Border Rivers: Supporting information

  • End-of-year storage volume decreased by 37% during 2024 to 57% full.
  • 71% of the water available for consumptive use was taken from the water course, primarily for irrigation and agricultural purposes.

Water assets

Boobera Lagoon on the McIntyre River, Border Rivers catchment (MDBA © Arthur Mostead)

 

  • Water asset volumes in the region at 30 June 2024 were 374 GL, with the majority of water held in storages. The remaining amount is water held in rivers and aquifers.

 

Table S1 Accessible storage volume in the Border Rivers region over the past six water accounting periods ending 30 June
Surface water 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019
Pindari 155,358 262,221 312,444 182,776 39,677 16,747
Coolmunda 47,180 66,896 68,327 69,002 19,810 5,502
Glenlyon 157,712 246,308 252,702 139,907 33,803 21,403
Accessible total 360,250 575,425 633,473 391,685 93,290 43,652
Dead storage 2,065 2,065 2,065 2,065 2,065 2,065
Total storage 362,315 577,490 635,538 393,750 95,355 45,717
Total capacity 633,715 633,715 633,715 633,715 633,715 633,715
% full 57.2% 91.1% 100.3% 62.1% 15.0% 7.2%

 

  • Storage volumes decreased by 37.3% to 362 GL on 30 June 2024, being 57.2% full.
  • In 2019, the storage volumes were as low as 7.2%, and recoved in 2022 and 2023 due to major storms leading to flooding events.
  • Glenlyon and Coolmunda storages were above 60% full at 30 June 2024; Pindari was just below 50% full.
  • Due to below average rainfall in the catchments feeding the storages, the storages have dropped from the highs of 2022. 

 More detailed information on the individual storages within the region is available on the Bureau of Meteorology's Water Storage website.

 

Aquifers

  • The volume of groundwater storage for the catchment represents sustainable diversion limit volumes as provided by the Murray–Darling Basin Authority.
  • The groundwater storage at the end of the year was the same as the previous year, reflecting no change to the sustainable diversion limits.

 

Water liabilities

Agricultural land use, Murray-Darling Basin region (Alison Pouliot; 2010)

 

  • Water liabilities in the Border Rivers region refer to the volume of allocation remaining on licence entitlements at the end of 2023–24.

 

Table S2 Opening and closing balance of surface water allocations in the Border Rivers region during the 2023–24 reporting year
Description Individual users (ML) Urban system (ML) Environmental purposes (ML)
Opening balance at 01 July 2023 202,684 0 16,216
add Surface water allocation 173,174 3,616 0
add Net trade 23,976 0 0
less Allocated diversion 205,893 2,248 0
less Adjustment for surface water allocation 65,118 1,368 32
Closing balance at 30 June 2024 128,823 0 16,184

 

Table S3 Opening and closing balance of groundwater allocations in the Border Rivers region during the 2023–24 reporting year
Description Individual users (ML) Urban system (ML)
Opening balance at 01 July 2023 0 0
add Groundwater allocation 17,435 45
add Net trade 0 0
less Allocated extraction 4,930 21
less Adjustment for groundwater allocation 12,505 24
Closing balance at 30 June 2024 0 0

 

Water flows

McIntyre River near Goondiwindi, Border Rivers catchment (MDBA © Arthur Mostead)

 

  • Total surface water flows into the region was 1,000 GL. The key item contributing to surface water inflows was runoff, which made up more than 94% of the total surface water inflows.
  • River outflow is typically one of the catchment's larger flows. In 2023–24, it made up 38% of the total surface water outflows with water taken for consumptive use making up 37%.
  • Water taken from surface water and groundwater resources for consumptive use (not including water diverted to the environment) was 462 GL, (see Water use section below).

 

Water use

Wheat harvesting, Murray–Darling Basin region (MDBA © Arthur Mostead)

 

Water Availability

Table S4 Annual surface water available in the Border Rivers region over the past five water accounting periods ending 30 June
Surface water 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020
Water availability 1,528,716 2,660,084 3,825,989 1,706,318 365,007
Water accessible 651,727 527,265 821,711 822,751 170,110
Water taken 456,418 266,022 488,125 659,211 150,373
% water accessible taken 70% 50% 59% 80% 88%

 

  • Surface water availability is the volume of water in storages and rivers at the beginning of the reporting period plus natural inflows into the region.
  • Accessible water is the volume of water that is able to be taken during the reporting period. It includes allocation announcements, basic rights, and any other unregulated take volumes. 
  • Water taken is water that has been taken was from the water course and also water taken from floodplain harvesting.

 

Table S5 Surface water taken in the Border Rivers region over the past five water accounting periods ending 30 June
Surface water 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020
Queensland Border Rivers
Individual users 193,829 85,133 138,857 163,711 88,481
Urban system 2,819 2,668 2,220 2,351 1,951
Environmental purposes 4,953 10,548 19,955 14,670 3,246
Basic rights 3,580 3,580 3,580 3,580 3,580
Total 205,181 101,929 164,612 184,312 97,258
New South Wales Border Rivers
Individual users 165,018 108,206 106,476 112,372 26,444
Urban system 93 320 271 317 305
Environmental purposes 1,437 86 0 896 0
Basic rights 9,894 9,894 8,517 5,817 8,517
Total 176,442 118,506 115,264 122,102 35,266
Total Border Rivers
Individual users 358,847 193,339 245,333 276,083 114,925
Urban system 2,912 2,998 2,491 2,668 2,256
Environmental purposes 6,390 10,634 19,955 15,566 3,246
Basic rights 13,474 13,474 12,097 12,097 12,097
Total 381,623 220,435 279,876 306,414 132,524

 

  • Total water taken from the water course in the catchment was 382 GL during 2023–24, an increase of 73% from the previous reporting period.
  • 94% of the water used was for individual users, mostly for irrigation and agricultural purposes, and 4% of the water use was for individual users under a basic right.
  • >2% of water take was from held environmental water.