Canberra
Water access and use
Water rights, entitlements, allocations and restrictions
a. Introduction
This note provides information about the water access rights granted by jurisdictions to the users of the region's water resources and the associated allocation announcements, diversions, and forfeitures and adjustments. Information about restrictions to water access rights is also included in this note.
Information about restrictions to urban consumers is not included in this note, but rather in the Urban system's Interactions' with the region note and the contextual information, in Water Rights, Operating rules and constraints.
Other arrangements, contracts or inter-basin agreements that may or may not result in the creation of water assets and water liabilities are not reported here. These can be found in the 'Surface water note', 'Groundwater note' and the 'Urban system note'.
The 2012 Account acknowledges the varying jurisdictional legislative water resource management frameworks related to Australian rights to water that support water resource management in Australia. The legislative water resource management frameworks vary greatly between jurisdictions, sometimes making comparisons difficult. To facilitate meaningful comparison between the water accounting reports included in the 2012 Account, the Bureau of Meteorology has developed and applied an accounting concept to classify and report water rights within a water-asset/water-liability framework.
Surface water rights are categorised broadly into:
- water rights that may not create a water liability: 32.1 Other statutory surface water rights. and 32.2 Surface water access entitlement for non-allocated diversions, or
- water rights that may create a water liability: 32.3 Surface water access entitlement for allocated diversions.
- Groundwater rights are categorised broadly into:
- water rights that may not create a water liability: 33.1 Other statutory groundwater rights and 33.2 Groundwater access entitlement for non-allocated extractions.
In the National Water Account 'Other statutory water rights' are defined as water rights conferred by water legislation (a water act or water sharing plan), for which there is no individual entitlement.
b. Surface water rights
Tables 1 summarises, for the surface water resource, the annual volumes of the water right (entitlement on issue or estimation of the other statutory water rights), the allocations announced, the actual abstractions and use of allocation, and the forfeiture and adjustments of allocations, during the 2011–12 year.
The total water allocation announcement for urban purpose (line item 21.2) is assumed to equal 100% of the annual entitlement (line item 32.3).
Water rights (at 30 June 2012) |
Water allocation (2011–12) |
Water abstraction/use (2011–12) |
Forfeiture, adjustment (2011–12) |
||||
Reporting line item |
Volume (ML) |
Reporting line item |
Volume (ML) |
Reporting line item |
Volume (ML) |
Reporting line item |
Volume (ML) |
– |
n/a |
n/a |
– |
n/a |
n/a |
||
32.2 Surface water access entitlement for direct abstraction |
2,866 |
n/a |
n/a |
1,415 |
n/a |
n/a |
|
32.3 Surface water access entitlement for allocation abstraction |
71,000 |
71,000 |
41,790 |
29,210 |
|||
Total |
73,866 |
|
71,000 |
|
43,205 |
|
29,210 |
– = no data available
Note that water allocations (21.2), abstraction/use (17.12) and forfeiture, adjustment (13.2) shown in the Tables 1 for the urban water systems, do not appear in the water accounting statements because they are transactions that occurred within the region. These transactions did not impact the region's water assets and water liabilities.
More information about the items presented in Table 1 is provided in the linked line item notes.
c. Groundwater rights
Tables 2 summarises, for the groundwater resource, the annual volumes of the water right (entitlement on issue or estimation of the other statutory water rights), the allocations announced, the actual abstractions and use of allocation, and the forfeiture and adjustments of allocations, during the 2010–11 year.
Water rights (at 30 June 2012) |
Water allocation (2011-12) |
Water abstraction/use (2011-12) |
Forfeiture, adjustment (2011-12) |
||||
Reporting line item |
Volume (ML) |
Reporting line item |
Volume (ML) |
Reporting line item |
Volume (ML) |
Reporting line item |
Volume (ML) |
435 |
n/a |
n/a |
435 |
n/a |
n/a |
||
875 |
n/a |
n/a |
335 |
n/a |
n/a |
||
Sub-total |
1,310 |
|
|
|
770 |
|
|
Water market activity
a. Water market activity
This region note reports on water market activities that occurred in the Canberra region during the 2011–12 year.
