Introduction

As resource demands and pressure increases so to do the requirements of both management and information needs. Outlined below are the key issues facing the region as determined by the State / Territory water management agency.

What is the estimated demand for surface water in Dawson River?

How was this assessment undertaken in the Dawson River Surface Water Management Area?

Development Potential:

The Development Potential has been assessed on the basis of the Fitzroy WAMP Plan released in December 1999. The current WAMP provides for:

• 190,000 ML of additional medium priority water allocation (this is defined as a water allocation that is generally used for irrigation purposes) in the Dawson River system as a result of the proposed construction of Nathan Dam and the proposed Duaringa Weir.
• 300ML of high priority water allocation (this is defined as a water allocation that is generally used for urban and industrial purposes) from the Dawson River system yet to be allocated as a result of the recent minor raising of Moura Weir.
• Up to an estimated 11,500 ML of mean annual diversions from the upper Dawson River. The availability of this additional mean annual diversion to this SWMA is subject to water release planning studies to be undertaken for the upper Dawson River system.
• The amendment of existing waterharvesting licences affected by the proposed Nathan Dam, as a result of a resource operations plan to be prepared for the lower Dawson River.

Management goals and objectives:

A Water Allocation Management Plan has been develped for this SWMA but implementation procedures have yet to be developed.

See QLD Water Resources Assessment 2000 Report and Water Resources Assessment 2000 Technical Report for comment on methods and assumptions.

	Current 2000	Desired 2000	Desired 2020	Desired 2050
Management information
Scale of allocation planning	SUBCATCHMENT	SUBCATCHMENT
Inputs to allocation	DETAILED RESOURCE INVESTIGATION	DETAILED RESOURCE INVESTIGATION
Type of monitoring - quantity	BROAD-SCALE	BROAD-SCALE
Type of monitoring - quality	SALINITY AND OTHER LIMITED PARAMETERS	SALINITY AND OTHER LIMITED PARAMETERS
Distribution efficiency (H,M,L)	MEDIUM	MEDIUM
Use efficiency (H,M,L)	LOW	LOW
Resource management efficiency (H,M,L)	NA	NA
Degree of licensing	ALL USES	ALL USES
Water trading (None, Limited, Significant)	NONE	SIGNIFICANT
Mechanism of trading
Volume traded (ML/yr)		no data	no data	no data
Number of transactions
Inter-basin transfers	NONE	LIMITED
Volume transferred (ML/yr)		no data	no data	no data
Environmental allocation category: None <33% of waterways with formal allocations between 33% and 66% of waterways with formal allocations >66 % of waterways with formal allocations	no data

Comments on Management Responses in the Dawson River Surface Water Management Area

Current Management Response:

Desired (Current) Management Response:

2020 Management Response:

NA

2050 Management Response:

NA

See QLD Water Resources Assessment 2000 Report for comment on management responses.

Assessment of Monitoring

Efficacy of the network:

The Department of Natural Resources (Queensland) carries out extensive monitoring of the States water resources. Flows are continuously monitored and data is kept in the HYDSYS database. Water quality is continuously monitored at selected gauges and is also sampled when hydrographers visit the gauges. All quality data is stored in the HYDSYS database. This monitoring network is reviewed periodically.

All water use in the State is licensed. Use on unregulated streams and from overland flow is not measured. Use from regulated streams is metered with the meters being read at regular intervals. Data on water allocations made by the Department of Natural Resources (Queensland) is held in the WERD database. Data on water allocated by an Order in Council or a Government Act is not held in a centralised database.

All Referable Storages are licensed.

WAMP studies will make further recommendations regarding monitoring requirements in this SWMA when the implementation study is complete.

Data management requirements:

With respect to the Current and Desired Management Response, there is no data available on individual SWMAs for Resource Management Efficiency.

Protective management:

Any major developments, which require the use of water or are liable to effect water quality within Queensland, are required to carry out an Environmental Impact Assessment. This is required for both developed and undeveloped catchments.

Options for monitoring:

NA

See QLD Water Resources Assessment 2000 Technical Report for an assessment of monitoring

Data Availability, Gaps and Recommendations

Data Availability:

There are five stream gauges currently operating within the SWMA.

Water quality has been monitored at ten sites in the SWMA.

All regulated users are metered and water use is measured at regular intervals.

Information and records for the gauges are held in the HYDSYS database.

Records of allocations for all licenced users are kept in the WERD database. Regulated users have volumetric allocations and unregulated users have an irrigated area allocation. Unregulated water users are not metered and there is no record of water use. Allocations granted under an Order in Council for special users such as Local Authorities or under Government Acts are not held in a centralised database.

Current Gaps and Recommendations:

Data Gaps: There is no data available on individual SWMAs for Resource Management Efficiency

No measurement of unregulated water use. No measurement of water harvesting use. No detailed environmental flow assessment of key sites in the SWMA. Recommendations:

Future Gaps:

Water resource system models are the main management decision tools which will need to be linked in the future to improve economic, financial, social and environmental response models. Good data and information are fundamental to the accuracy and validity of these tools. Some of the needs and gaps associated with this data and information are discussed below:

There is little knowledge of the land use impacts on stream flow over a period of time.

There are limited records of the quantity of water extracted from the main stream and overland flow by water harvesting.

A database is required for all water allocations other than those already contained in the WERD database. This would include all allocations made by Government Act and Order in Council.

No information is available for unregulated water use as these users do not have meters. Much of the water harvesting in the state is also unmetered unless it is on a regulated stream.

There is no data available on individual SWMAs for Resource Management Efficiency.

See QLD Water Resources Assessment 2000 Technical Report for a review of data availability,gaps and recommendations.

Further information

• Queensland Water Resources Assessment 2000 Technical Report
• Link to data available for download on the Surface Water Management Areas
• Link to the Map Maker to make a map using this information.
Key

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Last updated: Wednesday, 13-May-2009 14:07:47 EST

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