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Water resources - Management and Development - Queensland

Location map of Cooloola

Groundwater Management Unit: Cooloola

Introduction

Management Context:

The Cooloola groundwater management unit falls within the Cooloola National Park and lies adjacent to a fish habitat reserve in Tin Can Bay. Management purposes for the Cooloola GMU and greater regional objectives are outlined in the 1994 Great Sandy Region Management Plan 1994 - 2010. The protection of both the quantity and the quality of the groundwater resource in the Cooloola groundwater management unit is important from both an economic and environmental perspective. Rainbow Beach obtains a water supply from the Cameron Creek extraction sytem within the GMU and consequently, aquifer intake areas should be protected against adverse development. The future population of the Cooloola area is envisaged to approach up to 35 000, if current development patterns continue, and is likely to result in increased demand upon water resources with the potential for the overdevelopment of both surface water and groundwater resources to occur.

Environmental considerations within the Cooloola GMU concern the protection of water dependent ecosystems. Large areas of heathland and sedgeland occur within the GMU and have some reliance upon seasonal inundation for their ecological stability, with the flora and fauna within these habitats dependant upon seasonal areas of standing water. The survival of these ecosystems is therefore, dependent upon both the availability and quality of water, with changes to the local environment, in either the duration and/or extent of dry conditions and/or salinity of the water, potentially adversely affecting some of the more specialised ecosystem components.

Priority issues

Declining Water Levels

 NO

Salt Water Intrusion

 YES

SALINISATION

Dryland

 NO

Irrigation

 NO

Groundwater

 NO

Surface Water

 NO

Urban

 NO

Point Source Pollution

 YES

Diffuse Source Pollution

 NO

Subsidence

 NO

Artificial Recharge (ML/yr)

 no data

Ecosystems Protection

 YES

Surface Water Interaction

 YES

Management Plans

 NO

Defined Minimum Water Level

 NO

Comments on Management Responses

2020 Management Response:

The estimate of 1128 ML/yr for the forecast use for the year 2020 is based upon the GMU's assessed sustainable yield, development potential and the desired level of resource management.

2050 Management Response:

The estimate of 1128 ML/yr for the forecast use for the year 2050 is based upon the GMU's assessed sustainable yield, development potential and the desired level of resource management.

See QLD Water Resources Assessment 2000 Technical Report for a review of management responses.

Assessment of monitoring in Cooloola

Efficacy of the network:

There is presently no monitoring network within the Cooloola groundwater management unit.

Proposed guidelines and actions for the Cooloola groundwater management unit include the regular monitoring, at least on a quarterly basis, of all water bodies by the local Shire, to determine long term water quality trends with management strategies to be reviewed and adopted in order to ensure the maintenance of long term water quality. Observation bore sites used for water level and quality monitoring should remain constant to allow for the long-term comparison of water level and water quality data.

Data management requirements:

Queensland groundwater monitoring data, both water level and water quality, is stored within the Groundwater Database (GWDB) system. The new system is based on web technology and is available through the department's intranet. Allocation and use data is obtained through the Water Entitlements Registration Database (WERD) which is an electronic database for water license details. Both databases are managed locally at district level, with respect to the collection and entering of water monitoring, allocation and use data; and are accessed statewide.

Protective management:

Management of the groundwater resource of the Cooloola groundwater management unit aims at maintaining a longterm, sustainable resource and therefore, requires the accurate monitoring of groundwater extraction, water level and water quality fluctuations. The Cooloola groundwater management unit falls within the Cooloola National Park and lies adjacent to a fish habitat reserve in Tin Can Bay. Management purposes for the Cooloola GMU and greater regional objectives are outlined in the 1994 Great Sandy Region Management Plan 1994 - 2010.

Protective management requirements for the groundwater resource of the Cooloola groundwater management unit include:

Restricting groundwater extraction to that of the sustainable yield of the groundwater system.

Continuation of water level and water quality monitoring, by the local Shire, in an effort to identify and appropriately manage the threat of saltwater intrusion and declining water levels by allowing the assessment of both water level and water quality fluctuations, and the detection of both water level and water quality trends from collected data.

