Lake Eyre floods again

[n2doc]

BY: REBECCA BAKER | JULY-15-2010


THE USUALLY DRY AND salty landscape covering almost one-sixth of central Australia is now a blossoming metropolis of plant and animal life as Lake Eyre fills for the second year in a row.

In a region of climatic contrasts locals have traded dusty roads for ferries as last summers record-breaking rain sent these flood waters running down into the Diamantina, Georgina and Cooper Creek catchments of the Lake Eyre basin.

Mike Chuk from community organisation Desert Channels Queensland says this type of flooding only happens every 20 to 25 years. "The whole of the landscape has received a lot of water-this years flow is one of the best since the 1970s," he says.

Higher rain fall has prompted many different birds to migrate back to the area for breeding, but this rain isn't just great for wildlife but for the people as well, providing economic prosperity for graziers and townships alike. "Every time there's a flooding of Lake Eyre there are more people coming to the area; it definitely boosts the economy and for a lot of people it's a fresh start." Mike says.


Read more: http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/journal/lake-eyre-floods-again.htm

[hobbit709]

1. Of course when the dry hits again

There'll be more people than available water again