National Water Account 2016

Daly: Key findings

A large portion of the region's annual rainfall occurred during a large storm event in late December. The storm caused a major flood in the Daly River: more than half the annual flow in the river occurred during this 2-week flood. Yet poor rainfall during the typically wettest months of the year (January–March) resulted in an overall decrease in aquifer recharge and contributed to an increase in water use. This was the fourth consecutive year groundwater availability dropped in the region.

calendar icon showing water year from 1 July 2015 to 30 June 2016

CLIMATE AND WATER

Rainfall

Rainfall icon

1,171 mm

above the long-term average

Streamflow

Streamflow icon

55%

of flow occurred in 2 weeks
during the Daly River flood

Aquifer storage

Storage icon

336,000 ML

drop from last year   

WATER USE

Graph showing breakdown of water sources use in the Daly region for 2015–16. 9,068 megalitres of surface water was diverted or approximately 23% of total water sourced; Groundwater extracted was 31,024 megalitres or 77% of total water sourced.

40,093 ML

Water sourced

Water supplied

groundwater

77%

surface water

23%

17%

more water used than last year

arrow pointing rightGraph showing breakdown of water supplied to users in the Daly region for 2015–16.  3,693 ML was supplied to the urban system, or 9% of total water supplied and 36,400 ML was supplied to individual users or 91% of total water supplied

individual users

91%

urban system

9%

WATER STATUS

water entitlements icon

Entitlements

122,204 ML

total surface water and groundwater entitlements

Water accounting icon

Water assets

336,000 ML

drop in net water assets
during the 2015–16 year

 

Future outlook icon

Outlook

increase in storage expected
during the 2016–17 year

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