Maybe you could also compare well depths...?

one day a clever cookie will look at the phenomenon and try to prove it one way or the other. Maybe there's a phd in this. Or maybe there will be a web community project where each month there will be reports from many sources and then analysed en-group.

Yeah I think we've already logged their depths to AHD and their position with GPS so they'll all be to the same datum if I do get my arse into gear and do it.

Hi ROM, just wondering if you have any reports on the Springs your way?? I have noticed you haven't given a report for close to 6 weeks now, still going out there and having a look mate? Infact I have noticed the Springs thread has been generally quiet this year anyone else have any reports out their way?? I am one of those people that likes to know whats happening all over the place not just his own city hence this thread being preety important to me.

Wouldn't have a clue how the springs are running around here; it's that wet that for the first time in 12-15 years (anecdotally) three of the main creeks flowing into/out of town have base flows for weeks after any rainfall greater than about 10mm.

Our springs had risen about two weeks before this last rain.We had been missing the good rains but didn't this time had 50mm to 80mm this area.

As Johnoo points out it is some time since I gave a report on the Little Desert springs.
I have been going out to the springs each week but haven't posted as not much is happening.

The two springs I have been regularly watching this year are only just flowing if you could call it that.
Even with the rain we have had the spring pools are still not full and at this time of the year and season, I have never over the last 8 or so years I have been watching these springs, seen the spring pools still as low as this at this time in the season and year.
Even in a couple of very dry years past, by now the spring pools were full and overflowing, if only through August or so before they ceased flowing but they were at least full with a considerable amount of quite wet areas down slope from the main spring pool and a large area well wetted up right out into the paddock.
This year, so far, the pools are not full, there is only a meagre amount of wetting down slope from the main spring pool and the the hectare or so of wet soil sloping down from the soak line that can and does get very wet and boggy in most years is barely wetted up.

On the main spring pool as I have posted in the past, the owner has planted a lot of native species trees and shrubs above the spring pool and along the low 6 metre or thereabouts high sand hill that overlays the shallow aquifer that feeds the spring pool and it's associated soak line.
I strongly suspect that the 3 and 4 metre high trees and shrubs which are growing very well indeed have tapped into the spring aquifer and are drawing a lot of water off and so are quite seriously affecting the spring flow.

The more remote spring back near the Desert is also very slow flowing and has still not filled it's pool although the area around it is wet.

What to make of it I don't know at this stage as what I thought was a reasonably good method of using the commencement of the spring flows to predict the autumn break for our predominately winter rainfall period just has not worked out this year.
We are getting some moderate rain through here [ lightly raining here as I pound the keyboard ] but the springs so far this season, just do not seem to be reacting as they have so obviously done in years past.

Nature always has a new twist somewhere to confuse us and humble us just when we think we know [ all ? ] the answers.

I have seen nature do this to us right through my life and as an old now retired farmer I have been on the receiving end of a lot of those humbling experiences.

I just wish all those who believe that some predicted outcome is cut and dried and an absolute certainty because some unprovable models say so or some minor and glory seeking "scientist" says so would understand this regularly displayed and deeply humbling aspect of nature.

Has anyone been taking water samples [relating to salinity, etc.] from their local springs?

We test a fair few of our piezos for conductivity (measure of salinity). What sort of info are you interested in?

I was simply wondering if (people collected their own data) if they had done any analysis of it and what (if any) ideas they could draw .

It is abundantly clear of late that the (Onkaparinga) river is flowing further downstream (albeit in a trickle), while there is no flow upstream (just large areas or disconnected ponds). This suggests an underground source of water (as there has been only a trace of rainfall lately) in the area.

I have become more uncertain of the influence of atmospheric pressure/pressure gradients on spring activity...there appear to be other variables/unknowns involved.