In the morning, after a quick view and introduction on the salinity issues of the dryland enroute, we visited the “Waterloo” farm of Neal Pfeffer. The land which is more than 1000ha was a treeless plain and was cultivated to grow wheat about 70 years ago when it was bought. However the irrigation development saw a change in crops from wheat (grown in winter) to mainly summer crops — cotton, sorghum, corn and soybeans. We have visited the reservoirs inside his farmland which stores the water pumped from the Condamine River within his water rights. By answering our interested questions on farm related water management, Neal explained how he manages farm costs, how he has improved his water use efficiency, and how his use of modern machinery has reduced his labor costs and increase productivity.
All of us have a common feeling that Australian farmers are totally deferent from the Chinese farmers. The Australian farmers are more like a professional manager of the land and utilize many new techniques and information to increase profits from their farmlands.
At 12:20, we arrived at the Reverse Osmosis Water Treatment Plant of Dalby Regional Council. This plant was one of the first installed in Australia when it became apparent that Dalby was facing dire water shortages. The plant is used to treat bore water that has high levels of salt. The staff introduced us to how the treatment system works. We also drank the water before and after the treatment to have a general idea on how difference they are.
Then we visited the Loudon Weir on the Condamine River under the guidance of Mr. Kevin Graham. The weir is a quite small common one, but the fish-ladder there has attracted our attention. The fish-ladder is being modified to allow the passage of native fish. When it was first build it was found that the small native fish could pass the weir due to poor design on its height and flow. With the new modifications the fish-ladder should provide much improved access to native fish.
After a quick lunch in Dalby, we drove to the Bowenville Reserve, where we talked with Kevin and Noal from the Oakey Freshwater Fish Stocking Association. They talked about work they have undertaken to protect and improve the riparian and instream habitat of the river, with the goal of improving native fish populations. During the afternoon tea time, Kevin (fish stocking representative) showed us many fantastic pictures on the fishes in the MDB and we got much knowledge on the fishes and rehabilitation work being carried out.
Cobby Dam was our last destination today. The dam is a popular place for recreation. The dams water level has dropped largely nowadays from drought and the overuse of water, which has also influenced the environment in this area. Everyone was very exited to find a wild koala and two kangaroos on the way to the Cobby Dam.
After the travel today, George invited us to his house and we enjoyed dinner there. We are happy to see the warm fire inside the house and had a good time with the kind couple of George.
By Harvey & Song Ruipeng
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