Monthly Water Update

Rainfall was average or lower than average for 79 per cent of the drainage division. Mean rainfall was 36 mm, 25 per cent lower than the long-term mean of 48 mm for December.

Streamflow was average or lower than average (including lowest flow since 1980) for 90 per cent of the sites, spread throughout the drainage division. Namoi River at North Cuerindi had the lowest streamflow for December since 1980. Streamflow data are not yet available this month for 13 sites in the southern part of the Murray–Darling Basin. The page will be updated once data become available.

Median streamflow salinity (electrical conductivity) varied from 32 to 21167 μS/cm. Streamflow was fresh or high quality for 72 per cent of the sites and brackish for 17 per cent of the sites. The monitoring site, Darling River at Downstream Weir 19A, continued to have the highest salinity of all sites. Streamflow salinity data are not yet available this month for 11 sites in the southern part of the Murray–Darling Basin. The page will be updated once data become available.

During December, accessible volumes increased in two storage systems, decreased in 15 and remained stable in one. By the end of the month, the combined volume of water was 38 per cent of the total accessible capacity, a decrease of 29 per cent from the same time last year.