Consideration of surface water in groundwater management
plans
The National Water Initiative (NWI) has set a specific objective of recognising ‘the
connectivity between surface and groundwater resources' and the need to manage
these connected systems as a single resource. From a groundwater perspective,
groundwater management plans generally include allowances for surface water
through streamflow interactions (river baseflow). In many cases this as far
as the assessment goes. In a minority of groundwater management units, the
management plans detail more specific groundwater and surface water interaction
management actions and environmental water requirements (for example, streams
with baseflow from groundwater discharges or groundwater dependent ecosystems).
In most other cases, statewide licensing regulations dictate that bore interference
assessments on other users (including surface waters) must be undertaken before
new groundwater extraction licenses can be granted.
Further information on the technical aspects of groundwater and surface water
interaction and conjunctive management can be found at the DAFF and
the Natural Heritage
Trust websites.
The number of groundwater management units that take into account surface
water are listed in the table below and shown in the map below.
Groundwater management plans that consider surface water and the
method used
|
|
| ACT |
NSW |
NT |
QLD |
SA |
TAS |
VIC |
WA |
National |
|
0 |
53 |
3 |
9 |
16 |
0 |
22 |
17 |
120 |
|
0 |
32 |
3 |
8 |
12 |
0 |
22 |
1 |
78 |
|
0 |
24 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
26 |
|
0 |
4 |
0 |
2 |
11 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
17 |
|
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
|
0 |
2 |
1 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
6 |
|
0 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
1 |
0 |
22 |
1 |
27 |
Australian Capital Territory
The Australian Capital Territory manages its groundwater management units
and surface water management areas as a highly connected system. After setting
aside environmental water requirements, users are allocated water from the
remaining pool. In addition, groundwater use is further restricted by limiting
the volume of water that can be taken from the groundwater pool.
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory takes surface water into consideration in three groundwater
management units (five per cent). This is because the amount of surface water
and groundwater connection is unknown for most the Northern Territory . Of
those units in which surface water is considered as part of the groundwater
management framework, only two groundwater management units (Koolpinyah Dolomite
and the Tindall-Katherine Water Control District) make any changes to the volume
of groundwater yield to maintain surface water flows.
South Australia
Surface water and groundwater interactions are recognised in 16 groundwater
management units in South Australia . Plans for these units allow for discharge
to surface waters through a minor reduction in the consumptive use of groundwater.
An example of this is the Barossa
Prescribed Water Resources Area. (PDF 6.9 MB)
Victoria
Within Victoria , 22 of the 24 water supply protection areas (groundwater
management) units are covered by plans (final or draft) that take into consideration
surface water. Committees that are charged with drafting plans are required
to undertake an assessment of the surface water resource and impacts on surface
waters.
 |
|
Groundwater management plans that consider surface
water |
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Groundwater management plans that consider surface water (1.9 Meg )
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