Australian Natural Resources Atlas

Natural Resource Topics

Water resources - Management and Development - Queensland

Location map of Cooyar Creek

Groundwater Management Unit: Cooyar Creek

Introduction

Management Context:

The groundwater in Cooyar Creek GMU is not a major state priority due to the small scale and minor usage of the resource. Properties within the Cooyar Creek GMU almost exclusively use surface water supplies to supplement the natural rainfall. Only occasional contributions are made from bores tapping into the alluvium. Currently there are no priority issues of concern for the management of the resource.

Priority issues

Declining Water Levels

 NO

Salt Water Intrusion

 NO

SALINISATION

Dryland

 NO

Irrigation

 NO

Groundwater

 NO

Surface Water

 NO

Urban

 NO

Point Source Pollution

 NO

Diffuse Source Pollution

 NO

Subsidence

 NO

Artificial Recharge (ML/yr)

 no data

Ecosystems Protection

 NO

Surface Water Interaction

 NO

Management Plans

 NO

Defined Minimum Water Level

 NO

Comment: The Cooyar Creek GMU is an area of minor GW interest and currently has limited monitoring data available. Very little is known about water quality, water level trends, aquifer recharge and the aquifer properties of the resource.

Comments on Management Responses

2020 Management Response:

Current abstraction levels in the Cooyar Creek GMU are estimated to be 10% of the sustainable yield. It is estimated that the demand for groundwater supplies will remain minimal due to the surface water supplies being able to meet water demands. For the year 2020 it is estimated that the groundwater use will be 10

Ml.

2050 Management Response:

Current abstraction levels in the Cooyar Creek GMU are estimated to be 10% of the sustainable yield. It is estimated that the demand for groundwater supplies will remain minimal due to the surface water supplies being able to meet water demands. For the year 2050 it is estimated that the groundwater use will be 10

Ml.

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

Assessment of monitoring in Cooyar Creek

Efficacy of the network:

The Cooyar Creek GMU does not contain any monitoring network bores. Bores that have previously been part of this network have been used to provide information on the GMU. The information has been obtained from eight observation bores.

Data management requirements:

Queensland groundwater monitoring data, both water level and water quality, is stored within the Groundwater Database (GWDB) system. The new GWDB 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 licence 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 Cooyar Creek Groundwater Management Unit is limited. The resource is relatively small, with a minimal amount of groundwater abstraction. Subsequently, the resource is under no immediate threat that would require protective management plans.

Options for monitoring:

Management of the groundwater resource of the Cooyar Creek Groundwater Management Unit is limited. The resource is relatively small, with a minimal amount of groundwater abstraction. Subsequently, the resource is under no threat that would require input from National or State agencies.

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: 

The groundwater resource of the Cooyar Creek GMU is small with limited groundwater abstraction. Consequently, the GMU is not an area of high priority and very little groundwater investigations have been conducted to assess the resource.

In 1999, a very preliminary value of approximately 100 Ml/yr was estimated for the sustainable yield of the Cooyar Creek aquifer.

Sustainable yield:

ML/yr

Threshold year for sustainable year:

2,100 

Abstraction Volume 1996/1997:

10 ML 

Current Resource development categorisation:

Estimated Use in 2020

Comment:

Estimated use in 2020:

10 ML 

% change from 1996/1997:

0 

Resource development categorisation:

Estimated in 2050

Comment:

Estimated use in 2050:

10 ML 

% change from 1996/1997:

0 

Resource development categorisation:

 

What assumptions were used in this assessment

Development Potential:

Current abstraction levels in the Cooyar Creek GMU are estimated to be 10% of the sustainable yield. This means that there is 90% of the resource available for groundwater development. However, due to the small-scale of the resource, the development potential of the GMU is defined as low. It is estimated that the demand for groundwater supplies will remain minimal due to the surface water supplies being able to meet water demands.

Estimate of Use:

Current abstraction levels in the Cooyar Creek GMU are estimated to be 10% of the sustainable yield. This means that there is 90% of the resource available for groundwater development. However, due to the small-scale of the resource, the development potential of the GMU is defined as low. It is estimated that the demand for groundwater supplies will remain minimal due to the surface water supplies being able to meet water demands.

Data Availability,Gaps and Recommendations

Data Availablility:

The Cooyar Creek GMU monitoring network consists of eight observation bores. These bores have not been monitored since 1988. Prior to 1988, groundwater levels had been taken since 1967. Measurements were taken between 3 and 5 times a year.

Current Gaps and Recommendations:

Data Gaps: The Cooyar Creek GMU has a limited amount of data available. Data gaps exist with regards to recent groundwater levels; assessment of aquifer properties and the quantification of the resource; groundwater quality; and groundwater abstraction.

The majority of groundwater level records commenced in 1967. Monitoring bores have not been measured for groundwater levels since 1988. This twenty year period includes a 5 year gap in data during the 1980s. Bores have not been sampled for groundwater quality since 1961.

Very limited groundwater investigating has occurred in the GMU. Consequently, there is no available documentation pertaining to the aquifer properties or the nature of the resource. The sustainable yield is preliminary estimation based on very limited data.

There is no record of the amount of groundwater abstracted from the alluvial aquifer, however, it is considered to be minimal.

Recommendations: The Cooyar Creek GMU has a limited amount of data available. It is recommended that some monitoring be re-established within the GMU. Previous monitoring bores are still in existance. The frequency of groundwater level and quality measurements would only need to be minimal.

Future Gaps:

The Cooyar Creek GMU has a limited amount of data available. It is recommended that some monitoring be re- established within the GMU. Previous monitoring bores are still in existance. The frequency of groundwater level and quality measurements would only need to be minimal.

Further information

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