Australian Natural Resources Atlas

Natural Resource Topics

Water resources - Management and Development - Queensland

Location map of Unincorporated Area - Yarraman

Groundwater Management Unit: Unincorporated Area - Yarraman

Introduction

Management Context:

Performance of bores is directly related to recharge to aquifers from rainfall and streambed infiltration determined by seasonal conditions. Hence, during drought conditions water levels in bores can drop up to 10 m severely affecting bore performance.

As in all coastal aquifer systems there is always the potential risk of saltwater intrusion. Salty groundwater has already been identified in the UAs northern most Gregory Catchment, further south in the OConnell Catchment and in coastal conglomerate and sandstone near Gladstone.

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: No priority issues are reported.

Comments on Management Responses

2020 Management Response:

No forecast use estimate is reported for the Yarraman Unincorporated Area in 2020.

2050 Management Response:

No forecast use estimate is reported for the Yarraman Unincorporated Area in 2050.

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

Assessment of monitoring in Unincorporated Area - Yarraman

Efficacy of the network:

The Yarraman UA contains no formal monitoring network and has general reported information for the majority of the catchments within the area.

Data management requirements:

Queensland groundwater monitoring data, including water level and water quality, is stored within the Groundwater Database (GWDB) system. The new GWDB system uses 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 licences. However the GMU has no groundwater allocations.

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:

Over exploitation of small fractured rock aquifers is a concern to local users. These often recharge vertically and replenish quickly during good rainfall events. Reduction in availability seems to be seasonal, and can therefore be anticipated.

Coastal zones outside of GMU areas should monitor groundwater quality in areas with significant abstraction as there is a potential risk of saltwater intrusion.

Landcare groups currently opperate in a large number of the catchments within the Yarraman UA to address local issues.

Options for monitoring:

Public awareness of groundwater issues could to be raised to encourage greater public decision making and cooperative resource management between Government, Shire Councils, Aboriginal Councils and local residents.

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: 

No global sustainable yield has been assessed for the Yarraman UA. Estimated yields in several of the catchments within the UA indicate that there are at least 170000 Ml/yr of groundwater available.

Sustainable yield:

ML/yr

Threshold year for sustainable year:

no data 

Abstraction Volume 1996/1997:

100,000 ML 

Current Resource development categorisation:

 

Estimated Use in 2020

Comment:

 

Estimated use in 2020:

170,000 ML 

% change from 1996/1997:

70 

Resource development categorisation:

 

Estimated in 2050

Comment:

 

Estimated use in 2050:

no data ML 

% change from 1996/1997:

no data 

Resource development categorisation:

 

What assumptions were used in this assessment

Development Potential:

Groundwater in the Yarraman Unincorporated Area aquifers is utilised mostly for stock and domestic supply. Current demand is not anticipated to increase significantly before the year 2020 but is difficult to gauge without knowledge of a regional sustainable yield and current and historical groundwater use data.

Estimate of Use:

No forecast use estimates are reported for the Yarraman Unincorporated Area.

Data Availability,Gaps and Recommendations

Data Availablility:

Data on the Yarraman UA groundwater resources is limited outside of company and investigative reports. Salinity data is available for over 90 bores within the UA but ranges significantly in age rendering much of the data out of date. There is no allocation or groundwater metering in the UA.

Current Gaps and Recommendations:

Data Gaps: There is no bore network dedicated to monitoring the regional groundwater resources of the Yarraman UA. Although 152 Monitoring Network Bores are exclusively within the UA area, their purpose is aimed at monitoring local groundwater resources and those periphery the GMU resources. The UA is also without regional groundwater level data, an assessment of aquifer properties, quantification of the resource and groundwater abstraction data.

Recommendations: As a low priority area there are no recommendations made to address data gaps. Local town and/or Shire council groups should continue monitoring groundwater in their respective areas within the Yarraman UA.

Future Gaps:

There is no bore network dedicated to monitoring the regional groundwater resources of the Yarraman UA. Although the UA is without groundwater level data, an assessment of aquifer properties, quantification of the resource and groundwater abstraction data, no strategy to establish monitoring has been suggested to assess these.

Further information

Key

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