Murray–Darling Basin: Statement details
Annual rainfall was much higher than last year, which contributed to an increase in runoff across the region. As a result, storage volumes increased from 39% full at the start of the year to 69% full by the end of the year; the first annual increase in storage since 2012.
For further information on the region's water accounting statements scroll down this page or click on the links below:
Water assets
- Water asset volumes in the region at 30 June 2017 were 22,418,085 ML, more than 85% of which are surface water assets.
Storages
Figure S1 Total storage volume in the region at 30 June 2017 compared with the previous seven years
- Storage volumes increased from 39% full at 30 June 2016 to 69% full at 30 June 2017. This was the region's first annual increase in storage in 5 years.
- Above-average rainfall during winter and spring 2016 contributed to storage volumes exceeding 85% full in mid-November 2016.
Figure S2 Percentage-full volume on 30 June 2017 for each storage
- Percentage full in major storages in the southern part of the region were generally higher than those in the northern part. This reflects the higher annual rainfall over the southern portion of the region.
- More detailed information on the individual storages within the region is available on the Bureau of Meteorology's Water Storage website.
Inter-region claims
- Inter-region claims refer to the volume of allocation remaining on the required annual release from Snowy Hydro Limited to the Tumut River and the River Murray at the end of the 2016–17 year.
| Volume ML |
|
| Opening balance at 1 July 2016 | 608,143 |
| Increase of claims: inter-region | 2,647,559 |
| Delivery: inter-region agreement | (2,659,102) |
| Decrease of claims: inter-region | (329,000) |
| Closing balance at 30 June 2017 | 267,600 |
- Due to increased delivery during the 2016–17 year, the remaining claim at end of the year was 56% less than the previous year.
Figure S3 Total inter-region claims from the Snowy system at 30 June 2017 compared with the previous seven years
- A more detailed description of the inter-region claim from Snowy Hydro Limited is given in the Region Description.
Rivers, lakes and wetlands, and other assets
- The volume of water in rivers at 30 June 2018 decreased from that at the same time last year, reflecting the drier conditions across the region late in the year (see Climate and water), as well as river operations (e.g. maintenance such as opening locks and weirs) in regulated rivers towards the end of June.
- The volume of water in the region's lakes and wetlands and other assets generally change little from year to year.
Groundwater assets
Figure S4 Groundwater sustainable diversion limits in the Murray-Darling Basin region
- The groundwater asset volume for the region represents sustainable diversion limit volumes as provided by the Murray–Darling Basin Authority.
- This volume remained constant during the year as there was no change in licences or the sustainable diversion limit.
Water liabilities
- Water liabilities in the Murray–Darling Basin region refer to the volume of allocation remaining on licence entitlements at the end of the 2016–17 year.
| Individual users ML |
Urban system ML |
Environmental purposes ML |
|
| Opening balance at 1 July 2016 | 1,162,920 | 0 | 510,337 |
| Allocation | 8,321,727 | 639,522 | 2,741,859 |
| Allocated diversion | (5,716,523) | (308,004) | (2,081,117) |
| Adjustment and forfeiture | 90,720 | (331,518) | (297,295) |
| Closing balance at 30 June 2017 | 3,858,844 | 0 | 873,784 |
| Individual users ML |
Urban system ML |
Environmental purposes ML |
|
| Opening balance at 1 July 2016 | 723,668 | 0 | 4,329 |
| Allocation | 2,158,223 | 73,681 | 9,366 |
| Allocated extraction | (921,828) | (38,914) | (0) |
| Adjustment and forfeiture | (1,095,301) | (34,767) | (3,159) |
| Closing balance at 30 June 2017 | 864,762 | 0 | 10,536 |
- Water supply licences for individual users and environmental purposes have carryover provisions, which means a portion of water allocation that has not been abstracted at the end of the water year can be carried over into the next water year.
- There are no carryover provisions for urban system supply licences. The portion of water allocation that has not been abstracted at the end of a water year is forfeited and the allocation remaining at the end of the year is 0 ML.
- A more detailed description of water allocations and associated water rights in the Murray–Darling Basin region is given in the Water rights note.
Water asset increases
- Total water asset increases for the region was 42,554,947 ML.
- The key item contributing to water asset increases for the region was runoff, which made up more than 80% of the total water asset increases. Runoff was 83% higher than the previous year, which reflects the well above-average rainfall conditions during winter and spring 2016, particularly in September (see Climate and water).
- Recharge: landscape represented 99% of the total groundwater increases and was also higher than the previous year.
Water asset decreases
- Total water asset decreases for the region was 28,249,575 ML.
- The key items contributing to water asset decreases for the region were outflow, river and floodplain losses, and overbank flow, which combined made up almost 75% of the total water asset decreases. River outflow to sea was more than 10 times higher than the previous year, which was primarily due to the well above-average rainfall conditions during winter and spring 2016 (see Climate and water).
- Extraction: statutory rights, which change little from year to year, accounted for more than 75% of the total groundwater asset decreases.
Water flows
- Total water inflows to the region was 42,566,490 ML, which differs from the volume of Water asset increases (42,554,947 ML). Total water inflows includes the volume of water delivered under inter-region claims; total water asset increases includes the annual allocation for inter-region claims.
- Total water outflows from the region was 36,986,961 ML, which differs from the volume of Water asset decreases (28,249,575 ML). Total water outflows includes the flows corresponding to the accrual transactions—allocated diversions and allocated extractions. Total water asset decreases includes the forfeiture of inter-region claims.
- A detailed description on all the water flows associated with the surface water and groundwater stores is provided in the Water stores note.
Unaccounted-for difference
- The unaccounted–for difference is the volume necessary to reconcile the opening water storage and closing water storage with the total water inflows and total water outflows reported in the water accounting statements.
| Volume ML |
|
| Opening water storage balance at 1 July 2016 | 16,246,869 |
| Total inflows | 42,566,490 |
| Total outflows | (36,986,961) |
| Closing water storage balance at 30 June 2017 | (22,150,485) |
| Unaccounted-for difference | 324,087 |
- The unaccounted-for difference value is primarily attributed to uncertainties associated with modelling natural groundwater movement (see Methods), as well as the exclusion of aquifer storage volumes in the account.
- Unaccounted volumes related to surface water are not included in the given unaccounted-for difference value; they are included in river and floodplain losses.