A $10 million program to manage acidification in the Lower Lakes has expanded following promising results in a series of trial projects.

Minister for Climate Change and Water, Senator Penny Wong, and South Australian Environment and Conservation Minister Jay Weatherill today said the next stage of bioremediation work had commenced at projects located in Meningie and near Milang.

“The most important thing for the Lower Lakes is to avoid the risk of acidification,” Senator Wong said.

“With the success of earlier trials, this $10 million bioremediation program is now targeting acid sulfate hot spots through revegetation works.

“The program complements the Australian Government’s $200 million commitment to South Australia for the development of a long-term solution to the environmental problems facing the Lower Lakes and Coorong.  I’m looking forward to the release of the Draft Plan soon.”

Senator Wong acknowledged the role of the Australian Greens in developing the $10 million in Bioremediation initiative, which arose as a result of negotiations around the Australian Government’s Stimulus Package earlier this year.

Revegetation works have earlier been trialled in locations including the western shore of Lake Alexandrina between Milang and Tolderol, the eastern shore around the Lake near Poltalloch, in the Currency Creek and Finniss River area and on the eastern shore of Lake Albert - and there have been promising results.

At Lake Alexandrina trial crops planted in March at the Tolderol Game Reserve, east of Milang, have been “knife-rolled” this week as part of the Australian Government’s Lower Lakes Bioremediation and Revegetation project.

Knife rolling flattens the crop to create mulch and sedges (plants similar to grasses or rushes) are then planted in the mulch, with this layering process stabilising the soil for many years.

This next stage of work also includes the exposed lake bed along the Meningie foreshore being seeded with Puccinellia ciliate, a species of grass commonly used in agricultural areas around Lake Albert.

“The seeding will deliver a number of key benefits, including soil stabilisation, a reduction in sediment becoming airborne in high winds and increased habitat for wildlife,” Mr Weatherill said.

“It will also provide organic material to return carbon to the sediment and promote bioremediation to address acidification.

“The local community, landholders and the Ngarrindjeri people will be working together on bioremediation works - including fencing, seed collection, plant propagation, monitoring and establishing community nurseries.

“These works are about doing what we can to repair damage caused by low flows down the Murray.”

The work of managing the risk of acidification will be assisted by the 170-220 billion litres the State Government has secured for the Lower Lakes and up to 35 billion litres of water to be pumped into Lake Albert from Lake Alexandrina.