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In this section you will find detailed information, including national overviews and state and regional level assessments, from the 2000-2002 National Land and Water Resources Audit theme assessments.
Water resources - Overview - Queensland
Groundwater Management Unit: Toowoomba City Basalt
Introduction
Toowoomba City is the regional centre of the Darling Downs, located approximately 130 km out of Brisbane. The city lies on the edge of a basalt plateau. The Toowoomba City Basalts Groundwater Management Unit (GMU) is situated in the Condamine Basin (4223), west of the Great Dividing Range. The GMU extends approximately 120 sq km and is bound by the Toowoomba Shire boundary.
Toowoomba City is at the headwaters of a number of drainage systems. Water from the City drains east into the Lockyer Creek system, south into the Hodgson Creek system, west into the Westbrook Creek system and north into the Gowrie Creek system. The majority of the City of Toowoomba drains to the north into the Gowrie Creek system.
Groundwater extracted from the Toowoomba City Basalt aquifers is of good quality and is suitable for the irrigation of most plants and crops except very low salt tolerent crops. The majority of the groundwater is suitable for human consumption, although some isolated bores have revealed high nitrate levels rendering it unsuitable for drinking. Toowoomba Shire Council is a major consumer of the resource with 3800 Ml/yr allocated for town water supply.
Groundwater saturates the regionally extensive formation known as the Main Range Volcanics. Supplies from bores tapping into the basalts are variable with bore yields range between 5 l/s and 30 l/s.
The Toowoomba City Basalts GMU experiences a temperate climate with an average annual rainfall of 950 mm a year. Approximately 60% of rainfall occurs between November and March, inclusive.
Vital Statistics:
| Area: | 117 Km2 |
|---|---|
| Total water allocated: | no data |
| Total water consumed: | 2,500 ML/yr |
| Average salinity: | 371 mg/l |
| Sustainable yield: | 6,500 ML/yr |
| Depth to top of aquifier: | 39 m |
Further Information
- The following groundwater management units also occur in Clarence-Morton Province
- Alstonville Basalt (NSW)
- Central Lockyer Valley (QLD)
- Condamine - Condamine Groundwater Management Area Sub-Area 4 (QLD)
- Condamine River Alluvium (Cunningham to Ellangowan) (QLD)
- Condamine River Alluvium (Killarney to Murrays Bridge) (QLD)
- Condamine River Alluvium (Murrays Bridge to Cunningham) (QLD)
- Dalrymple Creek Alluvium (QLD)
- Flagstone Creek (QLD)
- Glengallan Creek (QLD)
- Kings Creek Alluvium (QLD)
- Laidley Creek (Upper Reach) (QLD)
- Lockyer - Helidon (QLD)
- Logan / Albert Rivers (QLD)
- Lower Lockyer Creek (QLD)
- Lower Oakey Creek Alluvium (QLD)
- Ma Ma Creek (QLD)
- Myall / Moola Creek North (QLD)
- Myall Creek (QLD)
- Nobby Basalts (QLD)
- North Coast Fractured Rocks (NSW)
- Oakey Creek Management Area (QLD)
- Richmond Coastal Sands (NSW)
- Richmond River Alluvium (NSW)
- Sandy Creek (QLD)
- Swan Creek Alluvium (QLD)
- Tenthill Creek (QLD)
- Unincorporated Area - Clarence Moreton (QLD)
- Unincorporated Area - Clarence-Morton Basin (NSW)
- Upper Hodgson Creek (QLD)
- Upper Lockyer Creek (QLD)
- View the Queensland Water Resources Assessment 2000 Report
- View the Queensland Water Resources Assessment 2000 Technical Report
- For more information about water and other natural resource issues link to www.nrm.qld.gov.au.
- Link to data available for download on the Groundwater management units and provinces - ARC/INFO export
- Link to the Map Maker to make a map using this information.
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