment’s Andy Chambers will present the findings and explain how growers can participate in water security and allocation planning locally.

Clare Valley Wine & Grape Association Executive Officer Anna Baum encouraged industry members to join the conversation about a critical resource for the wine industry.

“This is the first time grape growers will be presented with the review’s results,” she said. “It’s also a perfect opportunity to shape how the plan’s next iteration affects them as water users.”

Seven experts will present at the forum, including a hydrologist and hydrogeologist from the Department for Environment and Water (DEW), who will share 50-year data trends and how the community can access this monitoring information. Free irrigation bore salinity testing is also on offer, with landholders encouraged to bring along a bore sample in a clean 500ml plastic bottle, together with their bore number.

“This event is a great opportunity for locals to hear how the Clare Valley’s groundwater resources are holding up and what the water level and salinity monitoring trends are telling us,” said Steve Barnett, DEW’s Principal Hydrogeologist.

The Northern and Yorke Landscape Board will also use the forum to launch a community citizen science project, where locals can get involved in collecting data from pools and watercourses in the Clare Valley and take an active role in caring for the health and condition of our natural water environments.

Clare Valley community members, grape growers, winemakers, graziers and other industries reliant on water resources are encouraged to attend this free event in Clare. Register now: https://watersustainability.eventbrite.com.au

For more information, contact Planning Officer Jennifer Munro at the Northern and Yorke Landscape Board on 8841 3444 or email us.