Australian Natural Resources Atlas

Natural Resource Topics

Water resources - Overview - Queensland

Location map of Great Artesian Basin - Western - Queensland

Groundwater Management Unit: Great Artesian Basin - Western - Queensland

Introduction

The Great Artesian Basin (GAB) comprises 23 hydrologic zones (accounting for interstate / territory boundaries). These zones were determined by the Great Artesian Basin Consultative Council (GABCC) in 1999. The total area of the GAB is approximately 1.8 million sq km.

The Western (QLD) Groundwater Management Unit (GMU) is one of these hydrologic zones. Its area is about 14830 sq km which accounts for 0.82% of the total GAB area.

The Western (Qld) zone is in the southwest of the GAB. It extends over 300km north-south and over 60km west from the Queensland/New South Wales border lying to the west of the town of Bedoourie.

Natural surface levels predominantly range from zero to 100 m above mean sea level. Moving towards the GAB fringe boundary, the natural surface levels tend upward to 200m above mean sea level.

Rainfall in the Western (Qld) zone is a little over 100 mm/yr. Evaporation generally exceeds rainfall by up to 4000mm.

The Western (Qld) zones dominant land uses are for evenly proportioned between cattle and other industry purposes. Use of the land for the cattle industry occurs along the eastern boundary of this GMU.

Land tenure in the Western (Qld) zone is evenly proportioned between Leasehold Land in the east and Forest Reserve to the west.

In the western portion, tall open shrubland presides while in the east, low open woodland dominates the landscape.

Vital Statistics:

Area: 14,830 Km2
Total water allocated: no data
Total water consumed: 90 ML/yr
Average salinity: 1,000 mg/l
Sustainable yield: 80 ML/yr
Depth to top of aquifier: 0 m

Further Information

Key

   Links to an another web site
   Opens a pop-up window