Options for monitoring:

Proposed guidelines and actions for the Cooloola groundwater management unit include the regular monitoring, at least on a quarterly basis, of all water bodies by the local Shire, to determine long term water quality trends with management strategies to be reviewed and adopted in order to ensure the maintenance of long term water quality. The implementation of a comprehensive water quality monitoring program, incorporating sampling from domestic bores as well as observation bores, and extending analysis to include other water quality parameters such as nutrients and bacteria to effectively identify occurrences of point source pollution from septic tanks is recommended for the Cooloola GMU. Groundwater monitoring data, collected by the local Shire Council, should be forwarded to the Department of Natural Resources and incorporated into the state-wide groundwater database to facilitate the development of a comprehensive state-wide data set on Queensland's groundwater resources.

See QLD Water Resources Assessment 2000 Technical Report for a review of monitoring.

What is the estimated demand for groundwater?

Sustainable Yield

Comment about sustainable yield figure: 

An assessment of 1128 Ml/yr for sustainable yield was made in 1995 based upon the results of a steady state groundwater flow model. This volume represents approximately 28% of the regional groundwater throughflow.

Sustainable yield:

ML/yr

Threshold year for sustainable year:

2,007 

Abstraction Volume 1996/1997:

300 ML 

Current Resource development categorisation:

Estimated Use in 2020

Comment:

Estimated use in 2020:

1,130 ML 

% change from 1996/1997:

277 

Resource development categorisation:

Estimated in 2050

Comment:

Estimated use in 2050:

1,130 ML 

% change from 1996/1997:

277 

Resource development categorisation:

 

What assumptions were used in this assessment

Development Potential:

The development potential of the groundwater resource within the Cooloola groundwater managment unit is limited to the sustainable yield. A steady state groundwater flow model, using a maximum recharge value of 400 mm/yr and a hydraulic conductivity range of 4 to 12m/day, was constructed for the area covering the Cooloola groundwater management unit. The predicted extraction rates for the year 2007 is 1128 Ml/yr and represents approximately 28% fo the regional groundwater flow. This model indicates that the groundwater surface will not be drawn down below mean sea level for either the existing extraction rate of 8%, or the projected extraction rate of 28% for the year 2007.

Increased extraction of either surface water or groundwater to compensate for increased population and demand could possibly result in a reduction in groundwater levels and baseflow, and possible saline intrusion affecting both surface water courses and aquifers, with potential changes to estuarine ecology of Seary's Creek due to reduced freshwater input. The development potential of the Cooloola GMU is additionally restricted due to the location of the GMU within the Cooloola National park, with any proposed development requiring adherence to development guidelines and protected area management arrangements.

Estimate of Use:

The estimate of 1128 ML/yr for the forecast use for the years 2020 and 2050 is based upon the GMU's assessed sustainable yield, development potential and the desired level of resource management.

Data Availability,Gaps and Recommendations

Data Availablility:

The availability of water level data is low, with 10 observation bores located within the GMU and water level monitoring restricted to the time of drilling in 1994. No water quality data exists for the Cooloola GMU.

Current Gaps and Recommendations:

Data Gaps: No comprehensive water level or water quality data is available for the Cooloola groundwater management unit. Formal use and allocation data is not available.

Recommendations: The Cooloola Shire Council manages the groundwater resource of the Cooloola GMU and is responsible for the collection of water level and water quality data. Groundwater monitoring data, collected by the local Shire Council, should be forwarded to the Department of Natural Resources and incorporated into the state-wide groundwater database to facilitate the development of a comprehensive state-wide data set on Queensland's groundwater resources.

Future Gaps:

The Cooloola Shire Council manages the groundwater resource of the Cooloola GMU and is responsible for the collection of water level and water quality data. Groundwater monitoring data, collected by the local Shire Council, should be forwarded to the Department of Natural Resources and incorporated into the state-wide groundwater database to facilitate the development of a comprehensive state-wide data set on Queensland's groundwater resources.

Further information

Key

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