The devastation of having no rain has had both an amazing and shocking impact on Burrendong dam
- Nicoel Holmes
Although the effects the recent drought has had on the environment has made for some gruesome discoveries, it has also unveiled some hidden treasures.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Local landscape and nature photographer Nicoel Holmes who runs her business 'Images by Nicoel' took the opportunity to explore the grounds which was once the full and flowing water bed of Burrendong Dam.
During her endeavour, she discovered varying objects that had been sitting at the bottom of Burrendong Dam unknowingly and hidden by water for some time.
Ms Holmes referred to the objects as "hidden treasures" and believed they had been flooded when Burrendong dam originally opened in 1967.
"The devastation of having no rain has had both an amazing and shocking impact on Burrendong dam," Ms Holmes said.
According to the Water NSW website, the dam had been proposed immediately after World War Two to improve town water supplies and boost agricultural production in the Macquarie Valley.
Construction of the dam began in 1946 but due to financial constraints was not completed until 1967.
The website also states "the dam's capacity includes 1,188,000 ML of water storage and a potential 489,000 ML of additional air space for flood mitigation," but now parts of the dam look to be nothing more than dry land.
There were a range of reactions in the community after Ms Holmes shared the pictures to her photography page on Facebook, with many being conflicted by the unveiling of the objects and the shocking revelation of what Burrendong Dam consists of today.
It was the same emotions that prompted the photographer to take the photos in the first place.
"My mutual love of both photography and nature has grown," she said.
"Capturing the perfect blend of the old, new and anything interesting is an increasing passion of mine."
Ms Holmes said photography to her was an art of observation.
"It's about finding something interesting in an ordinary place. It has little to do with the thing you see and everything to do with how you see them."
You can explore more photos on the Images by Nicoel Facebook page.