Line item |
Volume (ML) |
Surface water entitlement trade |
|
7 |
|
Groundwater entitlement trade |
|
125 |
Water use
a. Environmental benefit
Information on legislative, administrative and governing arrangements of environmental water in the Canberra region is available in the Environmental water management section of the 'Contextual information'.
The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Government Environment and Sustainable Development Directorate (ESDD) identifies and manages water for ecosystems under the Water Resources Act 2007 (ACT). The 2006 Environmental Flow Guidelines is a statutory instrument that is used to determine allowable volumes when licensing the taking of water. These guidelines are consistent with the Territory Plan 2008 and use the precautionary principle in accordance with the Intergovernmental Agreement on the Environment (1992). Throughout 2011–12 the 2006 Environmental Flow Guidelines will be reviewed and updated, the 2011 Environmental Flow Guidelines are available in draft form.
In this note, the information is structured as follows:
- Key ecological values that the environmental water regime is set to support.
- Environmental water determinations: the environmental objectives. These are represented by Environmental Water Provisions (EWP) defining specific water levels and flow criteria at key representative sites that the water regime must meet.
- Environmental water commitments: the instruments in place to achieve the environmental water determination, e.g. environmental water storage release rules, water access rules to limit abstractions, rules on diversion to wetlands and annual environmental watering plans.
- Environmental water outcomes: the water regime that were provided and the extent of the compliance with respect to the criteria set in the EWP and the environmental water commitments.
Category of Aquatic Ecosystem1 |
Description |
Management Goal |
Water Bodies in this Category2 |
Natural ecosystems (Conservation catchments) |
Ecosystems that have persisted in a relatively pristine condition |
Primary goal: maintain aquatic ecosystems in their pristine state, Secondary goals: Range of functions including recreation |
Waterbodies in Namadgi National Park, except the Cotter River catchment Waterbodies in Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve |
Water supply ecosystems (Water supply catchments) |
Ecosystems in catchments designated to supply water to the ACT |
Primary goal: provide water supply |
Waterbodies in the Cotter River catchment The Googong Foreshore area and the Queanbeyan River downstream of Googong Dam3 |
Modified ecosystems (Conservation catchments) |
Ecosystems modified by catchment activities (land use change, discharges) or by changes to the flow regime |
Range of functions including recreation, conservation and irrigation |
All waterbodies not included in the other three categories and includes the Murrumbidgee and Molonglo rivers, and Lake Burley Griffin |
Created ecosystems (Drainage and open space catchments) |
Ecosystems in urban lakes, ponds and streams that have developed as a result of urbanisation |
Range of functions including recreation, conservation and irrigation |
Water bodies within the urban area excluding the Molonglo River |
Source: ESDD
1 Both the terminology used to describe aquatic ecosystems, for environmental flow purposes, and in the Territory Plan are provided. The ecosystems specified in the Territory Plan are in parentheses.
2 Waterbodies include all streams, rivers, lakes, ponds, reservoirs, and aquifers.
3 Queanbeyan River and the Googong Foreshore are not identified as water supply catchments in the Territory Plan, but are considered water supply ecosystems for the purposes of setting environmental flow guidelines.
