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Chockstone Forum - General Discussion

General Climbing Discussion

 Page 1 of 7. Messages 1 to 20 | 21 to 40 | 41 to 60 | 61 to 80 | 81 to 100 | 101 to 120 | 121 to 121
Author
Arapiles Bore Dry - see here for updates.
Access T CliffCare
18-Sep-2008
1:33:16 PM
Hi All,

Well the inevitable has happened. The bore supplying water to the campground is now dry. After speaking to the Ranger, he has assured me that at this point it will be business as usual. They will be getting water trucked in.

A few measures have been put in place to help conserve the trucked water for longer. The mens flushing toilets have been closed so gents will have to use the compost toilets in the gums. Womens flushing toilets have been spared for now and can still be used. Except for groups that are already there or have booked, any larger groups will be asked to camp offsite in Nati. This is also an option for everyone else....the lake caravan park, shower facilities etc, backpackers hostel in Main St, Nati

So...more than ever, please make the effort to bring all your own water and leave the trucked water for the toilet amenities. The longer it can last, the better

Thanks,

Tracey

evanbb
18-Sep-2008
1:37:12 PM
The Mount is laughing at me. The bore has run dry, indicating a prolonged dry spell. Of the 16 days I have spent there, it has rained hard on 14 of them!

IdratherbeclimbingM9
18-Sep-2008
4:23:01 PM
On 18/09/2008 evanbb wrote:
>The bore has run dry, indicating a prolonged dry spell.

Groundwater is a many and varied item. Many factors can (and do), affect its supply, including but not limited to;
* Extraction from the aquifer (even at a considerable distance from the affected site).
* Bore depth.
* Aquifer transmissivness (rock type/strata porosity).
* Recharge zone proximity, and correspondent lag times.
* Aquifer pressure zones or lack of! (due other aquifer connectivity / over[under]lying strata depths).
* Physical attributes of the bore concerned (diameter / slotted area / siltation / etc).
* Pump type and deployment depth ...

It is not necessarily “inevitable” that a bore may go "dry", however (as suggested), bringing your own water, and being conservative with water usage will certainly help, ... despite the ongoing “dry spell”.

~> then again we could time our next visit to coincide with an evanbb trip there(?), given the statistical odds in his statement...
>Of the 16 days I have spent there, it has rained hard on 14 of them!
Heh, heh, heh.

ajfclark
18-Sep-2008
5:09:08 PM
On 18/09/2008 IdratherbeclimbingM9 wrote:
>~> then again we could time our next visit to coincide with an evanbb trip there(?), given the statistical odds in his statement...

Maybe he could move there and it would break the drought?

jh
19-Sep-2008
12:32:01 PM
Arapiles bore out of water
BY KEITH LOCKWOOD
19/09/2008 11:01:00 AM
MT Arapiles, one of the world's foremost climbing centres, has run dry.
A bore supplying underground water for sanitation at the Centenary Park campground failed on
Wednesday.

"It finally went dry after 19 years," Parks Victoria Wimmera ranger in charge John Harris said
yesterday.

Hundreds of campers and climbers are due to arrive at Mt Arapiles tonight, the start of the spring
school holidays.

At peak occupancy, Centenary Park campground is one of Horsham Rural City's biggest settlements
and one of Parks Victoria's significant campgrounds in the region.

The bore's failure has thrown Mt Arapiles-Tooan State Park officials into emergency action.

Rangers have closed the men's toilet block, organised a back-up emergency water supply by tanker,
alerted Parks Victoria chiefs and the climbing community, redirected campers to Natimuk Lake
campground and shut down the bore pump.

Ballarat regional office has approved three weeks of water carting to tide over the Victorian and NSW
school holidays.

After then, Centenary Park campground will have no sanitation if an alternative water supply is not
found.

Options then will include continued water carting by tanker, using Natimuk Lake campground or drilling
a new bore - if underground water can be found.

The existing bore has struggled to supply sufficient water for some years, especially at peak times
such as Easter.

A list of urgent maintenance in Parks Victoria's Grampians district names Mt Arapiles works as top
priority, with water supply at the top of the Arapiles list.

Parks Victoria leaders had hoped the bore would keep going until the Wimmera-Mallee Pipeline's
supply system six was completed in about 18 months, linking Mt Arapiles to a piped supply.

Mr Harris said Parks Victoria had had preliminary talks with GWMWater about pipeline connection, but
there was no guarantee it would occur.

"We will cart water for three weeks then assess our options," he said.

"There is a reasonable chance we will be able to hook into the pipeline. That would be fantastic."

• There is a composting toilet at Mt Arapiles but it is inefficient and requires regular cleaning out.

