Whose FAULT is it anyway

Tomorrow the SCA will start test pumping larger amounts of water from the aquifer. If you are a local and haven't heard about this issue you must live under a stone - Due to the great work done by Denis Wilson and his associates in promoting this problem that faces our area.


The pictures that are included in this entry are of an area that everyone who has driven the Kangaloon Rd will know quite well. It is an area that has had water crossing the road as long as I can remember - some 24 years.








The water is due to a major fault line that passes under the road allowing springs to release this water to the surface - most likely originating at the aquifer.


As you can see the road is dry, even after all the rain we have had, and has been for some time now.


Many months ago Denis asked me on a field trip so that I might have a better idea of the surrounding geology. From what I saw I arrived at a theory that these fault lines would act as a straw that would effectively drain underground water back to the point of its removal - a conjunction of fault lines on the Tourist Rd where bores are positioned, thus allowing a much larger area to be affected than previously thought. A theory I discussed with Denis at the time.

Soon after, at a REPS meeting, I was able to get a map from Leon, good on ya mate, showing fault lines in the area. This map I passed on to Denis, and it may be viewed on his August blog of last year.
It is my belief that this now dry section of road is evidence that this theory has some weight.



When a fault is charged with water, it is buffered somewhat as water cannot be compressed.
If water is removed - so is the buffer.
This has the potential to cause movement in the fault.

Recently I was talking with a woman from Kangaloon who said she experienced a tremor event that, while quite possibly localised to her area, shook her house quite violently.


She tried soon after to get water from her tap, only to find that mud came out.
It seems that the movement she experienced had affected her bore.

This all happened BEFORE the recent rains.

She also informed me that authorities had told her previously that if her bore dried up, water would be supplied to her at no cost.

This information, with the woman's contact details, was passed on to Denis so that it could perhaps be incorporated into his strategy for halting this project.

Although this site is dedicated to the natural world, I cannot claim to be a naturalist. I can claim to be an amateur geologist, having started at the age of 4, sitting on my dad's lap, studying gemstones and the formations in which they reside.
Some may have alternate reasons for the tremor that was reported and I have no doubt that water passing through porous layering can cause movement - a process I have witnessed firsthand as a plumber, though this event happened before the recent heavy rains.

Not only do we face potential drying up of the area, but perhaps large earth tremors as well.

The Geology of this area is delicate. Only time will tell if I am correct in my assumptions.
Lets hope I am wrong.