Ecosystem and reach |
Objective |
Indicators |
Water supply catchment ecosystems |
||
Corin Dam to Bendora Reservoir |
To maintain populations of two-spined blackfish |
Young of year and year 1+ ages classes comprise >40% of the monitoring catch and, Catch is >80 fish per standard monitoring effort as per the protocols in Lintermans (2004). |
Corin Dam to Bendora Reservoir |
Maintain population numbers and distribution of the Cotter River frog |
Extant populations are maintained at current levels. |
Bendora Dam to Cotter Reservoir |
To maintain populations of Macquarie perch |
Young of year and year 1+ ages classes comprise >30% of the monitoring catch, and >40 fish captured per standard monitoring effort as per the protocols in Lintermans (2004). |
Bendora Dam to Cotter Reservoir |
To maintain populations of two-spined blackfish |
Young of year and year 1+ age classes comprise >40% of the monitoring catch, and Catch is >80 fish per standard monitoring effort as per the protocols in Lintermans (2004). |
Below Cotter Dam |
To maintain populations of Macquarie perch |
Young of year and year 1+ ages comprise >30% of the monitoring catch, and >40 fish captured per standard monitoring effort as per the protocols in Lintermans (2004). |
All reaches |
To maintain healthy aquatic ecosystems in terms of biota |
Macroinvertebrate assemblages are maintained at AUSRIVAS band A level assessed using protocols in the ACT AUSRIVAS sampling and processing manual (http://ausrivas.ewater.com.au/). Non-dominance (<20% cover) of filamentous algae in riffles for 95% of the time. Assessed using standardised collection and processing methods as per Norris et al (2004). |
To prevent degradation of riverine habitat through sediment deposition |
Sediment deposition is limited to <20% of total depth of pools measured at base flow using techniques as per Ecowise Environmental (2005). |
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|
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Natural ecosystems |
||
All reaches |
To maintain healthy aquatic ecosystems in terms of biota (see above) |
Macroinvertebrate assemblages are maintained at AUSRIVAS band A level. Assessed using protocols as per the ACT AUSRIVAS sampling and processing manual (http://ausrivas.canberra.edu/au/ausrivas). Non-dominance (<20% cover) of filamentous algae in riffles for 95% of the time. Assessed using standardised collection and processing methods as per Norris et al (2004). |
To prevent degradation of riverine habitat through sediment deposition |
Sediment deposition is limited to <20% of total depth of pools measured at base flow using techniques per Ecowise Environmental (2005) methods. |
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|
||
Modified ecosystems |
||
All reaches |
To maintain healthy aquatic ecosystems in terms of biota |
Macroinvertebrate assemblages are maintained at AUSRIVAS band A level. Assessed using protocols as per the ACT AUSRIVAS sampling and processing manual (http://ausrivas.ewater.com.au/). Non-dominance (<20% cover) of filamentous algae in riffles for 95% of the time. Assessed using standardised collection and processing methods as per Norris et al (2004). |
To prevent degradation of riverine habitat through sediment deposition |
Sediment deposition is limited to<20% of total depth of pools measured at base flow using techniques per Ecowise Environmental (2005) methods. |
|
To prevent degradation of macrophytes in urban lakes and ponds |
Extent of emergent macrophyte beds are maintained at current levels or enhanced. |
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|
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Created ecosystems |
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All reaches |
To maintain healthy aquatic ecosystems in terms of biota |
Macroinvertebrate assemblages are maintained at AUSRIVAS band A level. Assessed using protocols as per the ACT AUSRIVAS sampling and processing manual (http://ausrivas.ewater.com.au/) Non-dominance (<20% cover) of filamentous algae in riffles for 95% of the time. Assessed using standardised collection and processing methods as per Norris et al (2004). |
To prevent degradation of riverine habitat through sediment deposition |
Sediment deposition is limited to<20% of total depth of pools measured at base flow using techniques per Ecowise Environmental (2005) methods. |
|
To prevent degradation of macrophytes in urban lakes and ponds |
Extent of emergent macrophyte beds are maintained at current levels or enhanced. |
Source: ESDD
Water for environmental benefit in the region is provided as 'planned partly regulated surface water'. The dominant feature of environmental water management in this scenario is the ability to control or influence flow by operational releases from storage.
In the ACT, environmental flows are based on the recognition that aquatic ecosystems are adapted to natural levels of flows. Environmental flow requirements in the Canberra region have been defined for each type of ecosystem at specific reaches within the water supply catchments as shown in Table 6, extracted from the 2006 Environmental Flow Guidelines. Different flow regimes and requirements have been established to correspond to the level of water restrictions that can be imposed by ESDD.
It should be noted that percentile flows within the Environmental Flow Guidelines refers to the flow at which a certain percentage of the measured data exceeds. For example, the 80th percentile is defined as the flow that is exceeded at least 80% of the time.
