Ord region
Overview: 2013–14
The Ord River is one of the most significant waterways in northern Australia. A distinctive feature in the region is Lake Argyle: a Ramsar-listed wetland of international importance and Australia's largest human-made storage. The storage was purpose built to support irrigated agriculture and hydroelectric generation in the region. Over the next few years, the region is undergoing substantial further development of irrigated farmland. With the subsequent increased demands for water supply, it is important that water allocation plans continue to incorporate the environmental, cultural, and social values of the region.
Water supply in the region is primarily sourced from storages and rivers, with some town supply sourced from local aquifers. Rainfall across the entire Ord region was well above average for the 2013–14 year. The total annual rainfall included a large rainfall event during 6–8 February 2014, where areas near Lake Argyle experienced more than 365 mm of rainfall during the 72-hour period, equivalent to a greater than 1 in 50 year rainfall event. As a result, Lake Argyle filled to 122% capacity (12,730,000 ML) and remained above 100% for the remainder of the 2013–14 year. Consequently, the volume of water held in storages increased during the 2013–14 year by 2,352,672 ML. Closing net water assets in the region was 10,647,609 ML, compared to 8,299,451 ML at the end of the 2012–13 year. For more information on the region's water assets refer to Water accounting statements.
The key water account information for the Ord region during the 2013–14 year is presented in the following table. Information on the uncertainty associated with the volumes presented in the table is provided in the relevant sections of the account.
Contextual information
 | 2013–14 | 2012–13 | Long–term average |
| Rainfall: 1,042 mm | Rainfall: 624 mm | Rainfall: 680 mm | |
| For more detail on the Ord climate refer to Climate overview. | |||
 | Upper Ord River | Negri River | Lower Ord River |
| above mean annual flow | above mean annual flow | mean annual flow | |
| For more detail on streamflow in the Ord region refer to Water overview. | |||
Water accounting statements
 | 2013–14 | 2012–13 | |
| Total water assets (as at 30 June) | 10,944,857 | 8,594,623 | |
| Total water liabilities (as at 30 June) | 297,248 | 295,172 | |
| Change in net water assets | 2,348,158 | (2,166,085) | |
| Closing net water assets | 10,647,609 | 8,299,451 | |
| For more detail on water assets and water liabilities refer to Water accounting statements. | |||
Notes: supporting information
 | 30 June 2014 | 30 June 2013 | |||
| Total capacity | Volume | % of capacity | Volume | % of capacity | |
| 10,923,678 ML | 10,930,057 ML | 100% | 8,577,385 ML | 78.5% | |
| For more detail on surface water storage in the Ord region refer to Surface water. | |||||
 | Total water abstracted | ||
| 2013–14 | 2012–13 | Recent activity | |
| Surface water: 172,838 ML | Surface water: 181,422 ML | Surface water abstraction for private users relatively unchanged. | |
| Groundwater: 10,700 ML | Groundwater: 10,764 ML | ||
| For more detail on water abstraction in the Ord region refer to Surface water and Groundwater. | |||
 | Total water supplied | ||
| 2013–14 | 2012–13 | Recent activity | |
| 2,208 ML | 2,173 ML | Water abstraction for urban supply relatively unchanged. | |
| For more detail on the urban water system in the Ord region refer to Surface water and Groundwater. | |||
 | Total water supplied | ||
| 2013–14 | 2012–13 | Recent activity | |
| 146,094 ML | 153,697 ML | Irrigation scheme supply decreased. | |
| For more detail on the irrigation scheme in the Ord region refer to Surface water and Groundwater. | |||