Murray–Darling Basin
1.3 Regulated river

Supporting information

The volumetric value for the line item for the 2011-12 year was 1,326,012 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 at the start and end of the 2011–12 year
Surface water resource plan area

State

 Volume (ML) as at 30 June 2012 

 Volume (ML) as at 30 June 2011
 Code

Name
SW19 Warrego–Paroo–Nebine Qld – –
SW18 Condamine–Balonne Qld 13,415 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 193 935
SW13 Namoi  NSW 2,641 1,715
SW10 Macquarie–Castlereagh NSW – –
Sub-total Northern Basin 16,249 19,234
SW9 Lachlan  NSW – –
SW8 Murrumbidgee NSW NSW 9,397 13,366
SW7 NSW Murray and Lower Darling NSW 597,204 645,106
SW3 Northern Victoria  Vic. 30,706 34,089
SW2 Vic. Murray Vic. 181,777 98,142
SW4 Wimmera–Mallee  Vic. – –
SW6 Eastern Mount Lofty Ranges SA – –
SW5 SA Murray SA 490,678 496,400
SW1 ACT ACT – –
Sub-total Southern Basin 1,309,763 1,287,103
Total for the region 1,326,012 1,306,337

– = 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 at the start and end of the 2011–12 year
Water resource plan area

Sustainable diversion limit area

State

In-channel storage

Volume (ML) as at 30 June 2012

Volume (ML) as at 30 June 2011

Code

Name
SW7 NSW Murray and Lower Darling SS18 Lower Darling NSW Lower Darling 24,260 10,580
SS14 NSW Murray1 NSW Edward and Wakool rivers 32,770 43,600
NSW River Murray 395,900 461,140
SW2 Vic. Murray SS2 Vic. Murray Vic. Mitta Mitta River 100 100
SW5 SA Murray SS11 SA Murray SA River Murray 242,500 247,000
Sub-total Southern Basin 695,530 762,420

1 The volume shown for SS14 New South Wales Murray is the total volume in the River Murray, upstream to the South Australian border, excluding the weir pools. Whilst it has been recorded 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 the weirs and the locks that are on regulated rivers in the MDB region
Water resource plan area

Sustainable diversion limit area

State

Weir/lock name

Data source

Total capacity (ML)

Total storage volume on 30 June 2012 (ML)

Total storage volume on 30 June 2011 (ML)

Code

Name
SW18 Condamine–Balonne SS26 Condamine–Balonne QLD Buckinbah Weir Bureau 5,120 3,971 4,495
Jack Taylor Weir Bureau 10,270 7,879 9,977
Moolabah Weir Bureau 2,580 1,565 2,112
SW14 Gwydir SS22 Gwydir NSW Tareelaroi Weir Bureau 2,500 193 935
SW13 Namoi  SS21 Namoi  NSW Gunidgera Weir Bureau 1,900 1,471 1,707
Mollee Weir Bureau 3,250 1,170 8
 Northern Basin 25,620 16,249 19,234
SW8 Murrumbidgee NSW SS15 Murrumbidgee  NSW NSW Berembed Weir Bureau 3,415 1,294 627
Hay Weir Bureau 14,300 3,100 7,084
Maude Weir Bureau 4,920 3,728 3,709
Tombullen Bureau 11,230 504 702
Gogeldrie Weir Bureau 7,391 771 1,244
SW7 NSW Murray and Lower Darling SS14 NSW Murray NSW Lock 7–Rufus River1 MDBA 10,227 11,744 10,680
Lock 8–Wangumma2 MDBA 14,984 15,587 15,346
Lock 9–Kulnine3 MDBA 32,938 34,267 33,680
Wentworth Weir (Lock 10) MDBA 48,378 47,166 48,380
Euston Weir (Lock 15)4 MDBA 36,860 35,510 21,700
SW3 Northern Victoria SS6 Goulburn Vic. Goulburn Weir  Bureau 25,525 25,245 24,919
SS8 Loddon Vic. Laanecoorie Reservoir Bureau 7,932 2,938 6,140
Newlyn Reservoir Bureau 3,215 2,523 3,030
SW2 Vic. Murray SS2 Vic. Murray  Vic. Mildura Weir MDBA 36,586 36,102 36,670
Torrumbarry Weir Bureau 36,809 34,876 36,817
Yarrawonga Weir–Lake Mulwala Bureau 117,548 110,699 24,555
SW5 SA Murray SS11 SA Murray SA Lock 1–Blanchetown Bureau 56,480 56,562 56,944
Lock 2–Waikerie Bureau 40,368 41,155 40,822
Lock 3–Overland Corner Bureau 50,533 49,770 50,984
Lock 4–Bookpurnong Bureau 29,366 29,749 29,453
Lock 5–Renmark Bureau 36,933 36,855 36,897
Lock 6–Murtho MDBA 33,882 34,088 34,300
Southern Basin 659,820 614,233 524,683
Total for the MDB region 685,440 630,482 543,917

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

1–3Locks 7–9 that are managed by South Australia are physically located within the New South Wales Murray sustainable diversion limit (SDL) area. For Lock 7, the volume shown in the table was the highest volume shown in the capacity table because the actual volume on 30 June 2012 exceeded that highest volume.
4Total capacity for Lock 15 is 21,807 ML when Euston lakes are fully disconnected.  Lakes were connected at the time of reporting for this account and the capacity stated in this table is based on the relevant new capacity table.

Quantification approach

Data source

(1) Bureau of Meteorology (the Bureau): volume stored in weirs and locks from water storage information available in the Australian Water Resources Information System (AWRIS); and (2) Murray–Darling Basin Authority: (a) volume stored in river channels from the HYDRO database  for the upstream of South Australia border, and generated from levels held in the HYDRO database and height-volume relationship for the reach downstream of Lock 1, and (b) Volume stored in weirs and locks from the HYDRO database.

Provided by

The Bureau and Murray–Darling Basin Authority.

Method

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.

Assumptions, limitations, caveats and approximations

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 upstream of the South Australian border 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.

Uncertainty information

The uncertainty estimate was not quantified.

Comparative year

An error correction resulted in the restatement of the 2010–11 year volume. The correction was made as a result of an error committed in the consideration of inputs for the calculation of volume provided for regulated rivers in Lower Darling, New South Wales Murray and South Australian Murray SDL areas reported in the 2011 Account. The respective volumes associated with the restatement are detailed in the following table.


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

2012 Account volume at 30 June 2011 (ML)

2011 Account volume at 30 June 2011 (ML)

Difference due to error correction (ML)
Northern Basin 19,234 19,234 0
Southern Basin 1,287,103 1,277,467 9,636
Whole region 1,306,337 1,296,701 9,636