DROUGHT—AND AFTER

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXII, 13 April 1939, Page 10

DROUGHT—AND AFTER

VICTORIA SEES LESSONS FORESTS AND EROSION During ths past two weeks Victoria lias emerged from one of the severest trials in her history. Repeated falls ot rain over tlio whole State have put an end to the longest drought on record at a tpne when the country water supplies were dangerously low. Although I.lie effects of the drought were less serious than those of the disastrous year 1914, this is attributed solely to the advance in projects for water conservation throughout the State. After the additional falls of the weekend farmers and graziers have at least , begun to hold out hopes for the future | writes the Melbourne correspondent of the j “Sydney Herald". So far these hopes have rather a slender foundation. The first and main effect, ol the rains has been to check the alarming decline in water storages. Be. tore the rains came, Victoria’s country reservoirs. which had a capacity of nearly 2.500,000 acre feet, held little more than -OC.OOO acre feet, and thp water was de- * bning al the rale of 50,000 ft. a week, I ho rains have not only raised the levels in t lie reservoirs, but by replenishing stock supplies and tanks they have de* creased the rate of consumption and thus given fresh hope that the depleted supplus will lasi out until the winter rains. sTORACi; UIKKICt l. l IKS I his is some consolation, bill if, is cold i comfort of the legislators who have emS harked on the expenditure of £26,000.000 j in the last few years as insurance against ' water shortage in country districts. VicI toria has led the way in these undertakj mgs. but the extraordinary severity of I the drought has already shown the weaki ness in her armour. ! The comparative failure of the country j reservoirs i s attributed largely to the ex- ! tensive development schemes which have ‘ been made possible by the Government’s j irrigation projects. To a great extent, I

these schemes, valuable in themselves, have defeated the original purpose of the storage works. By increasing the water supply \ ictoria has increased the demand, and careful rationing of water is still nec- | cssary in a dry season to prevent a total I failure of supplies. But the drought of 1938 found the Slate ill-prepared to withstand it for another reason. In itself it was particularly severe. In many stations of northern Victoria the rainfall for 1938 was the lowest on record. Throughout the Mallee district falls were little more than half of the normal total. Elsewhere they were as low as a third. Beneficial downpours, which covered most of New South Wales, had passed to the north of the Mallee. This was serious enough, hut 1938 was the second drought year iu succession. Before the past fortnight, the last substantial general fall of rain in Victoria was on 25th August, 1937. Victoria entered the drought year with her stocks of water already low, her pastures dry, and her fallow lands in poor condition. When the spring rains failed last year the outlook for wheat farmers became practically hopeless. The forest lands of the State were as dry as tinder, and the tragic bushfires of January were an indication of their condition. POWERS OF RECOVERY Now that the feeling of exultation and relief that came with the first dramatic downpour has passed, Victorians are tak. ing stock of their position and finding many lessons for the future from their experience. While the recuperative powers of the state are not underrated, it is clear that they have been affected t • a certain extent. On a recent tour of tlie parched Mallee district, the Premier, Mr Dunstan, declared that although there was scarcely any feed in the paddocks he was confident that rain within a few weeks would bring a rapid recovery. Victorians have not forgotten that the total failure of crops in 1914 was followed by the record harvest of 1915, and they are hoping that the lean years of 1937 and 1938 will produce not one but two years of plenty. One disquieting feature, however, is the effect of the first downpour in the districts where the bushfires were raging. In a. few days rivers which had been shrunk to strings of waterholes were rag-

ing torrents, running over ban£s and 1 vurrying masses of silt. Within a week the Cam pas pe, which was so dry that bush fires were burning along its bed, was running a banker of discoloured water. The (Joulburn was fed with thick streams ol mud from many of its tributaries. Throughout the fire area the same storv whs repeated. The destruction of thou- , sands of square miles of trees has resulted hi widespread s oil erosion. The process is a vicous cycle. Sill carried down the higher areas is destroying rich farming lands and impoverishing the soil of the forest lands. Where the fires have already

I destroyed timber in catchment areas, heavy falls of rain silt up t Ire reservoirs. As the forest areas dwindle, erosion increases, aml the destruction goes on more rapidly. In the past Victoria has done much to guard against tlie worst effects of drought by water conservation, hut it is becoming obvious that this policy has its limitations. The disastrous bushfires have drawn the attention of Victorians to another side of the problem. Afforest rat ion will not provide direct relief from drought conditions, hut it will reverse that vicious cycle of droughts, hush fires, and soil erosion

I which is doing so much damage to lit* ' production capacity of the State. UNDOING THE DAMAGE The wholesale destruction and still more the loss of life which occurred in January is being made the subject of thorough itlquiiy, and some action will certainly !>• taken to decrease tlte possibility of a re* currence. Whatever steps are taken, it is safe to assume that rc-a(forestration will 1 1 - undertaken on a large scale in Victoria. Additional safeguards in the form of lirahieakg end intersecting roads will probab. ly be provided in any such project; but the most important work will be to I salvage as much of the State s forest aieas as possible, and plant fresh forest in denuded areas. This undertaking, to have any real effect must he a large one. Unfortunately the Slate finances are not in a happy position I'he drought ha» caused a senoils shrinkage of revenue and the- Loan C'ouiuil is not likely to be open-handed with money for public works when th# Federal Government has such a large \ote to provide for defence. Mr Duustaii ,s faced with an awkward problem to deal with in his fourth year of office. The foregoing article was sent to ui by Mr Robert I’altie of Richmond, whoa* efforts to awaken public interest to the evils of erosion, are known as far distaut as New South Wales. Mr I'at tie writes “when the present drought breaks Nelson may experience disastrous floods."