"This is the worst wet season I have ever seen, the driest by a long shot."
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The well-known Daniel Tapp has been at Big River Station on the Roper River for 25 years and said it was time to sound an alarm.
"There are going to be a lot of repercussions from the lack of rain, in Katherine, and right across the Territory," he said.
Mr Tapp said despite there still being several weeks remaining in the wet season, it was looking disastrous.
"The springs have stopped running, a lot of little streams and creeks and things have stopped running.
"The Roper is usually uncrossable at my place from Christmas right through to Easter.
"We can drive across it now."
Mr Tapp said conditions across in the west of the NT were far more serious.
"Many dams and catchments that rely on the wet season haven't had those rains this year and are still dry ... how are they supposed to get through the rest of the year.
"There will be whole communities who will struggle this year."
Questions are already being asked about the possible future for Katherine's water supplies, with restrictions first imposed because of PFAS contamination back in August 2017.
Katherine remains on stage one restrictions today.
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Power and Water says it was monitoring the water supplies in Katherine closely.
Mr Tapp said he had enough storms to provide feed for his stock but the lack of run off meant many waterholes would not make it through the dry season.
"It is looking pretty ordinary for the whole year ahead," he said.
He said many people are already talking about a drop in bore levels.
Government people need to give this some attention and take the lead."
Manbulloo Limited managing director Marie Piccone said they drew water supplies for their mango orchards from two aquifiers - Tindall and Jinduckin.
"I am not worried yet, I have seen large rainfall right through to April and significant rainfall around Easter.
"We are very careful about how we use our water
"We have been irrigating during dry patches so that the trees don't get stressed during summer.
"We have to always be mindful there is variation in the Territory and manage our water as best we can," she said.
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