De-risking drilling to secure on-farm water supplies

Securing reliable on-farm water is one of the most pressing challenges for Wheatbelt farmers facing consecutive dry seasons, with some spending over $60,000 in a single year just to keep water up to stock.In this episode, Dr Richard George from DPIRD and Professor Brett Harris from Curtin University talk about a targeted approach to finding water in fractured bedrock aquifers deep beneath the Wheatbelt landscape.Drawing on the results of Phase One of the WaterSmart Farms program, where 75% of sites struck usable groundwater, the conversation covers how precision magnetic surveying is dramatically improving drilling success rates, what reliable groundwater means for farm decision-making through dry periods, and what's needed to take this method from research into broad industry uptake via Phase Two's voucher program. The Ripple Effect project - Grower Group AllianceWaterSmart Dams project - Grower Group AllianceWater Smart Projects gallery - Grower Group AllianceMADFIG is delighted to announce the release of our first Podcast! - MADFIGWaterSmart Dams: Understanding dams with the Water Evaluation Platform - SW WA HubWaterSmart Farms voucher program - DPIRDWater Evaluation PlatformHub news - Drought Hub