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Burdekin: Supporting information

  • High rainfall early in the wet season contributed to average runoff across the region.
  • End-of-year storage volume increased to 97% full compared to 93% full last year.
  • 46% of the allocated water was taken in 2020–21, primarily for irrigated agriculture.

Schematic representation of the Burdekin region. In 2020–21, runoff was 4% less than average. Storage volumes at 30 June 2021 were 97% full, higher than the previous year. 46% of the total surface water allocation (1,181 GL) was taken. 62% of the total groundwater allocation (46 GL) was taken.

For further information on the regions water accounting statements scroll down this page or click on the links below:

 

Water assets

Lake Dalrymple, Burdekin region (Roslyn Budd, Budd Photography © 2019)

 

  • Water asset volumes in the region at 30 June 2021 were 2,134 GL, around 90% of which is water held in storages. The remaining amount is water held in aquifers and rivers.

 

Bar graph of annual storage volume in the Burdekin region at 30 June for the years 2010–2021. Accessible storage plus dead storage is plotted against the storage capacity to show percentage full at 30 June each year. Storages at 30 June 2021 were 97% full, higher than the previous year. Since 2010, end-of-year storage volumes have been consistently over 90% full. Only in 2015 was the end-of-year storage below 90% full (when it dropped to 73% full).
Figure S1 Total storage volume in the region at 30 June 2021 compared with the previous 11 years

 

  • Storage volumes increased from 93% full at 30 June 2020 to 97% full at 30 June 2021.
  • Lake Dalrymple, formed by Burdekin Falls Dam, accounts for almost 95% of the region's total surface water storage.

 

Map of Burdekin region showing the status of each storage at 30 June 2021. The storages are colour coded into ten categories of volume as a proportion of capacity. All storages (Lake Dalrymple, Lake Eungella, Clare Weir, and Giru Weir) were over 80% full. An inset line graph shows the time series of percentage-full storage volume between 1 July 2013–30 June 2021. Burdekin storages at 30 June 2021 were 97% full, slightly less than last year.
Figure S2 Percentage-full volume on 30 June 2021 for each storage and total volumes for the 2013–21 year (inset)

 

  • In late-December 2020 storage levels had dropped to 60% full, the lowest since February 2016.
  • Heavy rainfall associated with thunderstorms and showers in late-December 2020 and early-January 2021 resulted in a large rise in storage levels. Storage volume increased from 60% full to well above capacity in a 2-week period between 26 December 2020–7 January 2021.
  • More detailed information on the individual storages within the region is available on the Bureau of Meteorology's Water Storage website.

 

Water liabilities

Lake Dalrymple, Burdekin region (CSIRO © 2007)

 

  • Water liabilities in the Burdekin region refer to the volume of allocation remaining on licence entitlements at the end of the 2020–21 year. 

 

Table S1 Volume of surface water allocation remaining at 30 June 2021
Description Individual users (ML) Urban system (ML) Irrigation scheme (ML) Inter-region transfer (ML)
  Opening balance at 1 July 2020 0 0 108,151 0
add Allocation 445,038 12,668 692,092 31,425
less Allocated diversion 97,381 1,880 429,153 12,539
less Adjustment and forfeiture 347,657 10,788 211,114 18,886
  Closing balance at 30 June 2021 0 0 159,976 0

 

Table S2 Volume of groundwater allocation remaining at 30 June 2021
Description  Individual users (ML)  Urban system (ML)  Irrigation scheme (ML)
  Opening balance at 1 July 2020 0 0 0
add Allocation 606 0 45,710
less Allocated extraction 295 0 28,557
less Adjustment and forfeiture 311 0 17,153
  Closing balance at 30 June 2021 0 0 0

 

  • All the water supply licences for the region have a water management year that ends on 30 June.
  • A more detailed description of water allocations in the Burdekin region is given in the Water use section below.

 

Water flows

Burdekin River near Charters Towers (CSIRO © Willem van Aken)

 

Figure S3 Water inflows and outflows for the region's water stores during the 2020–21 year

 

  • Total surface water flows into the region's storages was 10,554 GL. The key item contributing to surface water inflows was runoff, which made up 95% of total surface water inflows for the region.
  • Runoff was close to average (based on modelled data from 1971–2021) largely due to high rainfall early in the wet season between late-December 2020 and early-January 2021.
  • The key item contributing to surface water outflows for the region was river outflow which made up 83% of the total surface water outflows. River outflow was close to average reflecting the near-average rainfall and runoff conditions across the region.
  • Water taken for consumptive use was 876 GL, around 8% of the total outflow (see Water use section below).

 

Water availability

Bar graph of annual surface water availability in the Burdekin region for the years 2011–2021. Accessible storage at 1 July plus estimated inflows during the year is plotted against the mean water availability (based on 1970–2021 data). Surface water available during 2020–21 was well below average, similar to the previous year. Surface water availability has been below average for 6 of the last 7 years. Water availability was well above average during 2011–12.
Figure S4 Annual surface water available in the Burdekin region, 2011–12 to 2020–21

 

  • Physical surface water availability is calculated as the sum of accessible storage volumes at the start of the year and the inflows (precipitation, runoff, and inter-region inflows) into storages and rivers during the year.
  • Surface water availability in the Burdekin region in 2020–21 was close to average.
  • As physical water availability is much higher than the region's water needs, water allocations vary little between years.
  • Water taken during the year is typically higher when water availability is low, reflecting an increased demand from customers when conditions are dry (see Water use section below).

