Adelaide
17.2 River outflow from the region

Supporting Information

The volume reported (305,853 ML) represents streamflow out of the Adelaide region into the ocean. The following table presents streamflow out of the Adelaide region during the 2010–11 year itemised by stream gauge.

Gauged streamflow out to sea from the Adelaide region in the 2010–11 year
Name Gauge no. Flow (ML)
Christie Creek downstream Galloway Rd A5030547 2,865
Onkaparinga River 1.1 km upstream Estuary Ford Old Noarlunga A5031005 58,531
Pedler Creek upstream mouth (Nashwauk Cres)  A5031009 3,956
Field River upstream Mouth (downstream Lonsdale Road)  A5031010 16,305
Sturt River downstream Anzac Highway A5040549 6,874
Brown Hill Creek at Adelaide Airport (Morphett Road)  A5040583 12,277
Little Para River downstream Port Wakefield Road A5041006 2,111
Patawalonga Creek upstream Barcoo Outlet A5041022 8,131
Helps Drain 100 m downstream Summer Road A5051013 3,379
Barker Inlet at Barker Wetland at Outlet A5041009 8,305
Kirkcaldy Wetland at Nash Street East Grange A5041016 1,563
Barker Inlet Wetland at Northern Outlet No. 2 A5041017 2,031
Gawler River at Virginia Park A5050510 44,681
Dry Creek 250 m upstream Salisbury Highway A5041005 17,179
Range Wetland at Outlet  A5041024 8,628
Magazine Wetland at Outlet  A5041025 18,893
Inman River us Victor Harbour Sewage Treatment Works A5010503 9,664
Ballaparrudda Creek at Mount Scrub Road A5011007 290
Boat Harbour Creek near McGregor Road A5011010 1,141
Deep Creek near Tappa Nappa Road A5011011 544
Bungala River upstream Estuary  A5011029 3,068
Yankalilla River downstream Blackfellows Creek A5011006 6,865
River Torrens at Holbrooks Road  A5040529 51,884
Callawonga Creek upstream mouth (Tunk Head Road) A5011030 1,183
Hindmarsh River upstream estuary (Welch Road) A5011027 15,507
Total 305,853

Quantification Approach

Data Source

Streamflow data from Water Data Services website; Streamflow data from surface water archive website; Streamflow data from South Australian Department for Water.

Provided by

South Australian Department for Water.

Method

The total flow volume was obtained by summing the 2010–11 year streamflow from gauging stations on most major rivers in the Adelaide region including the Gawler, Torrens, Little Para and Onkaparinga rivers. Each gauging station monitors stream height, which is converted to a flow volume using a rating table. Streamflow data were obtained from the following sources:

The source of streamflow data and the number of days of data available are provided in the following table.

Streamflow data gauge number, source and number of days of data in the 2010–11 year
Name Gauge no. Source No. of days
Christie Creek downstream Galloway Rd A5030547 WDS 365
Onkaparinga River 1.1 km upstream Estuary Ford Old Noarlunga A5031005 WDS 365
Pedler Creek upstream mouth (Nashwauk Cres)  A5031009 WDS 313
Field River upstream Mouth (downstream Lonsdale Road)  A5031010 WDS 365
Sturt River downstream Anzac Highway A5040549 WDS 365
Brown Hill Creek at Adelaide Airport (Morphett Road)  A5040583 WDS 365
Little Para River downstream Port Wakefield Road A5041006 WDS 365
Patawalonga Creek upstream Barcoo Outlet A5041022 WDS 250
Helps Drain 100 m downstream Summer Road A5051013 WDS 365
Barker Inlet at Barker Wetland at Outlet A5041009 WDS 365
Kirkcaldy Wetland at Nash Street East Grange A5041016 WDS 365
Barker Inlet Wetland at Northern Outlet No. 2 A5041017 WDS 362
Gawler River at Virginia Park A5050510 WDS 365
Dry Creek 250 m upstream Salisbury Highway A5041005 WDS 252
Range Wetland at Outlet  A5041024 WDS 365
Magazine Wetland at Outlet  A5041025 WDS 365
Inman River us Victor Harbour Sewage Treatment Works A5010503 SWA 365
Ballaparrudda Creek at Mount Scrub Road A5011007 SWA 61
Boat Harbour Creek near McGregor Road A5011010 SWA 61
Deep Creek near Tappa Nappa Road A5011011 SWA 152
Bungala River upstream Estuary  A5011029 SWA 365
Yankalilla River downstream Blackfellows Creek A5011006 SWA 365
River Torrens at Holbrooks Road  A5040529 SWA 365
Callawonga Creek upstream mouth (Tunk Head Road) A5011030 WDS download 261
Hindmarsh River upstream estuary (Welch Road) A5011027 WDS download 365

