Murray-Darling Basin
1.3 Regulated river

The volumetric value for the line item for the 2010–11 year was 1,296,701 ML. This line item represents: the regulated river channel volumes and the volume of water held in weirs, other ponds and storages in the Murray–Darling Basin (MDB) region that are on regulated rivers.

 

Summary of the regulated river channel volumes and the volume of water held in weirs, other ponds and storages that are on regulated rivers in the MDB region in the 2010–11 year

Surface water resource plan area		State	Volume (ML) as at 30 June 2011
Code	Name
SW19	Warrego – Paroo – Nebine	Qld	–
SW18	Condamine–Balonne	Qld	16,584
SW17	Moonie	Qld	–
SW16	Qld Border Rivers	Qld	–
SW15	NSW Border Rivers	NSW	–
SW11	Barwon–Darling watercourse	NSW	–
SW12	NSW Intersecting Streams	NSW	–
SW14	Gwydir	NSW	935
SW13	Namoi	NSW	1,715
SW10	Macquarie–Castlereagh	NSW	–
Sub-total Northern Basin			19,234
SW9	Lachlan	NSW	–
SW8	Murrumbidgee NSW	NSW	13,366
SW7	NSW Murray and Lower Darling	NSW	635,215
SW3	Northern Victoria	Vic	34,090
SW2	Vic Murray	Vic	98,042
SW4	Wimmera–Mallee	Vic	–
SW6	Eastern Mount Lofty Ranges	SA	–
SW5	SA Murray	SA	496,754
SW1	ACT	ACT	–
Sub-total Southern Basin			1,277,467
Total for the region			1,296,701

– = Data not available

Note: Volumes shown against SW7 New South Wales Murray and Lower Darling and SW2 Victorian Murray reflect the total volume prior to the South Australian border in the River Murray. The volume in the River Murray is shared between New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia.

 

Volumes stored in river channel

Volumes stored in river channel represent in-channel storage volume excluding the water held in locks and weirs in the regulated River Murray system and the Lower Darling. The Edward and Wakool rivers, and the associated escapes and channels are part of the regulated River Murray system.

 

Details of the regulated river channel volumes in the MDB region in the 2010–11 year

Water resource plan area	Sustainable diversion limit area		In-channel storage	State	Volume (ML)
	Code	Name			As at 30 June 2010	As at 30 June 2011
NSW Murray and Lower Darling	SS18	Lower Darling	Lower Darling	NSW	2,745	10,583
	SS14	NSW Murray1	Edward and Wakool rivers	NSW	8,954	43,754
			River Murray	NSW	105,683	450,992
Vic Murray	SS2	Vic Murray	Mitta Mitta River	Vic	100	100
SA Murray	SS11	SA Murray	River Murray	SA	236,115	247,355
Sub-total Southern Basin					353,597	752,784

¹ The volume shown for SS14 New South Wales Murray is the total volume in the River Murray, prior to the South Australian border, excluding the weir pools. Whilst it has been shown against New South Wales the volume is available for sharing between New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia.

 

Volumes stored in river weirs and locks

Volumes held in the weirs and locks are provided in the following table.

Details of the volume of water held in weirs and locks that are on regulated rivers in the MDB region in the 2010–11 year

Water resource plan area	Sustainable diversion limit area		State	Weir/lock name	Data source	Total capacity (ML)	Total storage volume on 30 June 2011
	Code	Name					(ML)	(%)
Condamine–Balonne	SS26	Condamine–Balonne	QLD	Buckinbah Weir	Bureau	5,120	4,495	88
				Jack Taylor Weir	Bureau	10,270	9,977	97
				Moolabah Weir	Bureau	2,580	2,112	82
Gwydir	SS22	Gwydir	NSW	Tareelaroi Weir	Bureau	2,500	935	37
Namoi	SS21	Namoi	NSW	Gunidgera Weir	Bureau	1,900	1,707	90
				Mollee Weir	Bureau	3,250	8	0
Northern Basin						25,620	19,234	75
Murrumbidgee NSW	SS15	Murrumbidgee  NSW	NSW	Berembed Weir	Bureau	3,415	627	18
				Hay Weir	Bureau	14,300	7,084	50
				Maude Weir	Bureau	4,920	3,709	75
				Tombullen	Bureau	11,230	702	6
				Gogeldrie Weir	Bureau	7,391	1,244	17
NSW Murray and Lower Darling	SS14	NSW Murray	NSW	Lock 7 – Rufus River1	MDBA	10,227	10,680	104
				Lock 8 – Wangumma1	MDBA	14,984	15,346	102
				Lock 9 – Kulnine1	MDBA	32,938	33,680	102
				Wentworth Weir (Lock 10)	MDBA	48,378	48,380	100
				Euston Weir (Lock 15)	MDBA	21,807	21,700	100
Northern Victoria	SS6	Goulburn	Vic	Goulburn Weir	Bureau	25,525	24,919	97
	SS8	Loddon	Vic	Laanecoorie Reservoir	Bureau	7,932	6,140	77
				Newlyn Reservoir	Bureau	3,215	3,030	94
Vic Murray	SS2	Vic Murray	VIC	Mildura Weir	MDBA	36,586	36,670	100
				Torrumbarry Weir	Bureau	36,809	36,817	100
				Yarrawonga Weir – Lake Mulwala	Bureau	117,548	24,555	21
SA Murray	SS11	SA Murray	SA	Lock 1 – Blanchetown	Bureau	56,480	56,944	101
				Lock 2 – Waikerie	Bureau	40,368	40,822	101
				Lock 3 – Overland Corner	Bureau	50,533	50,984	101
				Lock 4 – Bookpurnong	Bureau	29,366	29,453	100
				Lock 5 – Renmark	Bureau	36,933	36,897	100
				Lock 6 – Murtho	MDBA	33,882	34,300	101
Southern Basin						644,767	524,683	81
Total for the MDB region						670,387	543,917	81

