Ord: Water management
- Water management areas proclaimed under the Rights in Water and Irrigation Act 1914 exist for the portion of the region that lies within Western Australia.
- The Ord Surface Water Allocation Plan defines how water is shared between the various needs in these management areas.
For further information on the region's water management scroll down this page or click on the links below:
Surface water and groundwater management
Water legislation
- The Western Australian Rights in Water and Irrigation Act 1914 and the Northern Territory Water Act 1992 establish the framework for managing and allocating water resources in the Ord region.
- The Western Australian Department of Water and Environmental Regulation and the Northern Territory Department of Environment and Natural Resources assist their respective ministers with the functions set out in the Acts, including proclaiming water management areas and regulating the taking of water from these areas.
Figure R8 Surface water management areas in the Ord region
Figure R9 Groundwater management areas in the Ord region
- Three surface water management areas and one groundwater management area proclaimed under the Rights in Water and Irrigation Act 1914 exist in the portion of the region within Western Australia.
- No management areas exist in the portion of the region that lies within the Northern Territory.
Water allocation plans
- The Department of Water and Environmental Regulation prepared the Ord Surface Water Allocation Plan, which sets out how the department allocates and licenses surface water in the region to manage the demands of irrigation, hydroelectricity generation, and urban and individual supply.
- The plan also recognises the area's environmental values and ensures that sufficient water is retained to protect aquatic ecosystems and meet specific social and cultural needs.
- Water management plans and allocation plans have not been developed for groundwater resources in the region due to the limited use of groundwater compared to the availability.
Environmental water management
- The Environmental Water Provisions Policy for Western Australia guides the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation in water allocation planning and decision-making in relation to allocating water to the environment.
- The Ord Surface Water Allocation Plan defines environmental water provisions to protect the ecological condition of the lower Ord River.
- The Water Corporation of Western Australia has an obligation to manage releases from Lake Argyle and Lake Kununurra to maintain specific flow rates in the lower Ord River. The Department of Water and Environmental Regulation monitors flows at key locations in the lower Ord River to ensure that water regime requirements are met.
- Further information regarding environmental water provisions for the 2018–19 year is provided in the Cultural and environmental water note in 'Supporting information'.
Cultural water management
- The Ord Surface Water Allocation Plan defines cultural water provisions that consider the Miriuwung and Gajerrong peoples' interests along the lower Ord River.
- Short periods of low ('dry out') flows are important to Dreaming stories of the Miriuwung and Gajerrong peoples. Since dam construction, such 'dry out' flows in the lower Ord River are rare and generally only occur when maintenance or inspection work is carried out at the dams.
- The Department of Water and Environmental Regulation and the Water Corporation have an obligation to let the Miriuwung and Gajerrong peoples know when such work is undertaken so that traditional activities can be pursued during these periods.
Organisations responsible for water management
- Organisations responsible for water management in the region are shown below.
| Organisation | Role | Water resources managed |
| Department of Environment and Natural Resources |
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| Department of Water and Environmental Regulation |
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| Ord Irrigation Cooperative |
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| Water Corporation |
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