What potential damage is there to the Katherine River from taking large amounts of water for the Tindall Aquifer?
The Katherine River system is strongly groundwater dependant. The Katherine River flows during the dry season from groundwater discharging through springs from the Tindall Limestone Aquifer. Groundwater plays a significant role in maintaining the biodiversity, cultural and aesthetic uniqueness of the system. Extracting water from the Tindall Aquifer in Katherine, directly impacts the amount of discharge that contributes to flows the Katherine River. If the Katherine River flows are reduced from over extraction and/ or drought there can be severe or irreversible environmental impacts upon the River’s ecosystem.
