You are here: ANRA home » Natural resource topics » Water » Overview » South Australia
This web site is no longer being updated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 - South Australia
Surface Water Management Area: Finke River (SA)
Introduction
The description ot the Finke River SWMA refers to the SA area only.
Major waterways run southeast rising in low desert ranges through gibber, dunes and ephemeral wetlands. Rivers do not outflow into a single location but are prone to continual loss along the course of their flow.
Vital Statistics:
| Area: | 56,700 Km2 |
|---|---|
| Total storage volume: | no data |
| Total surface water use: | 0 ML/yr |
| Development category: | LOW DEVELOPMENT |
| Mean annual run-off: | 42,000 ML/yr |
Please note:
No data were supplied about total surface water use for some river basins (eg. unregulated basins in NSW).
A four-class classification system was developed to provide a simple method to communicate the status of the use and allocation of Australia's water resources in relation to sustainable water management.
It is important to recognise that adequately quantifying a sustainable flow regime or sustainable yield and consequent operating rules is a complex matter. State, Territory and scientific agencies continue to develop and apply methods and measures for determining sustainable flow regimes and sustainable yields.
This categorisation provides a general guide only. Please refer to the State and Territory Overview and Technical reports for detail on the analysis methods used.
| Category | Development status | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | <30% | Low development |
| 2 | 30 - 70% | Moderate development |
| 3 | 70 - 100% | Highly developed |
| 4 | 100% | Overdeveloped |
* Water use as a percentage of sustainable flow regime (surface water) and sustainable yield (groundwater)
PLEASE NOTE:
Sustainable Yield:
Surface water resources are based on 1985 NLWRA data as no new data are available and are only considered indicative. Large volumes can become available for relatively short periods of time on an infrequent basis. The far north of South Australia is highly sensitive and any water resource development would have a significant environmental impact (SWP 2000).
How saline are the surface water resources in the Finke River (SA) surface water management area?
Table: Surface water resource by salinity class.
| Total Volume, Divertible Yield (ML/Yr) | |
|---|---|
| Total volume (ML/yr), DIVERSION | 0 |
| <500 mg/l (ML/yr) | no data |
| 500 mg/l (ML/yr) - 1500 mg/l (ML/yr) | no data |
| 1500 mg/l (ML/yr) - 5000 mg/l (ML/yr) | no data |
| 5000 mg/l (ML/yr) - 14000 mg/l (ML/yr) | no data |
| > 14000 mg/l (ML/yr) | no data |
Major water storages
Table: Major water storage areas:
There were no major water storages reported in this area as part of the assessment
Further Information
- View the South Australia Water Resources Assessment 2000 Report
- View the South Australia Water Resources Assessment 2000 Technical Report
- Link to data available for download on the:
- Surface Water Management Areas
- Data from the 1985 Review of Australia's Water Resources and Water Use
- Link to the Map Maker to make a map using this information.