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.
Estimated Use:
No assessment of the future resource
development in the Flinders Ranges has been
made for the following reasons.
- It is unlikely that major irrigation
development will be considered in the area due
to environmental concerns. The major
development is likely to be for the mining or
tourism industries.
- While large volumes may be available for
relatively short periods on an infrequent
basis, the Flinders Ranges is a highly
sensitive area and any water resource
development would likely impact on the
environmental flow. Highlighting such areas as
having high development potential not be
appropriate.
- The majority of the catchment provides only
low levels of runoff and stock and domestic is
likely to remain the major demand for water.
Management goals and objectives:
Infrequent stream flows from the Flinders
Ranges could be harvested for domestic and
mining water supplies. Small water resources
distributed throughout the Ranges could
support careful sustainable development. There
is a need to determine environmental flow
requirements and environmental assets of the
area. Over-committing water resources before
their sustainable limits or environmental
water requirements are known will threaten the
long-term sustainability of the resource.
There is a need to increase the monitoring of
surface resources to more accurately define
the true amount of water available in the
region. Periodically review monitoring
programs to best quantify the amount of
divertible water available and to ensure that
environmental water needs are being met.
Consider emerging and existing technologies
such as new methods of harvesting, treatment
and storage - such as aquifer storage and
recovery, sealed catchments, desalination and
rainwater tanks as a means of providing
increasingly feasible and economic water
supply alternatives.
Examine the potential for artificial recharge
and recovery from aquifers in the region
particularly the palaeochannels.
See SA 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 | NONE | | SUBCATCHMENT | |
Inputs to allocation | MODELLING AND RESOURCE | | BROAD RESOURCE INVESTIGATION | |
Type of monitoring - quantity | LIMITED OR NONE | | BROAD-SCALE | |
Type of monitoring - quality | NONE | | SALINITY AND OTHER LIMITED PARAMETERS | |
Distribution efficiency (H,M,L) | NA | | NA | |
Use efficiency (H,M,L) | NA | | NA | |
Resource management efficiency (H,M,L) | NA | | NA | |
Degree of licensing | NONE | | LIMITED | |
Water trading (None, Limited, Significant) | NONE | | NONE | |
Mechanism of trading | | | | |
Volume traded (ML/yr) | | no data | no data | no data |
Number of transactions | | | | |
Inter-basin transfers | NONE | | NONE | |
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 Lake Frome (SA) Surface Water Management Area
Current Management Response:
Desired (Current) Management Response:
2020 Management Response:
Resource is potentially available for mining
and tourism development, but this is not
volumetrically defined in this report. |
2050 Management Response:
See SA Water Resources Assessment 2000 Report for comment on management responses.
Assessment of Monitoring
Efficacy of the network:
The SWMA is extensive with numerous unconnected
catchments and considerable hydrological variation. A
large proportion of the runoff is produced in relatively
small regions and it is these regions that offer the
greatest potential for development.
Existing monitoring focuses on the operation of the
Aroona Dam system, however the available information is
not well suited to decision making on broader issues of
resource sustainability and environmental conservation.
Assessment of individual catchments within the SWMA is
difficult.
Rainfall monitoring is sparse and there is a bias away
from hydrologically significant regions of high elevation
and steep topography.
Monitoring is required that takes into account management
needs and the particular hydrologic characteristics of
the catchment.
Data management requirements:
Ensure that monitoring programs are appropriate to
current decision making
Improve knowledge of the interrelationships between
hydrological and environmental processes.
There needs to be a cost sharing strategy for all
organisations that have an interest in monitoring the
resource.
Data must be able to be shared freely between
organisations.
Protective management:
Ensure that environmental water requirements are
considered in water resource decision making.
Ensure that resource use is sustainable and be aware of
the environmental and economic consequences of over-
commitment. The expansion of dryland salinity and the
consequent loss of production is of particular concern.
Support riparian vegetation projects to reduce erosion
and intensity of runoff.
Options for monitoring:
Methods need to be developed for determining the
environmental assets in the arid regions of the State and
their water requirements. This will enable formal
provisions for the environment in water allocation plans.
Continuation of government and community partnerships
through the Arid Areas Catchment Water Management Board
will help ensure adoption of appropriate management
strategies.
Water resources monitoring requirements are being
addressed by a State water monitoring review project.
This will:
- Assess the relevance of the current monitoring network
- Define the future monitoring requirements, particularly
those required under the current management plans
- Develop a cost sharing strategy for all stakeholders
Community participation in environmental management will
increase with the availability of relevant information.
Waterwatch provides a mechanism for community
participation in water resources issues.
See SA Water Resources Assessment 2000 Technical Report for an assessment of monitoring
Data Availability, Gaps and Recommendations
Data Availability:
There is insufficient streamflow data
available for the SWMA for catchment-wide
hydrological assessment including runoff,
environmental requirements, water use, other
catchment losses, etc. This shortcoming has
been recognised and the need for streamflow
information is being addressed by the State
Water Monitoring Review project. The review,
will:
- assess the States current monitoring
programs
- define future monitoring requirements,
particularly those required under water
management plans.
- develop a cost sharing strategy for all
organisations that have interest in monitoring
the resource.
- ensure minimisation of effort
Current Gaps and Recommendations:
Data Gaps:
There is not a sufficient number of gauging
stations to accurately define the resource or
determine the flow to Lake Frome. It is clear
that there are significant variations in
rainfall across the region and because of this
the existing data is not well suited to
decision making issues of resource
sustainability and environmental conservation.
Arid stream hydrology has the added limitation
of poor accuracy of the stations for high
flow. During high flow the ratings of the
station are significantly extrapolated.
More work is required to define the
environmental water requirements of ephemeral
streams. Lack of information has led to a
precautionary approach to water resources
management and use being advocated. Monitoring
and assessment programs need to be advanced to
improve the understanding of the
interrelationships water resources, water use
and ecosystems.
There is insufficient information to assess
the hydrological and ecological impacts of
landuse. This includes urban development,
agricultural activities, farm dams and
irrigation.
Alternative sources of water are constantly
being sought as traditional resources become
stressed. Conjunctive use, particularly of
surface and groundwater is becoming
increasingly attractive. Improved knowledge of
the interactions of surface and groundwater is
required to better understand the likely
impacts of changes to the natural regime.
There is limited rainfall monitoring in the
area, particularly continuous records.
Recommendations:
The need for streamflow information is being
addressed by the State Water Monitoring Review
project. The review, will:
- assess the States current monitoring
programs
- define future monitoring requirements,
particularly those required under water
management plans.
- develop a cost sharing strategy for all
organisations that have interest in monitoring
the resource.
- ensure minimisation of effort
Future Gaps:
A paucity of hydrological and environmental information
and knowledge of arid region endorheic systems such as
Lake Frome impedes informed management decision making.
The availability of relevant data and the level of
understanding of current management issues will be
substantially advanced with improved monitoring.
In particular, the monitoring program would benefit from:
- A review to ensure current management issues are
properly addressed
- Refinement to address spatial and technological gaps in
knowledge
- An expanded range of parameters
- The adoption of emerging technologies as appropriate.
A project currently underway to review state-wide, across-
agency water resource monitoring needs provides a forum
to address these issues.
See SA Water Resources Assessment 2000 Technical Report for a review of data availability,gaps and recommendations.
Further information
Key
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