Daly: Water stores
Above-average rainfall during the year, particularly December–February, the typically wetter months of the year, contributed to high runoff across the region and an increase in aquifer recharge. As a result of these climate conditions, there was a decrease in surface water use from last year.
For a water balance on each of the region's water stores for the 2016–17 year scroll down this page or click on the links below:
Surface water store
| 2017 ML | 2016 ML | |
| Opening surface water store | – | – |
| Inflows | 13,098,957 | 9,429,219 |
| Outflows | (11,753,872) | (9,677,881) |
| Balancing item | (1,345,085) | 248,662 |
| Closing surface water store | – | – |
- The volume of surface water in the region at 30 June 2017 could not be quantified due to a lack of available data.
- The volume of water in the region's rivers at 30 June are typically very low and change little from year to year (see Climate and water), so it is assumed that the volume of surface water remains unchanged from the start and end of the year.
- It is likely that the balancing item is primarily attributed to uncertainties associated with the runoff, which is estimated from a rainfall–runoff model (see Methods).
Surface water flows
Figure S2 Water inflows and outflows for the surface water store during the 2016–17 year
- The largest natural water inflows in the region were runoff and outflow. Both were higher than the previous year, particularly runoff, which reflects the above-average rainfall conditions experienced across the region (see Climate and water).
Figure S3 Allocated surface water diversions during the 2016–17 year in the region's key water management areas
- Total surface water diverted in the region was 8,614 ML, a marginal decrease from the previous year.
- 62% of the total diversion was for individual users under statutory rights; 29% was for the urban system and 9% was supplied to licenced individual users.
- For a more detailed description of the water usage in the region, and the associated entitlements, see the Surface water rights note.
Groundwater store
| 2017 ML | 2016 ML | |
| Opening groundwater store | – | – |
| Inflows | 1,326,000 | 418,000 |
| Outflows | (823,264) | (792,024) |
| Change in groundwater store | (516,000) | 336,000 |
| Balancing item | 13,264 | 38,024 |
| Closing groundwater store | – | – |
- The volume of groundwater in the region could not be quantified due to a lack of available data; however, the change in groundwater storage during the year was estimated from a groundwater model.
- It is likely that the balancing item is primarily attributed to uncertainties associated with the groundwater recharge and discharge, which are estimated from a groundwater model (see Methods).
Groundwater flows
Figure S4 Water inflows and outflows for the groundwater store during the 2016–17 year
- More than 95% of the total groundwater inflows are attributed to recharge: landscape. Recharge was higher than the discharge from the aquifers for the first time in five years, which contributed to the increase in aquifer storage this year.
- The largest water outflow was discharge: surface water, which made up more than 95% of the total groundwater outflows.
Figure S5 Allocated groundwater extractions during the 2016–17 year in the region's key water management areas
- Total groundwater extracted in the region was 36,264 ML, a 17% increase from the previous year.
- 86% of the total extraction was for licenced individual users; 2% was for the urban system and 12% was for individual users under statutory rights.
- For a more detailed description of the water usage in the region, and the associated entitlements, see the Groundwater rights note.