Flow |
Ecosystem Category |
Reach |
Flow Requirement |
Base flows |
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|
Water supply ecosystems |
Above Corin Dam |
Maintenance of all natural flows |
|
|
Above Googong Dam and any impoundment on the Naas/Gudgenby rivers |
Maintenance of all natural flows except those needed for stock and domestic purposes, and that already provided for at the time these guidelines are listed |
|
|
Below Corin Dam |
Maintain 75% of the 80th percentile of the monthly natural inflow, or inflow, whichever is less |
|
|
Below Bendora Dam |
Maintain 75% of the 80th percentile of the monthly natural inflow, or inflow, whichever is less |
|
|
Below Cotter Dam |
Maintain an average flow of 15 ML /day |
|
|
Below Googong Dam |
Maintain an average flow of 10 ML/day or natural inflow which ever is the lesser volume |
|
|
Below any impoundment on the Naas/Gudgenby rivers |
Maintain an average flow of 10 ML/day or natural inflow which ever is the lesser volume |
|
Natural ecosystems |
All reaches in natural ecosystems |
Maintain 80th percentile monthly flow in all months. Abstractions may not exceed flow rate. |
|
Modified ecosystems |
Murrumbidgee River |
Maintain 80th percentile monthly flow November–May, and 90th percentile monthly flow June–October inclusive. Abstractions may not exceed flow rate. |
|
|
Other reaches in the ACT in modified ecosystems |
Maintain 80th percentile monthly flow in all months. Abstractions may not exceed flow rate. |
|
Created ecosystems |
All reaches in created ecosystems |
Maintain 80th percentile monthly flow in all months. Abstractions may not exceed flow rate. |
Riffle maintenance flows |
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|
Water supply ecosystems |
Below Corin Dam |
Maintain a flow of 150 ML/Day for three consecutive days every two months |
|
|
Below Bendora Dam |
Maintain a flow of 150 ML/Day for three consecutive days every two months |
|
|
Below Cotter Dam |
Maintain a flow of 100 ML/Day for one day every two months |
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|
Below Googong Dam |
Maintain a flow of 100 ML/Day for one day every two months |
|
|
Below any impoundment on the Naas/Gudgenby Rivers |
Maintain a flow of 100 ML/Day for one day every two months |
|
Natural ecosystems |
All reaches in Natural ecosystems |
Riffle maintenance flows are not required |
|
Modified ecosystems |
All reaches in Modified ecosystems |
Riffle maintenance flows are not required |
|
Created ecosystems |
All reaches in Created ecosystems |
Riffle maintenance flows are not required |
|
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Pool maintenance flows |
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Water supply ecosystems |
Below Corin Dam |
Maintain a flow of >550ML/day for two consecutive days between mid-July and mid-October |
|
|
Below Bendora Dam |
Maintain a flow of >550ML/day for two consecutive days between mid-July and mid-October |
|
|
Below Cotter Dam |
Not required |
|
|
Below Googong Dam |
Not required |
|
|
Below any impoundment on the Naas/Gudgenby rivers |
Not required |
Channel maintenance flows |
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|
Natural ecosystems |
All reaches in Natural ecosystems |
Protect 90% of the volume in events above the 80th percentile from abstraction |
|
Modified ecosystems |
All reaches in the ACT including the Murrumbidgee |
Protect 90% of the volume in events above the 80th percentile from abstraction |
|
Created ecosystems |
All reaches in created ecosystems |
Protect 90% of the volume in events above the 80th percentile from abstraction |
Groundwater abstraction limits |
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Water supply ecosystems |
All Reaches |
Groundwater abstraction is limited to 10% of the long term recharge |
|
Natural ecosystems |
All reaches in natural ecosystems |
Groundwater abstraction is limited to 10% of the long term recharge |
|
Modified ecosystems |
All reaches in the ACT including the Murrumbidgee |
Groundwater abstraction is limited to 10% of the long term recharge |
|
Created ecosystems |
All reaches |
Groundwater abstraction is limited to 10% of the long term recharge |
Impoundment drawdown levels |
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|
Water supply ecosystems |
Cotter Reservoir |
An adaptive management program will be used to guide drawdown to protect habitat for Macquarie Perch |
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All other water supply impoundments |
No limits are placed on drawdown levels |
|
Natural ecosystems |
All natural lakes or ponds |
No abstraction is permitted from natural lakes or ponds |
|
|
All other impoundments |
Drawdown is limited to 0.20m below the spillway1 |
|
Modified ecosystems |
All impoundments |
Drawdown is limited to 0.20m below the spillway1 |
|
Created ecosystems |
All impoundments |
