Consideration of groundwater in surface water plans

Traditionally surface water has been managed almost independently of groundwater in most states and territories. This mode of management presents a risk of overallocation of water resources because groundwater use will diminish surface water availability, and vice versa . This is not currently a major issue in areas where there is minimal usage of surface water or groundwater resources. For example, in South Australia there is minimal surface water usage outside of the Murray and prescribed areas; and in Tasmania there is minimal (if any) groundwater usage across the state. Even so, there is still a risk of overallocation in future as the demand for water increases and untapped resources are developed.

The following section summarises the results from the perspective of surface water management. The groundwater management plans section of this website summarises the same issue from the perspective of groundwater management.

The proportion of surface water management plans that consider groundwater resource issues is summarised in the table below and shown in the map below.

The methods used to consider groundwater in surface water management plans are also summarised in the table below. The questions to the jurisdictions were framed in terms of the extent of management and technical evaluation. Considering groundwater could simply include a brief technical consideration and a decision to defer any further analysis; it also could a detailed consideration of surface water and groundwater interaction, perhaps leading to a decision to reduce the assessment of the available yield. Surface water management plans should also consider more than groundwater extractions and double-accounting of the waters. The effect on streamwater quality of discharges from poor quality groundwater should also be considered, particularly given the high salinity of groundwater in some areas.

Overall, surface water management plans formally consider the interactions with groundwater systems in only a minority of cases. Most surface water management plans do not take groundwater into account directly and instead rely on groundwater management plans to consider surface water allocations and environmental water requirements. There are some exceptions, with more recent area and regional management plans taking a more inclusive approach to surface water and groundwater interactions. This includes six area management plans in Queensland; two area management plans in New South Wales; four area management plans in Tasmania; four area management plans in South Australia; and one area management plan in the Australian Capital Territory. Most of these plans are final and currently being implemented. A few plans are in progress.

Out of the surface water management plans that consider groundwater, only three (in the Australian Capital Territory and New South Wales) actually include groundwater as part of environmental water requirements and allocate water accordingly. All others include groundwater indirectly.

Surface water management plans that consider groundwater and the method used

Note: ‘Other' for the ACT means that surface water and groundwater were considered jointly when the surface water plan was assessed, it was not something appended to the plan as indicated in the other categories given above.

Australian Capital Territory

In the Australian Capital Territory, surface water and groundwater resources are managed together, taking into account both short-term and long-term interactions.

New South Wales

In New South Wales, streamflow models take into account groundwater in the alluvial aquifers since there is a high level of interaction between groundwater and surface water in the major regulated stream catchments.

Northern Territory

In the Northern Territory, surface water and groundwater interactions are recognised in two surface water management plans (Todd River and Ti Tree), but both of these plans cover less than five per cent of the relevant surface water management area. There has been no management response to surface water and groundwater connectivity, although groundwater integration plans are being developed. The Northern Territory also recognises a number of surface water management areas with minimal connection between surface water and groundwater (Rosie River, Towns River and Moyle River).

Queensland

In Queensland, six out of the 16 final or draft water resource plans take groundwater into consideration, but no details have been provided on how this has been achieved. In Queensland a number of declared subartesian areas are accounted for within the relevant water resource plan.

South Australia

Connectivity of groundwater and surface water resources is recognised in four surface water management areas in South Australia. The management response in two cases is a combined groundwater and surface water management plan that allows for short-term and long-term interactions. The connectivity of all other surface water management areas is unknown.

Tasmania

Each of Tasmania's four surface water management areas with a plan (final or draft) account for groundwater. This is achieved through maintaining a groundwater register of wells and bores.

Victoria

Environmental water provisions determined within Victorian surface water management areas do not formally take groundwater into account; however, surface water models are based on streamflows in which groundwater interactions are implicitly captured. Formal accounting for groundwater occurs within the groundwater management unit (water supply protection area) management plans, which cover 35 per cent of the groundwater management units in Victoria.

Surface water management plans that consider groundwater

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Surface water management plans that consider groundwater (1.6 Meg )

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Interactive Maps:

Click on the links below to create and customise your own versions of the maps (e.g. add or remove layers) using the Map Maker tool on the Australian Natural Resource Atlas website:

• ANRA Map Maker – Surface Water data 

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