 

Water use

Burdekin River, Queensland (Bureau of Meteorology © Graham Hawke)

 

Figure S5 Water taken during the 2020–21 year in the region's water supply schemes

 

  • Total surface water diverted in the region was 699 GL.
  • Around 75% of the surface water taken was for the Burdekin Haughton Water Supply Scheme, mainly for irrigation scheme supply.
  • About one third of the diversions were for individual users, mostly non-allocated diversion (158 GL) from areas outside of the region's two major water supply schemes; 2% was for inter-region supply and less than 1% was for the urban system.
  • Total groundwater extracted in the region was 177 GL.
  • 84% of the groundwater taken was for individual users, mostly non-allocated extraction (148 GL) from areas outside of the region's major water supply scheme; 16% was for irrigation scheme supply and less than 1% was for the urban system.

 

Bar graph of annual surface water allocation and diversion for different users in the Burdekin region from 2013–14 to 2020–21. Most of the surface water allocations are associated with the irrigation scheme and individual users. In 2020–21, allocations for the irrigation scheme were similar to the previous 2 years. 75% of the allocation was taken, higher than the previous year. 24% of the allocation for individual users was taken. Smaller allocations are associated with the urban system and inter-region supply. 19% and 64% of the allocations was taken for the urban system and inter-region supply, respectively. Non-allocated surface water is also taken for individual users.
Figure S6 Surface water allocations and diversions in the Burdekin region for the years ending 30 June, from 2014–2021

 

  • In 2020–21, total surface water allocation was 1,181 GL, mostly for irrigated agriculture in the Burdekin River Irrigation Area; 46% of the allocated surface water was taken.
  • Surface water diversions for the irrigation scheme were 18% lower than last year. This decrease was influenced by the wetter conditions across the region's irrigation scheme areas compared to last year.
  • Surface water diversion for all categories of uses decreased from last year.

 

Bar graph of annual groundwater allocation and extraction for different users in the Burdekin region from 2013–14 to 2020–21. Most of the groundwater allocations are associated with the irrigation scheme. In 2020–21, the allocations for the irrigation scheme were around 50% higher than the previous few years. 76% of the allocation for the irrigation scheme was taken, higher than the previous year. Smaller allocations are associated with the urban system and individual users. 31% and 64% of the allocations was taken for the urban system and individual users, respectively. Non-allocated groundwater is also taken for individual users.
Figure S7 Groundwater allocations and extractions in the Burdekin region for the years ending 30 June, from 2014–2021

 

  • In 2020–21, total groundwater allocation was 46 GL, mostly for irrigated agriculture in the Burdekin River Irrigation Area; 62% of the allocated groundwater was taken.
  • Allocations and extractions for the irrigation scheme were much lower than the previous year. Similar to surface water supply for irrigation, the decrease in groundwater use for irrigation was influenced by the wetter conditions across the region.
  • Groundwater extractions for individual users were lower than last year.

 

Water market activity

Refinery light rail, Burdekin region (Bureau of Meteorology © Rikki Garstone)

 

  • In 2020–21, a total of 12,319 ML of surface water allocations and 66,723 ML of surface water entitlements were traded.
  • A total of 2,318 ML of groundwater allocations and 24,566 ML of groundwater entitlements were traded during the year.
  • For more information on water trade in the region, see the Bureau's Water Market Dashboard.
  • For information on the allocation and trading rules, see the Burdekin Basin Water Management Protocol.

 

Cultural and environmental water

Sugar cane, Burdekin region (Bureau of Meteorology © Rikki Garstone)

 

Cultural benefit

  • The water plans for the Burdekin region support water-related cultural values, including the values of the traditional owners in the plan area, and provide mechanisms that support water being made available for Indigenous communities (see the Cultural water management section in the 'Region description').
  • Cultural water provisions are generally linked to the environmental water requirements in the plans.

 

Environmental benefit

Environmental water provisions

  • Environmental water provisions are defined for several rivers in the Burdekin region to maintain the rivers' natural ecological processes.
  • The environmental water release requirements for the region's Burdekin Haughton and Bowen Broken water supply schemes are outlined in Attachment 2 of the schemes' Resource Operations Licence (see the Queensland Government website).

 

Environmental water outcomes

  • The environmental outcomes under the Water Plan (Burdekin Basin) 2007 have been derived in consideration of the current state of the water resources in the plan area, recognising that the natural state of the water courses, lakes and springs has changed because of water infrastructure, flow supplementation and water use.
  • Under the Queensland Water Act 2000 (Water Act), the effectiveness of water plans must be assessed every five years. The current plan underwent a preliminary assessment prior to the scheduled expiry in September 2017. Details of this assessment can be found in the Minister's Performance Assessment Report, Water Plan (Burdekin Basin) 2007, June 2017.
  • The plan seeks to achieve the ecological outcomes through maintaining natural flow variability and connectivity, maintaining the freshwater and sediment delivery to the sea, and promoting improved understanding of how flow affects ecosystem health.
  • Environmental outcomes are generally assessed over a longer time frame and combine streamflow, water supply scheme and ecological research data.

 

Figure S8 Flows in the Burdekin River compared with the minimum flow requirements in 2020–21

Figure S8 Flows in the Burdekin River compared with the minimum flow requirements in 2020–21 

 

  • One example of the environmental water outcomes relating to the operations licence rules in 2020–21 is shown in Figure S8 for the Burdekin River.
  • Storage releases in the Burdekin River were managed to ensure flows in the Lower Burdekin remained higher than the minimum flow requirements.
  • Similar provisions apply to several other rivers in the region.
  • More information on the environmental water provisions for the operations licences is provided in Water management.