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National Water Account 2018

Ord: Geographic information

  • The Ord River is one of the more significant waterways in northern Australia.
  • Lake Argyle, a Ramsar-listed wetland of international importance, supports irrigated agriculture and hydroelectric generation in the region.
  • Groundwater is also an important water source for mining purposes and town supply.

Map showing the following summary information for the Ord region: water use—1.1 % of Australia's water use; land use—80% of the region used for grazing; ecosystems—2 Ramsar wetlands with strong cultural significance; water resources—95% of water is sourced from surface water. 

For further geographic information about the region scroll down this page or click on the links below:

 

General description

Area: 65,800 km²
Population: 9,000 (Australian Bureau of Statistics [ABS] 2016)

 

Map showing the key water features of the Ord region. The Ord region boundary is defined by two surface water catchments: the Ord River, which makes up most of the region, and the Keep River, which lies in the region's northeast. Lake Argyle, one of Australia's larger reservoirs, is in the central northern part of the region. Conservation areas include Purnululu National Park in the central southern part of the region, Keep River National Park in the northeast, and Parry Lagoons Nature Reserve in the northwest.
Figure R1 Contextual map of the Ord region

 

  • The Ord region is located in the East Kimberley region of Australia; the region overlaps the border between Western Australia and the Northern Territory.
  • The boundary of the Ord region is physically defined by two surface water catchments: the Ord River and the Keep River.
  • About 1.1% of Australia's water use occurs in the region. Most of the water use is from surface water for irrigation purposes.

 

Land use

Map showing the distribution and land use types within the Ord region. The major town of Kununurra is about 50 km downstream of Lake Argyle in the central northern part of the region. Other towns in the region include Halls Creek in the southwest and Wyndham in the northwest near the coast. The main land uses are grazing, and conservation and natural environments, which both occur throughout the region. Irrigated agriculture is the region's main water user and primarily occurs around Kununurra.
Figure R2 Land use in the Ord region

 

  • Kununurra is the regional centre; other towns include Halls Creek and Wyndham.
  • Almost 80% of the region is for pastoral grazing; about 20% of the region contains conservation areas, including national parks.
  • 0.2% of the region contains irrigated agriculture, mainly in the Ord River Irrigation Area downstream of Lake Argyle. The major crops are sandalwood, mahogany, and a range of horticultural crops and grains.
  • Mining areas make up 0.1% of the region and include Argyle Diamond Mine situated near Lake Argyle and nickel mining operations approximately 120 km north of Halls Creek.

 

Significant aquatic ecosystems

Map showing the locations of significant wetlands within the Ord region. There are two Ramsar-listed wetlands in the region: Lakes Argyle and Kununurra in the central northern part of the region and the Ord River Floodplain in the northwest that encompasses the coastal floodplains around the mouth of the Ord River. Other nationally-important wetlands are the Ord Estuary System and Parry Floodplain, which are largely within the Ord River Floodplain area, and the Legune Wetlands in the region's northeast that encompasses the coastal floodplains around the mouth of the Keep River.
Figure R3 Significant wetlands in the Ord region

 

  • The region contains several significant aquatic ecosystems, including Ramsar-listed wetlands.
  • The Ord River and associated aquatic ecosystems have a strong cultural significance for a number of Aboriginal groups, particularly the Miriuwung and Gajerrong peoples (Barber and Rumley 2003).

 

Water resources

  • Surface water resources support the main water users in the region, including irrigated agriculture, hydroelectric power generation, and self-supply licensees. Groundwater resources are primarily used for mine purposes and town supply.

 

Surface water

Storages

Map showing the locations of major storages within the Ord region. Lake Argyle, located near the centre of the region, has a capacity of 10,755,800 ML, more than 98% of the region's total storage capacity. Lake Kununurra, about 20 km downstream of Lake Argyle, has a capacity of 100,825 ML. Arthur Creek, in the central west of the region, has a capacity of 65,000 ML and Moochalabra Reservoir, located about 20 km upstream of the town of Wyndham near the northwest coast, has a capacity of 2,023 ML.
Figure R4 Major storages in the Ord region; capacity of each storage is also shown

 

  • Lake Argyle is one of Australia's larger reservoirs. Water is released from the lake for hydroelectric power generation, and the resulting flows are used to supply downstream users and meet environmental water provisions in the lower Ord River.
  • Most of the inflow into Lake Kununurra comes from water released from Lake Argyle. Lake Kununurra is primarily used to supply water to the Ord River Irrigation Area (see Irrigation scheme).
  • Arthur Creek is a large private storage used for self-supply irrigation; Moochalabra is used for Wyndham's town water supply.

 

Rivers

  • The Ord River, downstream of Lake Argyle, is regulated by releases of water from Lake Argyle to maintain flows in the lower Ord River. Self-supply licensees access the river for small-scale irrigation, industrial, commercial, and stock and domestic purposes.
  • The upper Ord and Negri rivers are two primary rivers that flow into Lake Argyle. Limited diversions for consumptive use occurs in these catchment areas.

 

Map showing the locations of key gauging stations along the main rivers within the Ord region. Ord River at Old Ord Homestead, station number 809316, and Negri River at Mistake Creek Homestead, station number 809315, are in the southeastern part of the region upstream of Lake Argyle. Ord River at Tarrara Bar, station number 809339, is in the northern part of the region downstream of Lake Argyle and just upstream of the Ord River's tidal limit.
Figure R5 Key flow gauging stations along the main rivers within the Ord region

 

Figure R6 Graph of mean monthly flows along the Ord (upper and lower) and Negri rivers and mean monthly rainfall for the Ord region
Figure R6 Mean monthly flows along the Ord (upper and lower) and Negri rivers and mean monthly rainfall for the Ord region

 

  • Seasonal flow characteristics of rivers within the Ord region reflect the annual rainfall pattern of the region. Most of the rainfall occurs during the wet season (November–April). Consequently, most of the streamflow within the region occurs between January and May.
  • Upstream of Lake Argyle, flows are very low or cease to flow during the dry season (May–October). The Ord River below Lake Argyle receives specific releases to maintain minimum environmental flows in the lower Ord River. Consequently, flow in the lower Ord River is perennial.
  • Other rivers in the Ord region exhibit seasonal flow patterns similar to rivers upstream of Lake Argyle.

 

Groundwater

  • Groundwater resources in the region are not extensively developed.
  • Borefields in localised fractured rock aquifers are used for urban supply to Halls Creek and mining operations in the upper reaches of the Ord region.
  • Sedimentary aquifers adjacent to Lake Kununurra are used to supply the town of Kununurra.

 

Water systems

Irrigation scheme

Map showing the irrigation areas within the Ord region. The Ord River Irrigation Area is near the town of Kununurra, about 50 km downstream of Lake Argyle in the central northern part of the region. Irrigation districts include the Ivanhoe Plain and Goomig Farmlands, located north of Kununurra on the eastern side of the Ord River, and the Packsaddle Plain, located just south of Kununurra on the western side of the Ord River.
Figure R7 Ord River Irrigation Area

 

  • The Ord River Irrigation Area comprises an open canal network that is used to distribute water for irrigated agriculture.
  • Water supplied to the Ord River Irrigation Area represents more than 90% of the total surface water entitlements in the region.
  • Water is diverted from the Ord River at Lake Kununurra. Most of the irrigation water is diverted via the M1 supply channel to the Ivanhoe Plain and Goomig Farmlands; less than 10% is diverted to the Packsaddle Plain (Department of Water 2013)
  • Areas of proposed irrigation expansion within the Ord region are described in Major water reforms in 'Climate and water'.