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Murray–Darling Basin: Statement of Water Assets and Water Liabilities

as at 30 June 2020

  • The volume of water in the region's surface water storages increased during 2019–20.
  • Closing net water assets, which is the volume of water assets minus the water liabilities, increased by 20% from last year.

Schematic representation of the Murray–Darling Basin region. Total surface water and groundwater assets at 30 June 2020 was 14,724 GL. Total water liabilities was 3,542 GL. Closing net water assets at 30 June 2020 was 11,182 GL, 20% more than last year.

The Statement of Water Assets and Water Liabilities is provided in the table below. The statement presents the volume of water assets, and water liabilities at the start and end of the reporting year.

 

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 2020 ML2019 ML2018 ML2017 ML2016 ML2015 ML
Water assets
Surface water 11,251,5909,219,98613,798,79517,682,00411,385,25311,506,953
Accessible storage8,568,1796,782,030**11,313,316**14,990,243**8,220,734**8,933,464
Dead storage425,472396,570461,044572,412396,556464,298
Rivers437,494227,114**230,346**271,717**930,726**284,615
Lakes and wetlands1,820,4451,814,272**1,794,089**1,847,632**1,837,237**1,824,576
 
Groundwater 3,472,4503,472,4503,471,3903,333,7403,333,7403,333,740
Aquifers3,472,4503,472,4503,471,3903,333,7403,333,7403,333,740
  
Total water assets14,724,04012,692,43617,270,18521,015,74414,718,99314,840,693
Water liabilities
Surface water liability 2,495,7382,145,4183,903,7665,198,6312,778,7882,854,284
Allocation remaining: individual users1,918,9441,616,8173,004,8804,323,6522,143,6911,977,001
Allocation remaining: urban system000000
Allocation remaining: environmental purposes576,794528,601898,886874,979635,097877,283
 
Groundwater liability 1,045,8441,261,933611,987768,270727,746739,305
Allocation remaining: individual users1,032,907**1,248,996**596,153757,284723,417737,049
Allocation remaining: urban system000000
Allocation remaining: salinity and water table management000000
Allocation remaining: environmental purposes12,93712,93715,83410,9864,3292,256
 
Total water liabilities3,541,5823,407,3514,515,7535,966,9013,506,5343,593,589
Net water assets
Net surface water assets8,755,8527,074,5689,895,02912,483,3738,606,4658,652,669
Opening net surface water assets7,074,5689,895,02912,483,3738,606,4658,652,66911,829,726
Change in net surface water assets1,681,284(2,820,461)(2,588,344)3,876,908(46,204)(3,177,057)
Closing net surface water assets8,755,8527,074,5689,895,02912,483,3738,606,4658,652,669
 
Net groundwater assets2,426,6062,210,5172,859,4032,565,4702,605,9942,594,435
Opening net groundwater assets2,210,5172,859,4032,565,4702,605,9942,594,4352,442,841
Change in net groundwater assets216,089(648,886)293,933(40,524)11,559151,344
Closing net groundwater assets2,426,6062,210,5172,859,4032,565,4702,605,9942,594,435
Total closing net water assets 11,182,4589,285,08512,754,43215,048,84311,212,45911,247,104
       
Total change in net water assets1,897,373(3,469,347)(2,294,411)3,836,384(34,645)(3,025,713)
 

 

** different to published volume in historical accounts (see Governance for more information)

Note: quantification approaches used to derive each item volume are provided in the Methods