Useful+Information+from+Command

Below is information gained through discussions with Command / Eva. This information can and will be used towards informing our decisions in this monsterous task assigned to TeamVortex.

__**Actual Location of the Isalnd**__ The coordinates of The Island are as follows:

25deg 06'29.47"S 135 deg 59'59.19" W

Google Earth should help you locate The Island precisely and show surrounding countries.

__**River C4 to B7**__ This is the biggest river on The Island if you are using length and width as your criteria. Other rivers, particularly on the west and south coasts run faster, but are narrower and the terrain is much steeper. The river you are asking about is very wide for about 40km from its mouth. The river depth varies - at the mouth there is quite a wide but relatively shallow estuary, which at high tide is navigable by small to medium sized boats, but at low tide many sand bars are evident. Upstream the river is deep-ish. Certainly deep enough for boats that don't have deep, sea going hulls. You wouldn't get an ocean-going fishing boat upstream for example. Most runabouts or barges would be fine. As for waterfalls there are none on this river from B4 downstream, but there are a number of small falls and rapids upstream in the higher areas. The river is also much narrower in the hills. The zoologist on the reconnaisance mission tells us that the river reminds him of the river in his hometown of Brisbane.

Water in the rivers in the higher parts of The Island is safe to drink - in fact it is crustal clear and beautiful to taste, according to the reconnaisance team.
 * __Water Quality and Flooding__**

Flooding - there are areas on the map marked as swamps. These areas are prone to flooding. We haven't been on The Island for long enough to have records of what has flooded and what hasn't. There is evidence of cyclone damage to some of the low lying coastal areas near some of the beaches but mostly the evidence of inundation is confined to less than 400 metres from the high tide mark.

Quality of the water in the lakes and rivers. The lakes are intermittent lakes - this is clearly marked on the map. When the lakes have water in them the water is drinkable, but brakish. It is probably better suited for stock than for humans.

The tides are not huge anywhere on The Island. According to our data the difference between high tide and low tide is only 3-4 metres around the entire Island. The tidal surge in the river is also not particularly strong, generating only gentle tidal flows. None of the river mouths are narrow enough nor are the tidal differences big enough to generate strong tidal flows.

__**Economy**__ The United Nations is funding this investigation but whilst it has deep pockets it will not go on funding forever. What sort of things do you need to fund? What is your long term plan to generate your own funds?

__**Transport**__ At this point there is no transport on The Island. But again a really interesting question. It may be necessary to ask our Engineers to collaborate to come up with some answers to our transport and communications issues. Leave it with me and I will see how Task Force Command wants us to tackle these important issues.

__**Water and Hydroelectricity**__ The rivers at the western end of The Island are in the part of The Island that receive the heaviest rainfall. They are also in the steepest terrain - which suggests all that water needs to move downhill at a fairly rapid rate. This is particularly the case in the wet season, when rainfall is extreme in the catchment area. And yes, if you have been monitoring the other discussions you are able to import machinery and anything else you can justify. You still have to ask yourself - is this a sustainable solution? (note the distinction between sustainability and self-sufficiency - it is an important one). And yes, if you can demonstrate that satellite is a sustainable solution to communications needs then you can have it for Internet too

__**Importing and exporting goods**__ Yes you can import materials onto the Island. And livestock. But keep in mind the overriding issue of sustainability? Are you establishing a way of life that is sustainable or are you simply perpetuating our current way of life which has been shown to be unsustainable. Humans in most western developed societies are consuming more resources that the planet can sustain. What sort of cars are you going to use?? What will fuel them? Where will the fuel come from?? What energy sources will you need to run the phone network?

__**Communicatons**__ The issue of communications is a really important one. I will take this up with Task Force Command and get back to you. This may need further investigation.

__** Ocean **__ Ocean depth along the South of the Island varies. There is deep ocean with no reefs from B1-D1 (and further south) and again from D1-D4. From the edge of D4 to D7 there is an ocean reef about 5km from shore that results in more protected waters.

The ocean depths haven't been accurately measured all around the Island but we are told by the reconnaissance teams that the water surrounding the headland at B8, C8, B9, B9 is deep enough for fishing boats and large ships (Although the large ships shouldn't be too close to the rocky shore line). The shoreline is very rocky apart from the beaches indicated on the map and is home to a large population of crustaceans. There are no coconut palms in this part of the Island.

__**Flora and Fauna**__ There was not time during the reconnaissance mission to do a complete census of the Island flora and fauna. That data has yet to be collected. There was no evidence of any disease of the local flora (or fauna). The plants ranged in maturity from young saplings (in the case of the trees) to healthy, mature specimens at the height of their growth. Like any tropical rainforest the species diversity is very high, of both flora and fauna, with plants of different species growing densely together. Fruiting trees like papayas and bananas tended to be in greater abundance on the edges of the rainforest and in isolated sections of the forest where there was more sunlight. The larger tree species such as the pines, candlenut, oak (tropical oak not your northern hemisphere deciduous varieties) figs, cedar and tapau grow in abundance in the woodlands and dense tropical jungle. The only species that grows more as a monoculture were the flax plants (which were found in abundance in coastal areas B3 and B8/9) and coconut palms. These were found growing quite thickly along the all the flatter beaches especially C7 and D5/6. Again, bananas and papayas were found growing healthily in amongst the palms back from the beaches. The trees seemed to be fruiting strongly. Pineapple plants were also found scattered among the flax.