The artesian springs are highly valued because of their outstanding natural and cultural features. They are home to some rare species including small fish such as the Red-Finned Blue Eye – Australia’s rarest fish, small snails and a range of plants that only grow in the artesian water.

In addition, often these springs are in arid environments meaning they provide the only reliable water in the landscape and are very important for a range of other species. Given that these species rely so heavily on artesian water and are found at a number of springs, they have been listed as Endangered under both Commonwealth and State government legislation.

Since European settlement, it has been reported that 40 per cent of discharge springs in the GAB have become completely inactive (Fensham et al. 2016). Today, this drop in bore pressure is being managed through the Great Artesian Basin Sustainability Initiative, which is working with landholders to cap and pipe any free-flowing bores.

Other threats include:

• High grazing pressure on springs is also a significant threat as the cattle can cause disturbance to the vegetation, changing the water quality and reducing the habitat value. 
• Feral animals such as pigs also cause significant damage by changing the local topography through wallowing, disrupting the soil properties and water quality.
• Mosquito fish or gambusia found throughout the region is a serious pest fish that can predate the rare fish like the red-finned blue eye that live in the springs. 
• Weeds are also a significant threat. In some locations, weeds can drain the springs due to using the water, changing the availability of free water to be used by fish. Weeds such as Rubber Vine can also smother the surrounding vegetation changing the structure of the springs.

These springs have significant cultural heritage to Aboriginal people. For Aboriginal culture, they have been found to be intrinsically sacred and of vital importance as campsites as part of trade and communication routes (Fensham et al. 2016).

Meanwhile, pastoralists saw springs as key reliable water to support grazing development. Often the first roads and track follow lines of springs. Due to their value of water, often springs were drilled, drained or dug out to improve their water flow – however this often led to their degradation and sometimes reduced their water flow (Fensham et al. 2016).