Bureau = Bureau of Meteorology, MDBA = Murray–Darling Basin Authority

¹ Locks 7 to 9 that are managed by South Australia are physically located within New South Wales Murray sustainable diversion limit (SDL) area.

 

(1) Volume stored in river channels: (a) Upstream of South Australia border: volumes held on Murray–Darling Basin Authority HYDRO database, (b) Downstream of Lock 1: generated from Murray–Darling Basin Authority's levels held on HYDRO database and height-volume relationship; and (2) Volume stored in weirs and locks: (a) Bureau of Meteorology (the Bureau): Water Storages, Australian Water Resources Information System (AWRIS) and (b) Murray–Darling Basin Authority's HYDRO database.

(1) Volume stored in river channels: Murray–Darling Basin Authority; (2) Volume stored in weirs and locks: (a) River Murray weirs and locks (except locks 1 to 5) by the Murray–Darling Basin Authority, and (b) all other weirs and locks by the Bureau.

Volume stored in river channels

Upstream of South Australian border: modelled. This volume does not include dead storage.

Downstream of Lock 1: Interpolated from capacity table established by the Murray–Darling Basin Authority.

Volume stored in weirs and locks

The Bureau:

• Volume was calculated at the start and end of the year by using gauged water level height(s) in metres Australian Height Datum for each individual weir/lock.
• The height measurement was converted to a volume using the storage-volume curve(s) of the weir/lock.

Murray–Darling Basin Authority:

• River levels were directly measured and converted into volumes using capacity tables for the individual locks.

Volume stored in river channels

Reliable information on dead storage for the volumes upstream of the South Australian border is not available. Dead storage calculation within the reach is complex and is assumed to remain static over the years.

Data included in this line item has been compiled specifically for this account.

Information provided in this line item may have been based on Cap valleys in the HYDRO database, which may not align perfectly with SDL areas.

Volume stored in weirs and locks

The Bureau:

• Storage-volume curves represent specifically surveyed parts of a river, and may not reflect the storage-volume relationship across the entire river.

• Rivers are subject to sedimentation and other physical changes over time, which in turn affects the accuracy of the storage-volume curves.

Murray–Darling Basin Authority:

• The capacity of the lock is taken to be the volume contained in the lock at target storage/full supply level.

• The dead storage associated with the locks is taken to be the volume in storage at the lower level of the operating range.

• This approach allows for comparative measure across years and is preferred to estimating the total volume behind the lock wall, which cannot be accurately measured.

• The accuracy of the capacity tables employed was not evaluated.

• Euston Weir volume excludes the Euston Lakes.

• Information provided in this line item may have been based on Cap valleys in the HYDRO database, which may not align perfectly with SDL areas.

The uncertainty estimate was not quantified.

This line item corresponds to line item 1.3 Regulated channel, reported in the 2010 Account. In the 2011 Account, the following change was made that caused the 2009–10 year value to be restated:

• A correction was made as a result of an error committed in the in the consideration of inputs for the calculation of volume provided for regulated rivers in New South Wales Murray SDL area reported in the 2010 Account.

The changes and their respective values are detailed in the following table.

Restatement of comparative year information made for the line item 1.3 Regulated river

2010 Account line items	Segment	Volume at 30 June 2010 reported in the 2010 Account (ML)	Difference due to prior period error correction (ML)	Volume at 30 June 2010 reported in the 2011 Account (ML)
1.3 Regulated channel	Northern Basin	17,086	0	17,086
	Southern Basin	953,571	–2,131	951,440
	Whole region	970,657	–2,131	968,526