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

as at 30 June 2022

  • The volume of water in the region's surface water storages increased during 2021–22.
  • Closing net water assets, which is the volume of water assets minus the water liabilities, increased by 45% from last year.

Schematic representation of the Murray–Darling Basin region. Total surface water and groundwater assets at 30 June 2021 was 15,787 GL. Total water liabilities was 4,828 GL. Closing net water assets at 30 June 2021 was 20,615 GL, 39% more 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.

 

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  2022 ML 2021 ML 2020 ML 2019 ML 2018 ML 2017 ML
Water assets
Surface water 25,608,113  17,191,499 11,407,556  9,460,062  13,961,040 17,841,273
Accessible storage 20,096,054 13,929,951 8,574,901 6,775,410 11,306,632 15,091,173
Dead storage 578,704 578,704 578,704 578,704 578,704 578,704
Rivers 3,060,667 805,443 433,506 291,676 281,615 323,764
Lakes and wetlands 1,872,688 1,877,401 1,820,445 1,814,272 1,794,089 1,847,632
 
Groundwater 3,472,450 3,472,450 3,472,450 3,472,450 3,482,428 3,333,740
Aquifers (Sustainable diversion limit) 3,472,450 3,472,450 3,472,450 3,472,450 3,482,428 3,333,740
   
Total water assets 29,080,563 20,663,949 14,880,006 12,932,512 17,443,468 21,175,013
Water liabilities
Surface water liability 6,809,020 5,095,314 2,176,265 1,944,629 3,136,690 4,499,770
Carryover for individual users 5,298,398 4,056,724 1,598,157 1,147,426 2,227,037 3,625,986
Carryover for  urban system 0 0 0 0 0 0
Carryover for environmental purposes 1,510,622 1,038,590 578,108 797,203 909,653 873,784
 
Groundwater liability 606,517 594,137 668,160 608,164 692,812 674,911
Carryover for individual users 606,517 594,137 668,160 608,164 692,812 672,264
Carryover for urban system 0 0 0 0 0 0
Carryover for salinity and water table management 0 0 0 0 0 0
Carryover for environmental purposes 0 0 0 0 0 2,647
 
Total water liabilities 7,415,537 5,689,451 2,844,426 2,552,793 3,829,502 5,174,681
Net water assets
Net surface water assets 18,799,093 12,096,185 9,231,291 7,515,433 10,824,350 13,341,503
Opening net surface water assets 12,096,185 9,231,291 7,515,433 10,824,350 13,341,503 9,338,517
Change in net surface water assets 6,702,908 2,864,894 1,715,858 (3,308,917) (2,517,153) 4,002,987
Closing net surface water assets 18,799,093 12,096,185 9,231,291 7,515,433 10,824,350 13,341,503
 
Net groundwater assets 2,865,933 2,878,313 2,804,290 2,864,286 2,789,616 2,658,829
Opening net groundwater assets 2,878,313 2,804,290 2,864,286 2,789,616 2,658,829 2,653,562
Change in net groundwater assets (12,380) 74,023 (59,996) 74,670 130,787 5,267
Closing net groundwater assets 2,865,933 2,878,313 2,804,290 2,864,286 2,789,616 2,658,829
Total closing net water assets 21,665,026 14,974,498 12,035,580 10,379,719 13,613,966 16,000,332
             
Total change in net water assets 6,690,528 2,938,918 1,655,861 (3,234,247) (2,386,366) 4,008,254
 

 

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