THE state government is considering a request to temporarily ban pumping groundwater from the region around Maules Creek, following reports of a fish kill this week.
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The Maules Creek CWA made the request, pointing to the fish kill as a "canary in the coal mine" for the underground aquifer that feeds the waterway.
The creek has been reduced to just a few mud-filled puddles, crowded with dying fish, which locals say is a sign the underground aquifer that feeds the creek is under a great deal of stress.
A spokesperson for the NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment said the last time a Section 324 was put in place in the region was during the height of the Millennium Drought, from December 2007 to June 2010.
"The order restricted all pumping from bores and wells upstream of the Elfin Crossing, limiting the number of hours licence holders could pump during periods of low creek flow," they said.
"Since the restrictions were lifted, no groundwater pumping has occurred in this upstream section of Zone 11 during periods of low flow, so there is currently no Section 324 in place.
"The Department has received the CWA's letter and is considering their request."
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Maules Creek CWA president Libby Laird is worried that if the aquifer continues to be pumped without any recharge inflows, it could be left "beyond repair".
"What we're seeing is the system retract back to the point of just a few slimy pools, which is a really bad indication of what's going on underneath in terms of water quality and amount of water," Mrs Laird said.
"That's when you know the system is really depleted."
"We have a history of putting this in place and it's worked in the past," Mrs Laird said.
"The trigger point last time was when Maules Creek stopped flowing and we are well past that point."
The Maules Creek fish kill is among the first to be reported since last summer.
The state government is preparing for a horror season of fish kills as the warmer months roll around, forking out millions for a "fish rescue team" and a restock breeding program.
"Those fish are the canaries in the coal mine for the environment," Mrs Laird said.
Jamieson Murphy
Newcastle Herald news director. Interested in any and all yarns. Whisper g'day mate to me at jamieson.murphy@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Newcastle Herald news director. Interested in any and all yarns. Whisper g'day mate to me at jamieson.murphy@austcommunitymedia.com.au
