8th October 2008

Farmers now have a website they can store the valuable information they collect on water table levels, salinity and acidity.

The site is a joint initiative between the Avon Catchment Council and the Department of Agriculture and Food, both based in Northam.

The project, called Combores08, is in response to farmers, catchment groups and communities asking for a place to store the data they collect.

The website’s administrator Harry Lauk says farmers have been collecting data on water tables for decades, but much of this information has been lost.

“This website gives farmers the opportunity to log on and store the data they collect from around their properties.”

Harry Lauk says the site will be password protected and farmers will have control over who has access to the information.

“It’s not about water usage, it’s about preserving data on the rise and fall of water tables, much of which has been lost over the years.”

Harry Lauk says the website is easy to use once a farmer completes the two steps needed to register for Combores08.

“For the site to work, they need to register as a user, but they must also register their project in order to begin recording data.”

The Combores08 site can be found by using an internet search engine like google, or through its website:

http://spatial.agric.wa.gov.au/combores08

Contact: Harry Lauk, Department of Agriculture and Food, Northam
hlauk@agric.wa.gov.au
9690 2162

Photo available: Harry Lauk measuring water table levels.