Drawdown is limited to 0.20m below the spillway1 |
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Drought flows for water supply ecosystems Stage 1 restrictions |
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Base flows |
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|
Above Corin Dam |
Maintenance of all natural flows |
|
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Above Googong Dam and any impoundment on the Naas/Gudgenby rivers |
Maintenance of all natural flows except those needed for stock and domestic purposes, and that already provided for at the time these guidelines are listed. |
|
|
Below Corin Dam |
Maintain a flow of 40 ML/day or 75% of the 80th percentile of the monthly natural inflow, or natural inflow whichever is lesser volume |
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Below Bendora Dam |
Maintain a flow of 40 ML/day or 75% of the 80th percentile of the monthly natural inflow, or natural inflow whichever is the lesser volume |
|
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Below Cotter Dam |
Maintain an average flow of 15 ML /day |
|
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Below Googong Dam |
Maintain an average flow of 10 ML/day or natural inflow, whichever is the lesser volume |
|
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Below any impoundment on the Naas/Gudgenby rivers |
Maintain an average of 10 ML/day or natural inflow, whichever is the lesser volume |
Riffle maintenance flows |
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|
Below Corin Dam |
Maintain a flow of 150 ML/day for three consecutive days every two months |
|
|
Below Bendora Dam |
Maintain a flow of 150 ML/day for three consecutive days every two months |
|
|
Below Cotter Dam |
Not required |
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Below Googong Dam |
Not required |
|
|
Below any impoundment on the Naas/Gudgenby rivers |
Not required |
Pool maintenance flows |
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|
Below Corin Dam |
Maintain a flow of >550ML/day for two consecutive days between mid-July and mid-October |
|
|
Below Bendora Dam |
Maintain a flow of >550ML/day for two consecutive days between mid-July and mid-October |
|
|
Below Cotter Dam |
Not required |
|
|
Below Googong Dam |
Not required |
|
|
Below any impoundment on the Naas/Gudgenby rivers |
Not required |
|
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Drought flows for water supply ecosystems Stage 2 restrictions or above |
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Base flows |
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|
Above Corin Dam |
Maintenance of all natural flows |
|
|
Above Googong Dam and any impoundment on the Naas/Gudgenby rivers |
Maintenance of all natural flows except those needed for stock and domestic purposes, and that already provided for at the time these guidelines are listed |
|
|
Below Corin Dam |
Maintain an average of 20 ML/day |
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Below Bendora Dam |
Maintain an average of 20 ML/day |
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Below Cotter Dam |
Maintain an average of 15 ML/day |
|
|
Below Googong Dam |
Maintain an average of 10 ML/day or inflow, whichever is the lesser volume |
|
|
Below any impoundment on the Naas/Gudgenby rivers |
Maintain an average of 10 ML/day or natural inflow, whichever is less |
Riffle maintenance flows |
|||
|
|
Below Corin Dam |
Maintain a flow of 150 ML/day for three consecutive days every two months |
|
|
Below Bendora Dam |
Maintain a flow of 150 ML/day for three consecutive days every two months |
|
|
Below Cotter Dam |
Not required |
|
|
Below Googong Dam |
Not required |
|
|
Below any impoundment on the Naas/Gudgenby rivers |
Not required |
Pool maintenance flows |
|||
|
|
Below Corin Dam |
Maintain a flow of >550ML/day for two consecutive days between mid-July and mid-October |
|
|
Below Bendora Dam |
Maintain a flow of >550ML/day for two consecutive days between mid-July and mid-October |
|
|
Below Cotter Dam |
Not required |
|
|
Below Googong Dam |
Not required |
|
|
Below any impoundment on the Naas/Gudgenby rivers |
Not required |
Source: ESDD
Note 1: For urban lakes and ponds constructed after these guidelines the maximum drawdown as a result of abstraction is 0.20 m below spillway level, or a lower level if it can be demonstrated that a pond has been explicitly designed to fulfill its required water quality and ecological functions under the proposed drawdown regime.
The water access rules and environmental water release rules are set to meet the environmental flow requirements specified in Table 6. In the ACT, environmental flows are achieved by strategic releases or spills from storages or restricting the volume of water that can be abstracted form a subcatchment.
Detailed information on environmental water outcomes is available in the 2006 Environmental Flow Guidelines.