Perth

Data source

Western Australian Department of Water: PRAMS Version 3.4 and PHRAMS groundwater models.

Data provider

Western Australian Department of Water.

Method

Groundwater recharge was estimated for the Perth region (the area between Gingin and Mandurah) and the Peel-Harvey region (the area south of Mandurah) using the PRAMS and PHRAMS models respectively. However, in both regions, the estimated groundwater recharge from surface water is zero.

Uncertainty

Ungraded.

Approximations, assumptions, caveats/limitations

• Both models assume that all flows between the groundwater store and rivers and drains comes from the aquifers, hence recharge from surface water is zero. This assumption is consistent with measured and simulated discharges.
• Wetlands were considered to be part of the volume of the water table aquifer, hence any groundwater recharge from wetlands was not considered.
• Both models were initially developed to estimate and assess the impacts of changes in climatic conditions and varying extraction rates on the aquifers, not to prepare water accounts. These models have since been modified to also provide data for water accounting.