Water resources - Overview - Western Australia
Surface Water Management Area: Ord River (WA)
Introduction
Name: Ord River
Description: Far northern catchment in Kimberley, tropical monsoon climate. High to moderate relief land, natural vegetation tree savanna and sparse tree steppe. Landuse irrigated agriculture for pasture/crops/cereals and some cattle grazing on pastoral leases.
Vital Statistics:
| Area: | 43,995 Km2 |
|---|---|
| Total storage volume: | 10,170,800 ML |
| Total surface water use: | 270,087 ML/yr |
| Development category: | LOW DEVELOPMENT |
| Mean annual run-off: | 3,870,000 ML/yr |
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:
Estimation of sustainable yields was undertaken as a two stage process. The first stage, or first cut, involved accumulating sub area data to the SWMA scale, for the likely development scenario. This development scenario included applying all constraints explicit or strongly implicit in established regional allocation plans, policy or regulations, in the selection of preferred sites. First cut sustainable yields were then estimated based on applying management objective factors to each sub area, to determine sustainable yield from divertible yield where more detailed environmental flow requirements had yet to be determined. The second cut refinement aimed to provide allowances for regional reservations yet to be established. While the second cut involved subjectivity, the refinements made were based on accumulated regional planning experience, and are believed to reflect realistic outcomes at SWMA levels.
PLEASE NOTE:
Categorisation:
Categorisation for SWMA's and Sub Areas based on NLWRA classifications for 1996/97 Water Use as a percentage of Sustainable Yield.
How saline are the surface water resources in the Ord River (WA) surface water management area?
Table: Surface water resource by salinity class.
| Total Volume, Divertible Yield (ML/Yr) | |
|---|---|
| Total volume (ML/yr), DIVERSION | 2,390,700 |
| <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:
| Storage name: | Capacity (ML) |
|---|---|
| Kununurra Diversion Dam | 99,800 |
| Ord Dam D197 | 10,000,000 |
| Arthur Creek Dam (Dunham River Pilot Dam) | 70,000 |
| Moochalabra Dam D1.3 | 1,000 |
| Total | 10,170,800 |
Further Information
- View the Western Australia Water Resources Assessment 2000 Report
- View the Western 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.
- For more information about water and other natural resource issues link to www.water.wa.gov.au.