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Fitzroy: Supporting information

  • Below-average annual rainfall contributed to low runoff across the region.
  • Storage volumes at 30 June 2021 were 25% full, marginally higher than at the same time last year.
  • 55% of the allocated water was taken in 2020–21, primarily for irrigation scheme supply.

Schematic representation of the Fitzroy region. In 2020–21, runoff was 80% less than average. Storage volumes at 30 June 2021 were 25% full, marginally higher than the previous year. 55% of the total surface water allocation (303 GL) was taken. 68% of the total groundwater allocation (15 GL) was taken.

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

 

Water assets

Fairbairn Dam, Fitzroy region (DNRME © anonymous)

 

  • Water asset volumes in the region at 30 June 2021 were 425 GL, around 96% 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 Fitzroy 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 25% full. Since 2012, when end-of-year storage volume was 99% full, there has been a general decreasing trend in storage volume over the last 9 years.
Figure S1 Total storage volume in the region at 30 June 2021 compared with the previous 11 years

 

  • Storage volumes increased marginally from 22% full at 30 June 2020 to 25% full at 30 June 2021, the first annual increase in storage in four years.

 


Figure S2 Percentage-full volume on 30 June 2021 for each storage and total volumes for the 2013–21 year (inset)

 

  • By mid-December 2020, storage volumes had dropped to 15% full, the region's lowest level on record (since 1973).
  • Small rises in storage occurred during January–March 2021 following wet season rainfall events. Storage levels peaked at 30% full in late-March 2021.
  • Fairbairn Reservoir, which is the largest storage in the region, was 17% full at the end of the year. Most of the smaller storages in the eastern part of the region closer to the coast were more than 60% full at 30 June 2021.
  • More detailed information on the individual storages within the region is available on the Bureau of Meteorology's Water Storage website.

 

Water liabilities

Outback farm, Fitzroy region (istock © anonymous)

 

  • Water liabilities in the Fitzroy 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)
  Opening balance at 1 July 2020 0 0 0
add Allocation 82,204 12,528 208,322
less Allocated diversion 55,724 7,725 104,362
less Adjustment and forfeiture 26,480 4,803 103,960
  Closing balance at 30 June 2021 0 0 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 688 967 13,354
less Allocated extraction 626 523 9,119
less Adjustment and forfeiture 62 444 4,235
  Closing balance at 30 June 2021 0 0 0

 

  • Most of the licences have a water year from 1 July–30 June. The portion of water allocation that has not been abstracted at the end of a water year is forfeited and the allocation remaining at the end of the year was 0 ML.
  • A more detailed description of water allocations in the Fitzroy region is given in the Water use section below.

 

Water flows

Fitzroy River in flood, Fitzroy region (istock © David Gandy)

 

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

 

  • Total water flows into the region's storages was 1,503 GL. The key item contributing to water inflows was runoff, which made up 92% of total water inflows for the region.
  • For the fourth consecutive year, runoff was much lower than average (based on modelled data from 1971–2021) due to relatively poor wet-season rainfall across the region.
  • The key item contributing to water outflows for the region was river outflow, which made up 37% of the total outflows. River outflow was well below average due to the dry conditions and low runoff across the region.
  • Water taken for consumptive use was 612 GL, around 35% of the total outflow (see Water use section below).

 

Water availability

Bar graph of annual surface water availability in the Fitzroy 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 Fitzroy region, 2011–12 to 2020–21

 

  • Physical surface water availability is calculated as the sum of accessible storages at the start of the year and the inflows (precipitation, runoff, and inter-region inflows) into storages and rivers during the year.
  • In 2020–21, surface water availability was below average for the fourth consecutive year reflecting the continued dry conditions experienced across the region over the last few years.
  • As physical water availability is much higher than the region's water needs, water allocations and water taken vary little between the years (see Water use section below).

