You are here: ANRA home » Natural resource topics » Water » Overview » Queensland
This web site is no longer being updated
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: Unincorporated Area - Clarence Moreton
Introduction
The Clarence Moreton Unincorporated Area (UA) is situated in the south-eastern corner of Queensland immediately south of the Yarraman UA to the Queensland / New South Wales border. The UA is approximately 22800 sq km in area and covers several sub-basins including the South Coast and Albert, Logan, Bremer, Lockyer, Condamine, and Brisbane Rivers. The Clarence Moreton UA also contain 22 of the Queensland GMUs and is partially covered by an additional five. No GMUs are considered in the assessment of the groundwater resources of the UA.
Groundwater in the Clarence Moreton UA is obtained from alluvium and fractured and sedimentary rocks. Although much of the alluvial resource falls within the GMU areas in the Lockyer Valley, Logan and Albert Rivers and the Condamine region, there are a number of smaller resources exclusively within the UA. Three fractured rock hosted groundwater resources also fall within GMUs in the UA. These are contained in the Toowoomba City Basalt, Upper Hodgkinson Creek and Nobby Basalt GMUs. Additional supplies are also contained in the sedimentary rocks of the Walloon Coal Measures, Marburg Sandstone and Texas Beds. Supply rates from alluvial aquifers reach 19 l/s but are more commonly between 2.5 and 9 l/s. Basalt aquifers yield between 5 and 50 l/s and the sedimentary rock aquifers have highly variable quality and yields averaging less than 5 l/s. Sustainable yields reported for the alluvial, igneous and sedimentary aquifers total approximately 79000 Ml/yr (excluding GMU areas).
The Clarence Moreton UA experiences a sub- tropical climate with long hot summers and short mild winters. Average annual rainfall ranges across the UA range from about 1600 mm in the coastal area to around 670 mm in north west region. The majority of this rain falls in the summer months from November to April inclusive.
Groundwater is generally of good quality throughout the UA. In the eastern parts of the area groundwater is used as a source of irrigation and private domestic farm supply while in the western region supplies are suitable for commercial, and stock and domestic purposes. The total annual groundwater abstraction in the Clarence Moreton UA is not known. Total groundwater allocation, in licensed areas, is approximately 52000 Ml/yr.
Vital Statistics:
| Area: | 22,800 Km2 |
|---|---|
| Total water allocated: | no data |
| Total water consumed: | 50,000 ML/yr |
| Average salinity: | 941 mg/l |
| Sustainable yield: | 79,000 ML/yr |
| Depth to top of aquifier: | 30 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)
- Toowoomba City Basalt (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.
Key
Links to an another web site
Opens a pop-up window