7/10/2007 11:10:53 PM
In 1969 Gerald and Marjorie Quirk replied to a request from the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) for rainfall recorders in country areas, thus they became the official rainfall recorders for station no 081095 Arcadia. For they past 37 years they have daily recorded the rain or lack of for this area; at the end of each month they forward the data to BOM to be officially recorded.
2006-07 The worst drought in living memory for this country, this area of the Goulburn Valley was no exception to this exceptionally dry period, cereal crop failures, many of which were cut to obtain some hay; dairy cattle being cow parked to areas more fortunate; stock sold off to reduce numbers; very little water for irrigation purposes. Temporary water sales on Dec 15th made up to $950/ml.now trading at $408/ml.
August 15th 2006 Eildon Dam held only 23% of capacity approx. 777,000 ml, the irrigation allocation was 7% of water right which increased to 21% in October then to 27% and finally to 29% on April 16th 2007 with Eildon now at only 7.5% of capacity approx. 254,478ml, this time last year it was holding 842,797ml. Eildon when full holds 3,334,158 ml.
However the weather pattern may be changing, following the very low rainfall of 219.8ml (8.76 inches) for 2006, Gerald said the recent March rainfall of 44mm has been the best for that month since 1999 when 71.8mm was recorded.
Rainfall recorded at the Arcadia recording station for the past 10 years.
•1997 – 444mm (17.76 inches)
•1998 – 499mm (19.96 inches)
•1999 – 534mm (21.36 inches)
•2000 – 530mm (21.20 inches)
•2001 – 467mm (18.68 inches)
•2002 – 245mm (9.80 inches)
•2003 – 610mm (24.40 inches)
•2004 – 420mm (16.80 inches)
•2005 – 527mm (21.08 inches)
•2006 – 219mm (8.76 inches)
Average for the past 10 years is 449mm (17.96 inches)