December 15, 2009
Well for the last 2 days we drove from Melbourne up North along the Murray River stopping yesterday Kendrook, and today we stopped just outside of Mirat. We found free camping both times along the river. I like this river, it reminds me of the rivers at home that roam through the prairies, except this area is drier, much drier, which comes to the reason I am blogging. I have always wanted to come here since last winter when I read a national geographic article on the Murray river and how it is in serious trouble. If you haven't heard Victoria is now 10 years into a drought, a very bad drought, which is why last years wildfires were so bad and killed over 200 people in Victoria alone. Anyway, the Murray river is the life blood for most of Northern Victoria, it is the only river at all in the area, so in the 50's they tossed 2 major dams on it for power, and then started drawing huge amounts of water for irrigation, problem is, that may have done more harm than good. Let me explain, when they built the dams they created large lakes that flooded out large amounts of trees, these trees it turns out would suck up huge amounts of moisture during wet years and then release the water into the air during a drought helping it rain, one small whoops. These lakes also hold a huge amount of water, enough that each years rain fall cannot fill them due to the extended drought. This causes problems downstream where the decreased flow of water due to the with holding of the water. Ever since the fifties arid land has been developed for fruit and other agriculture by drawing irrigation water from the river. Due to the damming of the river, and no rainfall, and the drought, this is becoming more difficult, if you want to see what a wheat crop with no water look like have a look at this. This area is littered with abandoned fields because there is no water left to irrigate them. Today I saw something even more powerful. We came across this small little town called Boga Lake,
which is a resort town surrounding the edge of a lake with the same name. It has everything a lakeside resort town need, lawn bowling pitches, motels, campground, beaches, boat launch, dock, and a yaught club including clubhouse. It is only missing one thing, 
water. 8 years ago it was a lake filled to capacity, today it is a flat, dry, dirt basin. Not a single drop of water, the docks stretch out into open air, the boat launches are covered in dirt and grass, the beaches overgrown, and the yaught club sits abandoned. This was a big lake, and today I walked into the middle of it, across broken glass bottles, old tin cans tossed out before I was born
and other waste of humanity that litter the bottom of all resort lakes. Makes me wonder what I would find if Pigeon Lake or Red Dear Lake went dry. Farther in I found the half buried skeletons the animals who died as the water dried up,
how I pity their last moments, the dirt that coveres them were from the dust storms that rage through the region, mother nature burying her dead. On the way out of town we passed a sign well over 10 years old, saying "Goodbye Boga Lake" it was meant as a parting wave to travelers, I wonder now if it is more for the residents who watched the lake turn dry. This area is changing, and maybe that is why I seem so interested in this area, it makes me feel like I just walked into the dirty 30's. I think I am now understanding what Grandpa went through.
Well for the last 2 days we drove from Melbourne up North along the Murray River stopping yesterday Kendrook, and today we stopped just outside of Mirat. We found free camping both times along the river. I like this river, it reminds me of the rivers at home that roam through the prairies, except this area is drier, much drier, which comes to the reason I am blogging. I have always wanted to come here since last winter when I read a national geographic article on the Murray river and how it is in serious trouble. If you haven't heard Victoria is now 10 years into a drought, a very bad drought, which is why last years wildfires were so bad and killed over 200 people in Victoria alone. Anyway, the Murray river is the life blood for most of Northern Victoria, it is the only river at all in the area, so in the 50's they tossed 2 major dams on it for power, and then started drawing huge amounts of water for irrigation, problem is, that may have done more harm than good. Let me explain, when they built the dams they created large lakes that flooded out large amounts of trees, these trees it turns out would suck up huge amounts of moisture during wet years and then release the water into the air during a drought helping it rain, one small whoops. These lakes also hold a huge amount of water, enough that each years rain fall cannot fill them due to the extended drought. This causes problems downstream where the decreased flow of water due to the with holding of the water. Ever since the fifties arid land has been developed for fruit and other agriculture by drawing irrigation water from the river. Due to the damming of the river, and no rainfall, and the drought, this is becoming more difficult, if you want to see what a wheat crop with no water look like have a look at this. This area is littered with abandoned fields because there is no water left to irrigate them. Today I saw something even more powerful. We came across this small little town called Boga Lake,
which is a resort town surrounding the edge of a lake with the same name. It has everything a lakeside resort town need, lawn bowling pitches, motels, campground, beaches, boat launch, dock, and a yaught club including clubhouse. It is only missing one thing, water. 8 years ago it was a lake filled to capacity, today it is a flat, dry, dirt basin. Not a single drop of water, the docks stretch out into open air, the boat launches are covered in dirt and grass, the beaches overgrown, and the yaught club sits abandoned. This was a big lake, and today I walked into the middle of it, across broken glass bottles, old tin cans tossed out before I was born and other waste of humanity that litter the bottom of all resort lakes. Makes me wonder what I would find if Pigeon Lake or Red Dear Lake went dry. Farther in I found the half buried skeletons the animals who died as the water dried up, how I pity their last moments, the dirt that coveres them were from the dust storms that rage through the region, mother nature burying her dead. On the way out of town we passed a sign well over 10 years old, saying "Goodbye Boga Lake" it was meant as a parting wave to travelers, I wonder now if it is more for the residents who watched the lake turn dry. This area is changing, and maybe that is why I seem so interested in this area, it makes me feel like I just walked into the dirty 30's. I think I am now understanding what Grandpa went through.
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