Fitzroy: Water access and use
- 96% of the region's water allocations were associated with surface water resources.
- An increase in water supply to the irrigation schemes was influenced by the drier conditions across the region compared to last year.
For further information on water rights and water use within the region during the year scroll down this page or click on the links below:
Water rights and use
Surface water rights
Figure S5 Surface water allocation by water supply schemes in the region
- 71% of the region's surface water allocations were associated with the Nogoa Mackenzie and Dawson Valley water supply schemes, mostly for irrigation scheme supply.
- More information is available on the Bureau's Water Markets Dashboard.
Figure S6 Surface water allocations and diversions in the Fitzroy region for the year ending 30 June 2018 and 2017
- Surface water allocations were similar to last year. More than 69% of the region's surface water allocations were associated with irrigation scheme supply.
- Actual diversions to the irrigation schemes increased by 13%. This increase was attributed to the drier conditions across the region that increased users' reliance on water supplied from the storages during the year.
Groundwater rights
Figure S7 Groundwater allocations and extractions in the Fitzroy region for the year ending 30 June 2018 and 2017
- Groundwater allocations and extractions were similar to last year.
- Almost 90% of the total groundwater allocations were associated with the Callide Valley Water Supply Scheme.
- The large increase in groundwater extractions to individual users was due to a number of additional licences being issued during the the 2017–18 year.
Water market activity
- A total volume of 81,091 ML of surface water allocations and 18,651 ML of surface water entitlements were traded during the 2017–18 year.
- A total volume of 1,298 ML of groundwater allocations and 4,864 ML of groundwater entitlements were traded during the 2017–18 year.
- Further information on water traded in the Fitzroy region can be accessed at the Bureau of Meteorology's Water Market Dashboard.
- For information on the allocation and trading rules, see the DNRME website or the websites of the resource operations licence holders (SunWater and Fitzroy Water).
Cultural and environmental water
Cultural benefit
- The Water Plan (Fitzroy Basin) 2011 and Fitzroy Basin Resource Operations Plan support water-related cultural values, including the values of the traditional owners in the plan area, and provide mechanisms that support water being made available for Indigenous communities.
- Cultural water provisions within the region are generally included within the environmental water provisions.
Environmental benefit
Environmental water provisions
- The Water Plan (Fitzroy Basin) 2011 defines general ecological outcomes for the region, and specific outcomes relating specific species and ecosystem.
- The Water Plan also includes environmental performance objectives defined at 17 river nodes and 4 groundwater nodes based on surface water and groundwater modelling.
- Specific environmental and operational rules designed to achieve the Water Plan's performance objective are codified in the Fitzroy Basin Resource Operations Plan.
Figure S8 Example of environmental rules for Dawson River below Neville Hewitt Weir
- Environmental flow release requirements for the main storages are one example of environmental rules defined in the Resource Operations Plan. Figure S8 above shows an example for the Dawson River below Neville Hewitt Weir.
- A minimum baseflow must be passed through the storage when inflows exceed a set flow rate and storage levels are above a set level.
- A first post-winter flow management strategy allows for a higher pulse flow to be passed through the storages at the start of the wet season, up to the weir discharge capacity.
Environmental water outcomes
Figure S9 Example of environmental outcomes for Dawson River below Neville Hewitt Weir in 2017–18
- In 2017–18, the minimum baseflow flow requirements for the Dawson River below Neville Hewitt Weir were generally met except for a short period in October 2017.
- A pulse event was passed through the weir in September 2017 as part of the first post winter flow strategy. Several other pulse flows also occurred throughout the year.
- Under the Queensland Water Act, the performance of water plans is assessed against the outcomes defined in the plans every five years. The next Minister's Performance Assessment for the Fitzroy region is expected in 2019.