 

Water use

Fairbairn Dam, Fitzroy region (DNRME © anonymous)

 

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

 

  • Total surface water diverted in the region was 505 GL.
  • Around 67% of the surface water taken was non-allocated diversion for individual users outside of the region's water supply schemes (337 GL).
  • 21% of the surface water diversions were for irrigation scheme supply, mostly from the Nogoa Mackenzie Water Supply Scheme; 11% were for individual users within water supply schemes and 2% were for the urban system.
  • Total groundwater extracted in the region was 107 GL.
  • Around 91% of the groundwater extractions were for individual users, mostly non-allocated extraction outside the water supply scheme; 9% 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 Fitzroy region from 2016–17 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 less than the previous 3 years. 72% of the allocation was taken. Allocations for individual users were also lower than the previous 3 years. 69% of the allocation for individual users was taken. 62% of the allocations was taken for the urban system. Non-allocated surface water is also taken for individual users.
Figure S6 Surface water allocations and diversions in the Fitzroy region for the years ending 30 June, from 2017–2021

 

  • In 2020–21, total surface water allocation was 303 GL, mostly for irrigation scheme supply; 55% of the allocated surface water was taken.
  • Surface water diversions for the irrigation scheme were much lower than last year. During the last three years, irrigation scheme supplies were relatively less because of the very dry conditions across the region. Typically, dry conditions mean users have an increased reliance on water supplied from the storages.
  • The large increase in non-allocated diversions to individual users was due to a number of additional licences being issued during the year.
  • Allocated surface water diversions for individual users and the urban system remained relatively unchanged. Town supply in particular generally changes little from year to year.

 

Bar graph of annual groundwater allocation and extraction for different users in the Fitzroy region from 2016–17 to 2020–21. Most of the groundwater allocations are associated with the irrigation scheme. In 2020–21, the allocations for the irrigation scheme were similar to the previous 3 years. 77% of the allocation for the irrigation scheme was taken. Smaller allocations are associated with the urban system and individual users. 61% and 56% of the allocations was taken for the urban system and individual users, respectively. A relatively large amount of non-allocated groundwater is also taken for individual users.
Figure S7 Groundwater allocations and extractions in the Fitzroy region for the years ending 30 June, from 2017–2021

 

  • In 2020–21, total groundwater allocation was 15 GL, mostly for irrigated agriculture from the Callide Valley Water Supply Scheme; 68% of the allocated groundwater was taken.
  • Groundwater extracted for the irrigation scheme, and individual users was similar to the previous year.

 

Water market activity

Corn field, Fitzroy region (istock © anonymous)

 

  • In 2020–21, a total of 46,228 ML of surface water allocations and 45,130 ML of surface water entitlements were traded.
  • A total of 1,492 ML of groundwater allocations and 5,332 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 Business Queensland, Queensland Government website, or the websites of the resource operations licence holders (SunWater and Fitzroy Water).

 

Cultural and environmental water

Boolimba Bluff, Carnarvon Gorge, Fitzroy region (ABC Capricornia © Erin Semmler)

 

Cultural benefit

  • The water plans for the Fitzroy 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 at 17 river nodes and 4 groundwater nodes within the region.
  • Environmental water requirements for one of these river nodes, on the Dawson River below Neville Hewitt Weir, are presented below.

 

Example line graph of daily flow in the Dawson River at Beckers, station number 130322A. The flow is compared with the required environmental water provisions: a minimum baseflow release that is based on upstream inflows and storage level, and a first post-winter flow up to the weir discharge capacity.
Figure S8 Example environmental water provisions for the Dawson River

 

  • A minimum baseflow must be passed through the storage when inflows exceed a set flow rate and storage levels are above a set level.
  • A first post-winter flow management strategy allows for a higher-pulse flow to be passed through the storages at the start of the wet season, up to the weir discharge capacity.
  • A more detailed description of the environmental water provisions for the Dawson River, as well as for other locations within the region, is provided in the Water Plan (Fitzroy Basin) 2011.

 

Environmental water outcomes

Line graph of daily flow in 2020–21 in the Dawson River at Beckers, station number 130322A. The flow is compared with the required environmental water provisions: a minimum baseflow release and a first post-winter flow. Key aspects of the daily flow graph are described in the text below the figure.
Figure S9 Example of environmental outcomes for Dawson River in 2020–21

 

  • In 2020–21, the minimum baseflow flow requirements for the Dawson River below Neville Hewitt Weir were generally met.
  • A pulse event was passed through the weir in late December 2020 as part of the first post-winter flow strategy. Large flow events occurred later in the wet season during January and April 2021.