• A new climbers' guidebook is due to swell visitor numbers and increase pressure on Mt Arapiles
facilities.

• The bore's failure is a disturbing pointer to the state of West Wimmera aquifers. A report earlier this
month revealed declining levels of underground water.

• Keith Lockwood is convener of the Mt Arapiles-Tooan State Park Advisory Committee.

Richard
19-Sep-2008
1:35:32 PM
>The mens flushing toilets have been closed so gents will have
>to use the compost toilets in the gums. Womens flushing toilets have been
>spared for now and can still be used....

I'l let someone else make a sexist remark on this one ... I just wonder how long the queue will be at easter..?

Probably worth driving to Nati for a crap...

widewetandslippery
19-Sep-2008
1:45:33 PM
Who had the stick trick?

I challenge anyone to subsisting on the stick trick while on a diet of aldi goon.

Superstu
19-Sep-2008
6:39:34 PM


How "large" is the aquifier underground - and what does it mean for the trees that might have had roots into it?

IdratherbeclimbingM9
20-Sep-2008
7:09:56 PM
On 19/09/2008 superstu wrote:
>How "large" is the aquifier underground - and what does it mean for the
>trees that might have had roots into it?

I am not a hydrogeologist and do not know specifics of that geological area, however can answer in general terms ...

Aquifers range in size. They are essentially water bearing zones within the underlying rock strata, and can be large, eg The Great Artesian Basin covering thousands of square km, relatively deep (over a km), and many hundreds of metres thick; or they can be shallow lenses, very local, eg surface springs on a hillside, or locally fractured rock like in granite country which is better known for producing tombstones! ... Or they can be anywhere in between.

Water bearing strata can be at any depth. The more porous the strata the more likely it may contain water, but even then, if it is overlain by impervious strata then it can sometimes be effectively sealed off from any recharge ...

Trees have a limit to the depth they grow roots. If they are lucky enough to get into an 'aquifer' (...would have to be quite a shallow one in geologic terms), then while the aquifer water level remains fairly constant they will likely do alright. If the water level drops then they will have to grow deeper to tap into it again. They may not be able to go deep enough (or gain depth quickly enough), as some aquifers have water levels that fluctuate over a range of many metres, while others remain fairly constant ...

Additionally the water quality in an aquifer can be fairly ordinary (read very saline), and if salty enough, can kill trees ...

Changing water levels can produce interesting interchange results (including water quality), between connected aquifers.
tastybigmac
21-Sep-2008
9:13:01 AM
it's ok richard, i use the women's toilets anyway.

MrsM10iswhereitsat.
23-Sep-2008
4:13:25 PM
On 21/09/2008 tastybigmac wrote:
>it's ok richard, i use the women's toilets anyway.

Shame on you Mr tastybigmac. Did your mother not teach you any etiquette?
Pietro_2003
23-Sep-2008
8:06:00 PM
On 21/09/2008 tastybigmac wrote:
>it's ok richard, i use the women's toilets anyway.

Just remember to put seat down and no one will ever know...

dimpet
23-Sep-2008
8:32:57 PM
What is considered a large group?

rhinckle
24-Sep-2008
6:19:25 PM
how about everyone bring as many pet bottles and wine casks as we can, full of water and leave nbehind what we don't use.
those who can;t drive to nati look to me like deserving eco friendly folk.

IdratherbeclimbingM9
24-Sep-2008
6:29:23 PM
On 24/09/2008 rhinckle wrote:
>how about everyone bring as many pet bottles and wine casks as we can,
>full of water and leave nbehind what we don't use.
>those who can;t drive to nati look to me like deserving eco friendly folk.
>
Sounds reasonable as a short term helping aid, and can be recycled later, ... though I prefer my wine casks full of wine ...
Heh, heh, heh.

wallwombat
24-Sep-2008
7:21:48 PM
Next time I am at Arapiles, as my not contributing to the water problem, I will only drink beer and goon and will not wash.





Just like last time.
Fizz
24-Sep-2008
11:13:52 PM
On 24/09/2008 rhinckle wrote:
>those who can;t drive to nati look to me like deserving eco friendly folk.
>
you can't get drinking water in nati unless you pay or know someone

Richard
25-Sep-2008
1:23:38 PM
or wear a frock, as at Monarie??
fish boy
25-Sep-2008
2:12:16 PM
On 24/09/2008 Fizz wrote:
>On 24/09/2008 rhinckle wrote:
>>those who can;t drive to nati look to me like deserving eco friendly
>folk.
>>
>you can't get drinking water in nati unless you pay or know someone
>

Or you do a late night raid on a tap, stealth style.

Zebedee
25-Sep-2008
2:39:47 PM
Choose your tap carefully as town water not fit for drinking.

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