Murray Darling Basin

MURRAY BRIDGE, SA, AUSTRALIA - FEBRUARY 2: CSIRO Scientists, Rob Fitzpatrick and Paul Shand take soil samples in Paiwalla Wetland February 2, 2008 in Murray Bridge, South Australia, Australia. Located along the Murray River, Paiwalla Wetland had its water supply cut off during the drought. When it dried up, its bed turned sulfuric acid when highly concentrated, saline nutrients were exposed to oxygen. This is a widespread problem in the bottom end of the Murray-Darling Basin, where bodies of water that were made permanent by the irrigation system have dried up since the drought. The Murray-Darling Basin of Australia has been plagued with severe drought since the late 1990's and many growers and policy makers are being forced to work on implementing more efficient irrigation systems. (Photo by Amy Toensing/Getty Images)