Ord: Water access and use
- 87% of the allocations were for water diversions from the Main Ord River to the Ord River Irrigation Area.
- Cotton planting commenced in the Stage 2 development area, which required additional water supply to the Goomig Farmlands.
For further information on water rights and water use within the Ord region during the year scroll down this page or click on the links below:
Water rights and use
Surface water rights
Figure S7 Surface water allocation for water resource plan subareas in the region
- There are approximately 100 surface water licences in the region, mostly for water sourced from the main Ord River channel. More information is available on the Bureau's Water Markets Dashboard.
Figure S8 Surface water diversions for each licence purpose in the region
- 72% of the allocated surface water was used. Most of the surface water diverted in the region was to the Ord River Irrigation Area for irrigated agriculture.
- The remaining diversions were mainly to individual users for agricultural purposes.
Figure S9 Surface water allocations and diversions in the Ord region for the years ending 30 June, from 2012–2018
- Water allocations for irrigation scheme supply decreased from previous years due to an adjustment to the Ord Irrigation Cooperative's water entitlement.
- Diversions to the Ord River Irrigation Area increased from the previous year. This increase was influenced by lower rainfall occurring over the region compared to last year when near record rainfall conditions were experienced (see the 2017 Account), as well as a cotton crop commencing in the Goomig Farmlands (see Major water reforms).
- Surface water allocations and diversions for individual users and the urban system remained relatively unchanged. Town supply in particular generally changes little from year to year.
Groundwater rights
Figure S10 Groundwater allocation to water management areas in the region
- There are approximately 50 groundwater licences in the region, mostly for water sourced from combined fractured rock. More information is available on the Bureau's Water Markets Dashboard.
Figure S11 Groundwater extractions for each licence purpose in the region
- 81% of the allocated groundwater was used. Most of the groundwater extracted in the region was for mining purposes.
- About one quarter of the region's groundwater extraction was for town supply.
Figure S12 Groundwater allocations and extractions in the Ord region for the years ending 30 June, from 2012–2018
- Water allocation for individual users decreased from previous years due mainly to an adjustment in water entitlement for the Argyle Diamond Mine, one of the larger groundwater licences in the region.
- Groundwater extraction for individual users also decreased from last year, which follows the continued reduction in groundwater use in the region over the last few years, particularly for mining purposes.
- Allocations and extractions for the urban system remained relatively unchanged. Town supply generally changes little from year to year.
Water market activity
- During the 2017–18 year, no water entitlement trades or transfers occurred in the region.
- Information on water entitlement transactions that can occur in the region can be found on the Western Australia Department of Water and Environmental Regulation website.
Cultural and environmental water
Cultural benefit
- Periods of low flow in the lower Ord River are administered to support traditional hunting and fishing activities (see the Cultural water management section in the 'Region description'). This occurs when maintenance or inspection works on dam infrastructure is required.
- During the 2017–18 year, flow was reduced at the Kununurra Diversion Dam in late-November 2017 to undertake simulation runs for a decreased hydro-power demand scenario, as well as to conduct river surveys downstream of the dam. Flow was also reduced at the diversion dam in late-April 2018 to conduct maintenance works at Ivanhoe Crossing downstream of the dam.
- Flow in the lower Ord River was reduced during these two periods (see 'Environmental water outcomes' below).
Environmental benefit
Environmental water provisions
- Environmental water provisions in the region are defined for the lower Ord River and include baseflow and wet season flood event requirements.
Figure S13 Example water provisions for the lower Ord River; required baseflows and wet season flood events are also shown
- The required flow regimes are maintained from a combination of water releases from Lake Argyle and Lake Kununurra, and unregulated catchment inflow.
- Larger, less frequent wet season flood events are also a component of the environmental water provisions, but are not shown on the figure above. These events occur as a result of runoff from the catchment downstream of Lake Argyle and cannot be managed by water releases from the storages.
- A more detailed description of the environmental water provisions for the lower Ord River is provided in Chapter 4 of the Ord Surface Water Allocation Plan.
Environmental water outcomes
Figure S14 Flow in the lower Ord River compared with the required flow regime during the 2017–18 year
- For all but 2 days of the year (30 November 2017 and 24 April 2018), flow in the lower Ord River exceeded the minimum baseflow requirements. These short periods of low flow coincided with planned flow reductions at the Kununurra Diversion Dam (see Cultural benefit above).
- Flow in the lower Ord River also exceeded the wet season peak flow requirements.
- Larger, less frequent flood events did not occur during the year; however, flood peaks that met the required 1 in 2- and 1 in 4-year flood events (average daily discharge > 750 m3/s and > 1,400 m3/s respectively) occurred during the 2016–17 wet season (see the 2017 Account).