Irrigators in the Koyuga south area have slammed a decision to desilt one of the region’s main channels, as a waste of time.
Goulburn-Murray Water (GMW) has started work on de-silting Channel 39 but Koyuga South Irrigators chairman Stephen Snelson said the plan was a temporary measure, as major remedial works were still required.
“It’s an absolute debacle, what a great waste of money – it makes the whole Connections project laughable,” Mr Snelson said.
Irrigators believed desilting was a temporary solution, where channels were leaking, a claim denied by GMW.
He said three group members recently had a positive meeting with Connections Project Director Frank Fisseler, who was listening to irrigators’ arguments.
“He agreed to come and make a personal visit, to see the channel problem,” Mr Snelson said.
But he said Goulburn-Murray Water (GMW) had responsibility for 1600 channels, which had to be maintained “from its limited budget.”
“It’s only a very, very temporary fix,” Mr Snelson said.
“It will fix some of the major leaks, as best they can, but it’s not a permanent, long term, 20 year solution.”
In 2009, it was estimated leakage from the channel sides ran at 25-30pc, while water loss from the bottom was around 10-15pc.
Mr Snelson said desilting – of between a metre and a metre and a half of material - would allow GMW to build up the banks but would not repair the floor or sides of the channel.
“They are putting a Rolls Royce system in a broken down car wreck.”
“All they are doing is improving the flows but there are some channels where silt hasn’t been removed for 50 years, so I’m not sure what they are trying to achieve.
“They are putting in new fittings, Rubicon outlets and regulators, but not doing a remediation on the actual channel.”
He said that then allowed GMW to claim water savings, which he said was a “scam,” as the channels were not being fully restored.
Putting in new regulators would give “arbitrary” savings, which could not be independently checked.
“But they will not tell us how much was water was delivered to that channel and what was sold,”
Those figures would allow irrigators to work out how much water was actually being lost.
“They can fix some of the immediate problems, so it can be filled up to supply level, then they will test it, say it works and then say ‘see you later’,” he said.
Murray Glass, who has a dairy herd and cropping operation, in the Tongala and Naneella said GMW “knows the channel is stuffed.”
“It is the biggest conjob they’ve ever done – the long and short of it is that they have run out of money,” Mr Glass said.
Desilting should be part of a regular maintenance program, for the channel.
“We pay $80,000 in delivery shares, they are charging us $80,000 for a service that is not world standard, so I think we have reason to gripe.”
Mr Glass said he had a dairy herd and an irrigated cropping operation on two blocks, at Tongala and Naneella.
“I am on a modernised system on the home farm, they plastic lined the channel at the southern edge of our property.
“But, would you believe it, the old Dethridge wheel is still in place. It’s the only way I can irrigate.”
Another irrigator, Des Cornwell, who runs livestock and grows fodder crops, said it appeared GMW was starting to listen to farmers.
“It’s been a lack of consultation, all along – now they are trying to work with us, rather than go off their own bat,” Mr Cornwall said.
He said the channel systems had degraded, over the last 50 years, and there had been little or no maintenance in the six years, since the Connections program started.
But Mr Fisseler said under the Connections project Reset Delivery Plan (RDP), 8/19/9 channel, which was part of a group of channels known as SCP39, would be retained and automated in this year’s Winter Works program.
“A key principle of the RDP is that channel solutions must be able to demonstrate value for money, per megalitre of water savings,” Mr Fisseler said.
“Channel 8/19/9 is not a high water loss channel and has medium water usage, so our solution is to automate the channel with modernised regulators and meters, encouraging landowners to rationalise meters where possible.”
The channel supplies water to nine customers.
Mr Fisseler said desilting was undertaken in conjunction with automating the channel to optimise Total Channel Control (TCC), rather than to reduce leakage.
“This system will move farmers on the channel from a manually operated channel system to a fully automated irrigation delivery system, with better measurement and management of water flows.”
GMW Managing Director Pat Lennon said desilting was an important part of the annual maintenance program as it ensured a more reliable water supply for our customers.
“For channel 8/19/9 we desilted about 300m of channel in November 2015 and this year we’ve made this channel a priority during our winter works period,” Mr Lennon said.
“About six weeks ago we started further desilting works in this channel and will complete about 8.5km of which half is already done.
“Desilting is important prior to upgrading a channel and realising the benefits of modernisation.”
He said in terms of leaks, GMW had a priority program in place to refurbish channel banks.
“We rebuild 50km of channel each year and fix about 2500 separate leaks.”
