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Whenever weather forecasts predict rain for the desert town of Mparntwe, also generally known as Alice Springs, the same query normally arises: “Do you think Todd will swim?”
This week the answer was yes. The normally dry Todd River was swollen with water from per week of rainfall, according to the study, which dropped 184 mm (about 7.2 inches) high from the sky after months of unrelenting heat. Bureau of Meteorology. The rain collected piles of debris, washed away roads and turned the normally pastel red and yellow landscape of central Australia right into a wealthy tapestry of brown and green.
Local authorities issued severe flood warnings, but in a region normally characterised by dry heat, people were excited – much more in order water levels began to rise. People crowded the banks of the Todd, having fun with the majestic sight of the river in motion.
It’s something people on this a part of the world only get to see just a few times a 12 months. Although the ground isn’t completely dry – the wealthy groundwater table makes itself felt through the rows of mature plants river red gum trees along the banks – overland flows of any significance depend upon heavy rainfall.
John Wischusen, a hydrogeologist in Alice Springs, said a typical formula to determine whether Todd would flow is 40 millimeters of rain at a rate of fifty millimeters per hour. It’s a torrential downpour typical of a summer storm, but he added that subsequent days of lower-intensity wet weather have also (and indeed this week) tipped the scales.
“It’s like a roof and a water tank,” Mr Wischusen said, explaining how the high concentration of Precambrian rocks (including gneiss and granite) in and around Alice Springs promotes water runoff. “But the ground underneath has to be moist to a certain level before it can flow through. Therefore, a certain amount and intensity of rain is needed for the water to flow above the ground, into the river channels and through the city.”
As it travels, the water charges the landscape. Animals that were previously discreet suddenly appear. “You’ll hear all the frogs that have been dormant in the ground for a year come out and start chirping,” Mr. Wischusen said. Valleys are transformed into ponds, and groundwater storage systems replenish their resources.
Water corridors are not any longer what they once were – urbanization, invasive weeds and pollution have modified the landscape – and yet the river ecosystem is healed, nurtured and nourished by these annual flows.
“These large buildings built along the banks of the Todd River are quite hard on the eyes. But after a few flows you notice that they suddenly disappear, engulfed by the growth of river red gums,” said Peter Renehan, a Central Arrernte resident who runs the Center for Appropriate Technology, a science and technology center based in Alice Springs. “For us, it’s a country doing its job.”
For a few years, Mr. Renehan spearheaded programs and dealing groups aimed toward revitalizing the damaged riverbed. He identified trash (from small plastic wraps to full-fledged mattresses) floating downstream due to illegal campers, gutters that drain too quickly for the river to properly absorb it, and lots more and plenty of invasive Buffel grass clogging corridors. Unlike native plants, these weeds surround the bases of old native river gums, stopping them from serving as a primary line of defense against deadly wildfires and impeding proper water flow.
“We really want to be able to shine a light on the city’s water systems to actually show how beautiful it could have been and how it used to be,” Mr. Renehan said, adding that the city breathes when the river flows, which is why it warrants time, resources and continued investment.
“All the negativity around the city just disappears when everyone comes together to look at the river.”
There has been numerous negative publicity these days about the city, which has been labeled a spot by national media and politicians a breeding ground for youth crime. This week, the Chief Minister of the Northern Territory declared a state of emergency in Alice Springs, ordering: curfew for youth and – together with other officials – are calling on the federal government to deploy the Australian Federal Police to help ensure security.
Political chaos and discuss “city under siege” was a stark contrast to the sentiments evoked by Todd.
Mr. Renehan was blunt: he said the narrative needed to change. He wants the government to redirect the energy it puts into creating law and order towards protecting, preserving and revitalizing what makes the city tick.
Aboriginal people learn by observing – “feeling and seeing”, he said – rather than through the government’s slap-in-the-face approach of larger buildings and more intensively built environments.
“We think we’re making progress, but then they do something, like change the height restrictions,” he said, adding: “It’s a never-ending battle to convince them of the importance of the river.”
Here are our stories of the week.
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