Fitzroy: Water stores
- Despite relatively poor rainfall conditions for most of the wet season, heavy rainfall in March 2017 contributed to an increase in total surface water storage.
- More than 95% of the water use in the region is from surface water resources.
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
| Volume (ML) | ||
| Opening surface water store | 903,951 | |
| add | Inflows | 12,596,802 |
| less | Outflows | 10,009,218 |
| add | Balancing item | (2,398,416) |
| Closing surface water store | 1,093,119 |
- The volume of surface water in the region increased from 903,951 ML at 1 July 2016 to 1,093,119 ML at 30 June 2017.
- The balancing item of 2,398,416 ML is more than double the closing surface water store. Such a high balancing item is attributed to the fact that river losses cannot be quantified in the account, as well as uncertainties associated with the runoff estimate (see Methods).
Surface water flows
Figure S2 Water inflows and outflows for the Fitzroy region's surface water store during the 2016–17 year
- The largest natural water flows in the region were runoff and outflow.
- Total surface water diverted in the region was 475,220 ML, which was made up of allocated (246,497 ML) and non-allocated (228,723 ML) diversions.
Figure S3 Allocated surface water diversions during the 2016–17 year in the region's key water management areas
- 52% of the surface water diversions were associated with an allocation (246,497 ML); the remainder was non-allocated diversions: individual users.
- 70% of the allocated diversions were for the irrigation schemes, mostly from the Nogoa Mackenzie water supply scheme; 3% was for the urban system and 27% was for the 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
| Volume (ML) | ||
| Opening groundwater store | 14,624 | |
| add | Inflows | 0 |
| less | Outflows | 19,637 |
| add | Balancing item | 19,637 |
| Closing groundwater store | 14,624 |
- The groundwater asset in the region is equivalent to the licensed entitlement volume and, therefore, remains unchanged from year to year.
Groundwater flows
Figure S4 Water inflows and outflows for the Fitzroy region's groundwater store during the 2016–17 year
- Groundwater movement across the region boundary as well as surface water–groundwater interactions are considered to occur within the region; however, these flows could not be quantified due to a lack of available data.
- Total groundwater extracted in the region was 19,637 ML.
- 48% of total extraction was for irrigation scheme supply; 49% was for individual users, mostly associated with an allocation. The remaining 3% was for the urban system.
- For a more detailed description of the water usage in the region, and the associated entitlements, see the Groundwater rights note.