Rivers don't always recover after drought

Do waterways always recover when the rains return? New research suggests they may not...
07 July 2021

BARREN_GROUND

Barren, dry ground with a single plant seedling.

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The general view is that waterways, such as rivers and underground water sources, will dry up during severe drought - but eventually recover and resume their normal flow when the rains return. But new findings from Australia pour cold water on that idea. When researchers analysed 30 years of rainfall and flow data from 161 water catchments in southeast Australia, they discovered that one-third of these water catchments had not recovered almost eight years later. Charlotte Birkmanis heard more from Monash University's Tim Peterson...

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