Australian Natural Resources Atlas

Natural Resource Topics

Water resources - Management and Development - South Australia

Location map of Great Artesian Basin - South Australia

Groundwater Management Unit: Great Artesian Basin - South Australia

Introduction

Management Context:

Inefficient water use primarily through uncontrolled bores and use of bore drains to distribute water.

Mound springs maintenance of aquifer pressures in vicinity of mound springs essential for survival of mound springs and associated ecology.

Availability of water resource (upward vertical leakage) for further development.

Determination of available resources western margin GAB.

Potential use of aquifer storage and recovery in arid areas.

Priority issues

Declining Water Levels

 YES

Salt Water Intrusion

 NO

SALINISATION

Dryland

 NO

Irrigation

 NO

Groundwater

 YES

Surface Water

 NO

Urban

 NO

Point Source Pollution

 NO

Diffuse Source Pollution

 NO

Subsidence

 NO

Artificial Recharge (ML/yr)

 no data

Ecosystems Protection

 YES

Surface Water Interaction

 NO

Management Plans

 YES

Defined Minimum Water Level

 NO

Comments on Management Responses

2020 Management Response:

2050 Management Response:

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

Assessment of monitoring in Great Artesian Basin - South Australia

Efficacy of the network:

More regular aquifer pressure/water level monitoring is required. Construction of monitoring bores in non-artesian portion of the basin is required. Data analysis and reporting on a more regular basis is required.

Data management requirements:

A digital database exists for the SA portion of GAB. This database could be modified to act as a management tool for the Catchment Water Management Board

Further development of State agency database is required to make information more accessible to local communities, individuals and Government agencies .

Protective management:

Completion of bore rehabilitation program. Commencement of program to replace existing bore drains with piped distribution networks. Ensure minimal/zero impact on mound springs by groundwater abstraction.

Options for monitoring:

A Catchment Water Management Board is planned for the northern region of the State. A management plan for the region is to be developed which will address data and information gaps.

See SA 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: 

Sustainable Yield Definition:

The groundwater extraction regime, measured over a specified planning timeframe, that allows acceptable levels of stress and protects the higher value uses associated with the total resource.

Sustainable yield is rate at which groundwater can be pumped without causing:

  • Long term decline of potentiometric surface (or watertable)
  • Undesirable effects such as salinity increases

This may mean pumping less than recharge, i.e. sustainability from the salinity view point may be considerably less than sustainability from the hydraulic perspective

The figure given for sustainable yield is the sum of the current pastoral, mining and petroleum extractions, plus 5% of the upward vertical leakage. This equates to a total of approximately 175 ML/day (64 000 ML/year).

Sustainable yield:

ML/yr

Threshold year for sustainable year:

1,999 

Abstraction Volume 1996/1997:

54,800 ML 

Current Resource development categorisation:

Estimated Use in 2020

Comment:

Estimated use in 2020:

60,000 ML 

% change from 1996/1997:

10 

Resource development categorisation:

Estimated in 2050

Comment:

Estimated use in 2050:

60,000 ML 

% change from 1996/1997:

10 

Resource development categorisation:

 

What assumptions were used in this assessment

Development Potential:

No increase in use is proposed as the flowing stock and domestic bores of 40000 ML/year and Mining 20000ML/year account for the total sustainable yield. Further development requires the capping of these flowing bores which potentially could support significant development potential.

Estimate of Use:

Data Availability,Gaps and Recommendations

Data Availablility:

At this stage no dedicated Government monitoring bores have been established in the GAB. Every artesian bore has the potential to be used as a monitoring point, and some are utilised. Available data includes stratigraphic, lithological, aquifer pressure, chemistry, and temperature.

Current Gaps and Recommendations:

Data Gaps: Long term time series aquifer pressure data. Recharge rates to aquifers.

Recommendations:

Future Gaps:

Long term time series aquifer pressure data.

Further information

Key

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