THE iconic blue CBH tarpaulins that cover grain across WA could be given a second-life - lining dam catchments in a new WaterSmart Dams trial.
The 'paddock-scale' experiment will use the second-hand tarps in a trial at the Jacup Community Dam on Mark Lester's farm.
After successive dry seasons from 2018 to 2020, the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER) has been trialling water security innovations and is hopeful this might be the next big idea.
Mr Lester said it was something he was interested in assessing but didn't have the time to do it without involvement from DWER and the WaterSmart Dams project team.
"I am very interested to see how long the second-hand plastic works as a catchment lining option and looking at the logger data to see what is actually running off the catchment," Mr Lester said.
As the Jacup Community Dam is a public access point for emergency livestock water supply and firefighting purposes, Fitzgerald Biosphere Group executive officer Maddy Wylie said it was crucial the water source remained reliable.
She said the experiment was of interest to local farmers, where capturing every drop of water from catchments was critical in successive dry seasons.
"Using second-hand materials is often spoken of, but not many growers have taken the plunge," Ms Wylie said.
"Practical solutions using what is on hand is of interest to local growers."
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By implementing better water supply infrastructure, associate professor Nik Callow hopes growers will become better equipped to handle hotter and drier seasons.
"Developing the infrastructure with the grower groups and the growers ensures the solution is capturing the specific needs of the community and district," Dr Callow said.
"The WaterSmart Dams project is an example of universities conducting research that is translated into a project which people can interact with and adopt into their onfarm water infrastructure practices.
"Smart Dams champions, such as Mark Lester, are facilitating grower-led water supply and quality demonstrations to benefit their local communities."
Initial funding, from the WA Government's $3.7 million program to expand and enhance off-farm strategic dams, was directed by DWER.
The department undertook the earthworks, tested, laid, and sewed together the tarpaulins, and set up the research infrastructure required for the WaterSmart Dams team to measure the efficacy of the trial.
The WaterSmart Dams project team includes the Grower Group Alliance, The University of Western Australia's Centre for Water and Spatial Sciences, the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development and the Fitzgerald Biosphere Group.
The project team is working across 12 sites in the South West to improve dams and drought resilience.
They are also looking at engineering solutions, such as improved dam design and the maintenance of roaded catchments, dam covers, silt traps and technological innovations to improve water quality.
Jasmine Peart
Jasmine is a earnest listener and a passionate advocate for justice. She feels privileged to be trusted by farmers across Western Australia to tell their truth.
Jasmine is a earnest listener and a passionate advocate for justice. She feels privileged to be trusted by farmers across Western Australia to tell their truth.
