Background
When farmers have a better understanding of their on-farm water needs and capacity, they unlock increased efficiency, productivity and flexibility for their farms, ultimately creating robust businesses that make effective decisions, even in challenging seasons.
Led by Murray Local Land Services (LLS), the Farm Water Management Planning project is making sure farmers understand their water storage capacity, their unique water needs for agricultural production, and helping them put a plan in place.
Demonstration sites lead the way
The Farm Water Management Planning project includes 10 demonstration sites across the southern half of NSW, which provide clear local examples, relevant design options, and evidence of the benefits of getting a plan in place for farm water management. These sites have proved really valuable in facilitating peer-to-peer learning because it’s an active way for farmers to get information and see how it can work in practice.
Landholders across the region have been attending workshops and field days, visiting the demonstration sites then they undertake farm water audits before building personalised plans. These plans are then finalised at a one-on-one session with a local project officer.
Jess Armstrong, in her role as Community Engagement Officer at Holbrook Landcare Network, is one of these people working across local organisations to roll out the project.
Reflecting on what the program has revealed, Jess highlighted that it’s not uncommon for farmers not to realise just how much water it is that their farm requires, both during regular times and in drought. The Farm Water Management Planning project, through its workshops, field days and direct engagement with farmers, is helping to fill that knowledge gap.
Personal support to understand farm water
Jess believes that the project’s one-on-one support has been particularly valuable to the farmers involved and typically involves starting with a farm water audit, which reveals too often overlooked factors impacting water quality and availability, such as evaporation, seepage and residual water.
Jess said, "Then we have the opportunity to sit with them and develop a comprehensive farm water management plan, which incorporates the farm water audit, but also brings in what a farmer values in their system and what might be challenges during a drought.
“When you have a better appreciation for the water that you have on your farm, you can make better management decisions. So not only are you better equipping yourself for a dry spell or when you are knee-deep in drought, but you've got a better understanding of how you can conserve your resources," she said.
Knowledge is power
Holbrook-based farmer Ian Locke runs Wirruna Poll Herefords stud and has sheep on his property 1,500 hectare ‘Spring Valley’ which is a demonstration site for the project. Ian jumped at the chance to be involved in the project and encourage other landholders to make effective decisions about water management, because it’s an issue he’s been contemplating for years.
“I signed up to monitor the site so that Holbrook Landcare can use that information and promote others to do similar works, or improve the efficiency of their production systems by improving water quality. It is good to engage with other producers. We get so much benefit from each other by all openly looking at our systems,” Ian said.
Even when dams, tanks and waterways are in good shape, Ian believes farmers need to be conscious of conserving the precious resource for future dry times. There is too much at stake to be complacent because Ian knows that if he had to destock due to a lack of water, it would mean the permanent loss of some of the 75-year-old breeding history of Wirruna Poll Herefords.
Making changes on-farm
During previous droughts, Ian said his cattle would often cool themselves in his dams, but in the process, they spoiled their drinking supply. With a new appreciation of how improved water quality correlates with cattle and sheep performance, Ian decided to make changes on the farm to ensure water quality, even in dry times.
Ian said, “I've installed in this paddock and the paddocks around it a tank with which is fed from the solar bore, and it feeds a number of troughs, and we are now looking to control the quality of water.”
“By having troughs, we know that the quality of the water is what’s coming out of the bore. Also, we might be able to even start medicating it, such as in a lucerne paddock, we might be able to put bloat oils in the water to control the risk of bloat.”
The Farm Water Management Project received funding from the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund through an Extension and Adoption of Drought Resilience Farming Practices Grant. It was led by Murray Local Land Services and delivered by Holbrook Landcare Network, Riverine Plains, Western Murray Land Improvement Group, Corowa District Landcare, West Hume Landcare, and Ricegrowers' Association of Australia.
