River sources provide not just a source of water, but also inspiration. Here in the Campaspe’s upper reaches, the forest is softened by a light misty rain that doesn’t...
Rediscovering meaning in the Campaspe
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Water Catchment
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The Wombat Forest is a very important water catchment, containing the headwaters of six major river systems. The Moorabool, Werribee and Lerderderg Rivers flow to the south, and the Loddon, Coliban and Campaspe to the north.
The high rainfall in the catchment makes it one of the most significant sources of water in Western Victoria. Many communities, such as Melton, Bacchus Marsh and Daylesford rely almost entirely on water from the Wombat Forest catchments. It is also an important source of water for Ballarat and Geelong.
Extensive logging in these catchments has produced areas of thick eucalypt regrowth causing a decline in water yields as young growing trees use more water than mature trees reducing the amount of water available for stream flows. Fortunately commercial logging in the Wombat Forest has ceased however research shows that it can take in excess of 100 years for water yields to return to pre-logged levels. Water yields from forests slowly increase after 30 years of age as water use starts to decline in association with reduced growth rates.
Water issues and environmental flows
Dramatic catchment modification and subsequent loss of vegetation have been the cause of most of the Moorabool's problems. Native vegetation removal has triggered a...
Journey of the Moorabool River
Sources of water have provided interest and intrigue to people across cultures throughout history. Besides the obvious necessity for potable water, many cultures also...
In search of the source of the Coliban
The source of a river is where it all begins. The journey. The movement of water, of energy, of life, across landscapes. It may also be a personal journey, of...
Fighting for the Moorabool
There has been an ongoing battle over the amount of water being released from Lal Lal Reservoir the dedicated for environmental flows. Among are constantly defenders...
The destiny of a raindrop falling near Trentham
A journey down the Loddon River This is the fifth article in the series looking at the rivers that rise in the Wombat Forest. With a length of 392km, the Loddon is the...
At long last the Lerdy flows again
Daybreak is a magical time to crawl through the damp undergrowth of the Lerderderg River. The first shafts of sunlight slice through the trees, illuminating unfurling...