Assumptions, Limitations, Caveats and Approximations

  • Streamflow data were not available for all major rivers. The Myponga River is the most significant omission; it is not measured downstream of the Myponga Reservoir.
  • Streamflow records for several stream gauges were only available for part of the reporting period.
  • The rating table used to obtain the flow volume from the measured water level is assumed to hold for the full range of the measured water level.

Uncertainty Information

The uncertainty estimate was not quantified.

Comparative year

This line item corresponds to 14.2 Surface water flow out of region reported in the National Water Account 2010. The comparative year volume was restated because data from additional flow gauging stations were used to calculate the total volume of surface water outflow to outside region. The restated comparative year volume is 126,214 ML and is summarised in the following table.

Restatement of comparative year information for line item 17.2 River outflow from the region
2010 Account line item name Gauge No. Site Name Volume at 30 June 2010 reported in 2010 Account (ML) Value difference to volume reported due to inclusion of different gauging stations (ML) Volume at 30 June 2010 reported in 2011 Account (ML)
14.2 Surface water flow out of region A5030547 Christie Creek downstream Galloway Rd 1,111   1,111
A5031005 Onkaparinga River 1.1 km upstream Estuary Ford Old Noarlunga 29,322   29,322
A5031009 Pedler Creek upstream mouth (Nashwauk Cres)       
A5031010 Field River upstream Mouth (downstream Lonsdale Road)  2,693   2,693
A5040549 Sturt River downstream Anzac Highway 4,086   4,086
A5040583 Brown Hill Creek at Adelaide Airport (Morphett Road)  5,964   5,964
A5041006 Little Para River downstream Port Wakefield Road 136   136
A5041022 Patawalonga Creek upstream Barcoo Outlet      
A5051013 Helps Drain 100 m downstream Summer Road 786   786
A5041009 Barker Inlet at Barker Wetland at Outlet 10,241   10,241
A5041016 Kirkcaldy Wetland at Nash Street East Grange 1,236   1,236
A5041017 Barker Inlet Wetland at Northern Outlet No. 2 2,455   2,455
A5050510 Gawler River at Virginia Park 24,219   24,218
A5041005 Dry Creek 250 m upstream Salisbury Highway      
A5041024 Range Wetland at Outlet    712 712
A5041025 Magazine Wetland at Outlet    33 33
A5010503 Inman River us Victor Harbour Sewage Treatment Works   6,971 6,971
A5011007 Ballaparrudda Creek at Mount Scrub Road   968 968
A5011010 Boat Harbour Creek near McGregor Road   3,267 3,267
A5011011 Deep Creek near Tappa Nappa Road   887 887
A5011029 Bungala River upstream Estuary    2,238 2,238
A5011006 Yankalilla River downstream Blackfellows Creek   4,975 4,975
A5040529 River Torrens at Holbrooks Road  23,915   23,915
A5011030 Callawonga Creek upstream mouth (Tunk Head Road)      
A5011027 Hindmarsh River upstream estuary (Welch Road)      
Total 106,164 20,051 126,214