Bureau Home » Water Information » National Water Account » 2023 Account » Murray-Darling Basin » Water Accounting Statements » Water assets and water liabilities

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

For the water account period 01 July 2022 – 30 June 2023 

  • Water availability in the Murray–Darling Basin's assets decreased by 7% during 2022–23.
  • Water availability is represented by the net water assets, which are the volume of water assets minus the water liabilities.

Schematic representation of the Murray–Darling Basin region. Total surface water and groundwater assets at 30 June 2023 was 28,480 GL. Total water liabilities was 8,119 GL. Closing net water assets at 30 June 2023 was 20,361 GL, 7% less 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.

 

Expand all Collapse all
 

Select comparative year

 2023 (ML)2022 (ML)2021 (ML)2020 (ML)2019 (ML)2018 (ML)
Water assets
Surface water25,007,81426,001,56117,541,13211,668,8449,516,99914,138,668
Accessible storage18,935,42718,087,64212,758,9707,625,7996,588,73310,888,579
Dead storage300,544300,544300,544300,544302,271302,271
Rivers1,398,2473,029,038801,585433,506291,676281,615
Lakes and wetlands4,373,5964,584,3373,680,0333,308,9952,334,3192,666,203
 
Groundwater3,472,4503,472,4503,472,4503,472,4503,472,4503,482,428
Aquifers (Sustainable diversion limit)3,472,4503,472,4503,472,4503,472,4503,472,4503,482,428
  
Total water assets28,480,26429,474,01121,013,58215,141,29412,989,44917,621,096
Water liabilities
Surface water liability7,347,2576,809,0205,095,3142,176,2651,944,6293,136,690
Carryover for individual users5,591,9175,298,3984,056,7241,598,1571,147,4262,227,037
Carryover for urban system000000
Carryover for environmental purposes1,755,3401,510,6221,038,590578,108797,203909,653
 
Groundwater liability771,804771,804594,137668,160608,164692,812
Carryover for individual users771,804771,804594,137668,160608,164692,812
Carryover for urban system000000
Carryover for salinity and water table management000000
Carryover for environmental purposes000002,647
 
Total water liabilities8,119,0617,580,8245,689,4512,844,4262,552,7933,829,502
Net water assets
Net surface water assets17,660,55719,192,54112,445,8189,492,5797,572,37011,001,978
Opening net surface water assets19,192,54112,445,8189,492,5797,572,37011,001,97813,700,761
Change in net surface water assets(1,531,984)6,746,7232,953,2391,920,209(3,429,608)(2,698,783)
Closing net surface water assets17,660,55719,192,54112,445,8189,492,5797,572,37011,001,978
 
Net groundwater assets2,700,6462,700,6462,878,3132,804,2902,864,2862,789,616
Opening net groundwater assets2,700,6462,878,3132,804,2902,864,2862,789,6162,658,829
Change in net groundwater assets0(177,667)74,023(59,996)74,670130,787
Closing net groundwater assets2,700,6462,700,6462,878,3132,804,2902,864,2862,789,616
Total closing net water assets20,361,20321,893,18715,324,13112,296,86810,436,65613,791,594
Total change in net water assets(1,531,984)6,569,0563,027,2631,860,212(3,354,938 )(2,567,996)

 

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