Olympic D and the MOU RI Soonth: Aastalie’s noma springs occur along an are which passes from Lake Callabonna near the New South Wales border, through Marree, William Creek and Oodnadatta to Dalhousie Springs near the Northern Territory border. WMC (Clympic Dam Operations) Pty. Ltd. ACN, 005 428 240Individual springs occur along fault lines at the edge of the Great Artesian Basin. Springs may have a well defined mound several metres in height, a low sandy or peaty mound, or simply be seeps along the base of hills or along watercourses. Spring flow rates range from almost nothing to greater than fourteen megalitres (14 million litres) per day, with most flows in the lower part of the range. one! Oe pari shtutition WMC (Olympic Dam Opera- tions) Pty. Ltd, (ODO) has an interest in springs near Lake Eyre South because of their proximity to the Operations’ water supply. ‘The conservation of these springs is a primary consideration in the design and management of present and future ODO wellfields, ODO has conducted a comprehensive research pro- gramme on the ecology of these sptings since 1983. Studies have focused on vegetation, fauna, water quality, flow rates,Monitoring carried out by ODO includes the most detailed study ever made of the unique flora of the mound springs. This research has shown that the springs support eight main plant species. These include the rare Eriocaulon carsonii, and three other species which are normally found in south-eastern Australia. Eighty-four other species have been recorded in the vicinity of mound springs in the Lake Eyre South area. The flora and fauna of mound spring wetlands are radically different from those of bore-drain wetlands. Therefore, artificial wetlands can never be used to re-create the conditions that exist at mound springs. Mound Springs support a diverse invertebrate micro-fauna, with many endemic species. Some larger animals drink at the springs, but none are dependent on them. Likewise, some birds inhabit the reedbeds at mound springs, but none are re- stricted to them. All birds that occur at the springs are more common on wetlands at nearby artesian bores. ‘There is no evidence that present drawdown from the ODO Wellfield is affecting the number or diversity of species at any of the major spring groups. Nor is there evidence of the extinction of any springs in the important complexes near the wellfield.Extinctions elsewhere have been largely limited to two small groups, as predicted in the Olym- pic Dam Environmental Impact Statement. Studies have shown that extinction of some vents and appearance of others is a normal part of the life-cycle of spring groups. Grazing by domestic stock has the greatest visual impact on mound springs, but this has less impact on the number and diver- sity of species than might be expected. Stock do not signifi- cantly affect the total number of species at a group, although they may reduce the number of species present at individual wetlands. Because of the uniqueness of the spring flora, management of the springs must concentrate on those plants which are dependent on the springs, not on the plants which happen to be growing around or near them. It will be possible to manage the springs in such a way as to benefit all the different species and to maintain various combinations of plants. For further information contact the ODO Environmental Department, P.O. Box: 150, Roxby Downs, SA. 5725 1st Edition, February 1994 Printed on Recyeled Paper