There are more than twenty thousand dams across the Adelaide Hills and Fleurieu Peninsula, according to the Hills and Fleurieu Landscape Board.

It says water is a shared and limited resource which is managed by the government on behalf of the community to ensure all water users get a fair share, and that no-one takes more than their fair share. 

Recently, the Board has seen an alarming number of dams either illegally constructed or modified, and this has the potential to negatively impact legitimate water users right across the landscape.

Paul Wainwright, Team Leader Water Resources, is urging landholders to contact the Board for advice when planning to construct or modify dams on their properties.

“Dams are a common feature in the peri-urban and agricultural landscapes across the Adelaide Hills and Fleurieu Peninsula, providing essential water security and stability for a broad suite of agricultural activities. 

“Our team regularly fields enquiries about new dams, or modifications and repairs to existing dams – all of which are considered water affecting activities. 

“There is an application process involved to ensure any such activities do not negatively impact the water resource, and our team can help navigate that process.”

“Landholders who increase the volume of existing dams or construct new dams without approvals are a risk to all other water users in their catchment,” Mr Wainwright says.

The Board says it takes illegal dam construction or modification very seriously.

It works with high resolution remote sensing to identify any such work occurring in the landscape. 

Landholders found to have illegally constructed or modified dams can be compelled to rectify the works at their own cost, and failure to comply can involve a penalty of up to $35,000 for an individual or $70,000 for a body corporate.

For more information visit the Hills and Fleurieu Landscape Board website or call the office on 8391 7500.