The Mount Lofty Ranges watershed provides about 60% of Adelaide's
drinking water and supports a number of important aquatic environments.
Unlike the water supply catchments of most other Australian capital
cities, the Mount Lofty Ranges is also an important region for
agriculture as well as for urban and rural living. >>
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About 90% of the watershed is privately owned and includes urban
areas, rural townships, horticulture, viticulture, market gardens,
forestry, dairy farming and grazing. Over time, this has led to
serious land use conflicts that have resulted in a number of water
quality problems. >> More
There is pressure to continue development within the watershed,
which will tend to worsen the water quality problems.
In 1998, the EPA set up a Watershed
Protection Office (WPO) in Stirling to focus on managing and
rectifying the water quality problems in this important region.
The WPO is running several programs to increase awareness of water
quality and to find practical, long-term solutions. >>
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These programs will be coordinated with state government departments,
local government and industry.
