Water Allocation Plans (WAPs)

Under the Natural Resources Management Act 2004, the Board is responsible for preparing, reviewing and amending the Water Allocation Plans for the prescribed resources including (but not limited too) assessing the capacity of the resource to meet the demands for water on a continuing basis and provide for the regular monitoring of the capacity of the resource to meet those demands.

 

Water Allocation Plans identify how water will be allocated across the region, the amount of water for allocation, and rules for transferring licenses and how trading will occur. Water allocation plans are also required to assess any impacts on ecosystems resulting from the taking of water, assess whether the taking and use of water will have a detrimental effect on the quantity and quality of the resource, and the ability of the resource to meet future demands.

A water allocation plan must be reviewed at least once every 5 years. The review of the Southern Basins Prescribed Wells Area and Musgrave Prescribed Wells Area was undertaken in late 2005 and completed in April 2006. The results of the review process are detailed in the following reports.

For further information about the reviews please contact us.

The groundwater resources of the Southern Basins Prescribed Wells Area (PWA) occurs within the Uley Wanilla, Uley East, Coffin Bay, Uley south and Lincoln Basin lenses, covering an approximate area of 870 km², to the south-west of Port Lincoln.  

 

The water utilised from this resource is located in the unconfined aquifer system of the Quaternary Bridgewater Formation and the Tertiary Sands. Previous studies and trends observed, within regional observation wells, indicate that the underground aquifer systems are primarily recharged via direct infiltration of rainfall.

 

Groundwater in the Quaternary aquifer (upper section of hydrogeological sequence) is primarily allocated for the reticulated public water supply. The underlying Tertiary aquifer is primarily utilised for irrigation and stock & domestic purposes.

 

Approximately 70% of the groundwater used on Eyre Peninsula is sourced from the Uley South Lens. The Uley south Lens is characterised by high yields and relatively good water quality (salinity < 700mg/L).

The Musgrave Prescribed Wells Area (PWA) is located on the western portion of Eyre Peninsula, around 180 Kilometres from Port Lincoln spreading an area of around 3595 km².

 

Ground water occurrs primarily in the Quaternary Bridgewater formation and Tertiary sand aquifers of Bramfield, Polda, Kappawanta, Talia, Tinline and Sheringa lenses.

 

Historical observations indicate that a relationship exists between groundwater level and average rainfall patterns. Thin soil cover over limestone contributes to high recharge of the groundwater aquifers through rapid infiltration. The Quaternary limestone aquifers generally produce moderately to good quality (less than 1000 mg/L salinity) groundwater with high yields. The majority of the water is sourced from the Bramfield and Polda lenses and is used predominantly for town water supplies. Additional use consists of irrigation or stock and domestic purposes.

 

There are seven licensed water users from the Musgrave PWA.