On our way to the Loddon River the other day, we came across an odd looking structure. The cement surrounding its base seemed barely dry although it could have been there for a while.

We hadn’t visited the river since July when we’d engaged in a spate of over-exertion. Standing next to the muddy track, surrounded by paddocks, the padlocked metal column piqued our curiosity.

The sign showed it to be a Groundwater Observation Bore.

Unlike so many things these days (‘intelligent design’ for instance), groundwater observation is exactly what it says it is: monitoring water that’s stored in the ground.

Groundwater is formed when rain water seeps from the surface of the ground and collects in underground porous spaces between layers of sand, gravel and fractured rock. The water table is the depth at which these porous spaces become fully saturated.

Another definition that might come in handy if you find yourself seated next to a hydrologist at a dinner table: Large areas of spaces holding groundwater are called aquifers.

Because groundwater is rainwater that’s been stored underground, it’s a finite resource and therefore needs to be managed in a sustainable way. Shared usage of groundwater has been known to cause a stoush or two.

Take this district, for instance. Fascinating in so many ways due to its diverse community, it’s no stranger to conflict. Heck no.

I once read that Daylesford – home of relaxed sophistication and calming therapies – once hosted the world’s longest fist fight. That was probably in the days when the town supported no fewer than four pubs whose patrons spent most of their waking hours rummaging around the countryside for gold.

In an effort to resolve some of the latter-day conflicts, chiefly those concerning bores, in 2003 an RMIT University research team, funded by the Victorian Department of Sustainability and Environment, mailed a survey to 400 residents who live in and around Glenlyon, a township about 10kms from Daylesford.

Glenlyon was chosen because many of its residents rely on groundwater for their water supply. One of the team’s objectives was to find out how much people in these parts knew about that water.The survey questioned residents about their use of groundwater and their concerns about it.

Almost half of those who responded relied on groundwater to some extent, with some relying on it for over 90% of their water usage. Their concerns about their water supply were of special interest to the research team.

Farmers and irrigators were seen as the largest users of groundwater, with some perceived as irresponsible in their water usage. Leaky bores, illegal dams and the poor quality of groundwater were other concerns.

The survey showed that some respondents saw a need to limit the use of groundwater, citing that if a neighbour or farmer extracted water from the aquifer, especially if irrigation was involved, it would interfere with the recharge rate of the bore (replenishment through rainwater) and thus diminish supply.

Ten percent of respondents had been involved in groundwater disputes. The same number had contacted groundwater agencies with few results to show for their efforts.

One of the main findings to emerge from the survey was that most people really didn’t understand groundwater systems. If you rely on groundwater to some extent but know little about it, this is essential reading.

If you’re thinking of sinking a bore on a rural property, there are things you need to know if you don’t want to start a stoush with the neighbours. For instance, how far should a bore be located from a septic tank, a neighbouring bore and other potential sources of contamination or interference. Don’t even think of sinking a bore without going here first.

The  Glenlyon groundwater project team developed an interactive educational website to help residents and farmers better understand groundwater systems. They hoped it would help highlight issues about sustainability and ways of settling disputes.

Of course the website had to be augmented by community workshops because so many residents were without internet access. Or their access was limited by slow internet speeds, the bane of those who live in the country. Don’t get me started on that.