National Water Account 2022

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Key findings

Climate and water

Water Accounting Statements

Supporting information

Region description

Ord: Supporting information

Water assets

• Total water asset volume in the Ord region at 30 June 2022 was 7,695 GL, all of which was held in surface water.
• More than 99% of the water assets are held in surface water storages. The remaining volume of water assets are held in rivers.

• Total storage volumes decreased from 75% at 30 June 2021 to 70% full at 30 June 2022.
• Water in Lake Argyle makes up more than 98% of the region’s total surface water storage.

Figure S1 Percentage-full volume on 30 June 2022 for each storage and total storage volume from 2009 to 2022 (inset)

• Over the dry season and early wet season, storage volumes dropped to 60%.
• Following above-average rainfall during January 2022, storages peaked at 75% full in early-February.
• There were no further significant filling events resulting in a drop in volume to 70% by 30 June 2022.
• More detailed information on the individual storages within the region is available on the Bureau of Meteorology's Water Storage website.

Water liabilities

• Water liabilities in the Ord region refer to the volume of allocation remaining on licence entitlements at the end of the 2021-22 year.

• Most of the water supply licences for the region do not have a water management year that ends on 30 June. Therefore, the allocation remaining is the unused component of the annual allocation for these entitlements.
• A more detailed description of water allocations in the Ord region is given in the Water use section below.

Water flows

• Total water inflows into the Ord region was 3,209 GL, 54% less than last year.
• Surface water inflows contributed 3,203 GL (more than 99%) of total water inflows, with runoff contributing to 82% of the total water inflows for the region.
• Runoff was 51% below average (based on modelled data from 1971 to 2021), reflecting the below average wet season rainfall across the region. 
• Groundwater inflows contributed 6 GL (less than 1%) of the total water inflows.
• Total water outflows from the Ord region was 5,440 GL, 8% less than last year.
• Surface water outflows contributed 5,434 GL (more than 99%) of total water outflows, with river outflow contributing to 58% of the total water outflows for the region. Evaporation from rivers and storages also contributed to 37% of the total water outflows.
• River outflows were 42% below average (based on modelled data from 1971 to 2021), reflecting the below-average rainfall and consequently below-average runoff across the region. 
• Due to uncertainty in quantifying groundwater flows out of the region, the outflow is taken as the volume of groundwater extracted.
• A more detailed breakdown of inflows and outflows is given in the Statement of Changes in Water Assets and Water Liabilities for the Ord region.

Water availability

• Physical surface water availability is calculated as the sum of storage volumes at the start of the year (see Water assets) and estimated inflows into storages and rivers during the year.
• In 2021-22, surface water availability in the Ord region was below average for the fourth consecutive year, reflecting the below average wet season rainfall across the region.
• Surface water accessible is calculated as the sum of surface water allocations and other statutory right, plus carry over at the start of the 2021-22 year. 
• As physical water availability is much higher than the region's water needs, water allocations vary little between the years.
• Typically, water use is higher when water availability is low, largely due to increased demand when conditions are dry (see Water use section below).

Water use

Consumptive use

• Water taken from surface water and groundwater resources for consumptive use was 255 GL, 8% less than last year.
• Total surface water diverted in the Ord region was 249 GL, 8% less than last year.
• Around 86% of the surface water taken was for irrigation users. Agriculture users attributed to 12% of surface water taken, while the remaining 2% of surface water taken was split amongst the other categories.
• All surface water taken in the Ord region was for allocated diversions.
• Total groundwater extracted in the Ord region was 6 GL, 14% less than last year.
• Around 44% of the groundwater extractions were for urban users, while 37% of groundwater extractions were for mining users and 11% for commercial users. The remaining amount of groundwater extractions were split amongst the other categories.

Allocations and diversions

• In 2021-22, total surface water allocation was 495 GL, mostly for irrigated agriculture in the Ord River Irrigation Area. This was an increase of 11% from the previous year.
• Surface water diversions in the Ord region was 249 GL, 8% less than last year. This equates to 31% of the allocated surface water being taken.
• Over recent years, water taken for irrigation scheme supply has been higher due to dry conditions and the expansion of the Goomig Farmlands (see Major water reforms).

• In 2021-22, total groundwater allocation was 6,171 ML, all of which was taken. Allocations were 14% less than last year.
• Over 80% of groundwater extracted was for urban and mining supply.
• Most of the water supply licenses for the region do not have a water management year that ends on 30 June. Therefore, the volume of carryover at the start each water year is the unused component of the annual allocation for these entitlements.