Securing reliable on-farm water is one of the most pressing challenges for Wheatbelt farmers facing consecutive dry seasons, with some spending over $60,000 in a single year just to keep water up to stock.
In this episode, Dr Richard George from DPIRD and Professor Brett Harris from Curtin University talk about a targeted approach to finding water in fractured bedrock aquifers deep beneath the Wheatbelt landscape.
Drawing on the results of Phase One of the WaterSmart Farms program, where 75% of sites struck usable groundwater, the conversation covers how precision magnetic surveying is dramatically improving drilling success rates, what reliable groundwater means for farm decision-making through dry periods, and what’s needed to take this method from research into broad industry uptake via Phase Two’s voucher program.
This episode is brought to you by the South-West WA Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub and is hosted by Doug Hamilton.
Episode links
Additional resources
- WaterSmart Dams: Understanding dams with the Water Evaluation Platform – SW WA Hub
- MADFIG is delighted to announce the release of our first Podcast! – MADFIG
- Water Smart Projects gallery – Grower Group Alliance
- WaterSmart Dams project – Grower Group Alliance
- The Ripple Effect project – Grower Group Alliance