Daly: Water stores
- Poor wet season rainfall contributed to low runoff across the region and a decrease in aquifer storage.
- 83% of the region's water supply was from groundwater, mainly for agriculture in the Oolloo Dolostone and Tindall Limestone water allocation plan areas.
- Total water supply for consumptive use was 47 GL, similar to last year.
For a water balance on each of the region's water stores for the 2018–19 year scroll down this page or click on the links below:
Surface water store
| Description | Volume (ML) | |
| Opening surface water store | 12,973 | |
| add | Inflows | 6,185,224 |
| less | Outflows | 2,007,564 |
| add | Balancing item | (4,181,073) |
| Closing surface water store | 9,560 | |
- The volume of water in the region's rivers at 30 June is typically very low and changes little from year to year (see Climate and water).
- The high balancing item is primarily attributed to uncertainties associated with the runoff estimate (see Methods).
Surface water flows
Figure S2 Water inflows and outflows for the surface water store during the 2018–19 year
- The largest natural water flows in the region were runoff and outflow. Both were well below average due to the dry conditions across the region throughout most of the year.
Figure S3 Surface water diversions during the 2018–19 year in the region's key water management areas
- Total surface water diverted in the region was 8,281 ML, mostly from the Katherine River.
- 35% of the surface water diversions were associated with an allocation (2,912 ML); the remainder was made under statutory rights.
- 71% of the allocated diversions were for the urban system; 29% were supplied to licenced 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
| Description | Volume (ML) | |
| Opening groundwater store | – | |
| add | Inflows | 135,000 |
| less | Outflows | 779,125 |
| less | Change in groundwater store | (599,000) |
| add | Balancing item | 45,125 |
| Closing groundwater store | – | |
- The volume of groundwater in the region could not be quantified due to a lack of available data; however, the change in groundwater storage during the year was estimated from a groundwater model.
- The balancing item is primarily attributed to uncertainties associated with the groundwater recharge and discharge, which are estimated from a groundwater model (see Methods).
Groundwater flows
Figure S4 Water inflows and outflows for the groundwater store during the 2018–19 year
- Almost 90% of the total groundwater inflows are attributed to recharge: landscape. Recharge was much lower than the discharge from the aquifers, which contributed to the annual decrease in aquifer storage this year.
- The largest water outflow was discharge: surface water, which made up around 95% of the total groundwater outflows.
Figure S5 Groundwater extractions during the 2018–19 year in the region's key water management areas
- Total groundwater extracted in the region was 39,125 ML, mostly from the Oolloo Dolostone and the Tindall Limestone water allocation plan areas.
- 89% of the groundwater extractions were associated with an allocation (34,665 ML); the remainder was made under statutory rights.
- 99% of the allocated extractions were supplied to licenced individual users; 1% were 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.