The Mound Springs of South Australia For further information on the Mound Springs, look at the SEA-US website . The Mound Springs of South Australia are unique sites of groundwater discharge located along the south-western edge of Great Artesian Basin, the world's largest and oldest groundwater system. They are vitally important sources of water in one of the driest regions in the world, supporting a diverse range of endemic flora and fauna, and are recognised sacred and cultural sites of the Aboriginal inhabitants of the area. The springs were also critical in the European exploration of the interior of Australia and later in the opening up of this land for pastoral purposes. Excessive extraction of water from the Great Artesian Basin for pastoral use over the past century combined with large scale mining ventures in recent times, such as Olympic Dam and Santos, has led to significant impacts on the ecological sustainability of the springs.
Arrows represent water flow paths.
The majority of the water enters the GAB on the western slopes of the Great Dividing Range in Queensland, where the permeable sandstones appear at the surface. Smaller quantities of water are also thought to enter from the Western Desert in the south-east region of the Northern Territory. Research has shown that the water can take up to 1.5 to 2 million years to travel from the recharge areas in eastern Queensland to the discharge areas around Lake Eyre in SA, which means that the water in this region is fossil water. Arrows represent water flow paths. Due to the size and complexity of the GAB, it supports many spring complexes where the groundwater is forced to the surface.