Water Resources and Management Overview: Lachlan Catchment April 2011 ISBN 978 1 74263 185 1
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Water resources and management overview Lachlan catchment Leading policy and reform in sustainable water management Publisher NSW Office of Water Level 18, 227 Elizabeth Street GPO Box 3889 Sydney NSW 2001 T 02 8281 7777 F 02 8281 7799 [email protected] www.water.nsw.gov.au The NSW Office of Water manages the policy and regulatory frameworks for the state’s surface water and groundwater resources to provide a secure and sustainable water supply for all users. The Office of Water also supports water utilities in the provision of water and sewerage services throughout New South Wales. Water resources and management overview: Lachlan catchment April 2011 ISBN 978 1 74263 185 1 This report may be cited as: Green D., Petrovic J., Moss P., Burrell M. (2011) Water resources and management overview: Lachlan catchment, NSW Office of Water, Sydney Cover photo: Lake Cargelligo (courtesy of Dayle Green) © State of New South Wales through the Department of Primary Industries, 2011 This material may be reproduced in whole or in part for educational and non-commercial use, providing the meaning is unchanged and its source, publisher and authorship are clearly and correctly acknowledged. Disclaimer: While every reasonable effort has been made to ensure that this document is correct at the time of publication, the State of New South Wales, its agents and employees, disclaim any and all liability to any person in respect of anything or the consequences of anything done or omitted to be done in reliance upon the whole or any part of this document. Maps: The maps are to be used as a general guide for regional and local scale natural resource planning and management only, not for the assessment of specific sites which can only be assessed by investigation specific to those sites. The maps are published by the NSW Office of Water. While every reasonable effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in the maps, you should only satisfy yourself as to the accuracy of the information before relying on it. NOW 11_092 Water resources and management overview: Lachlan catchment Contents 1 Introduction.................................................................................................................................... 1 2 Climate .......................................................................................................................................... 3 2.1 Rainfall ................................................................................................................................ 3 2.2 Evaporation......................................................................................................................... 4 3 Land use........................................................................................................................................ 5 4 Environment .................................................................................................................................. 7 4.1 Native vegetation ................................................................................................................ 7 4.2 Parks and reserves ............................................................................................................. 7 4.3 Wetlands ............................................................................................................................. 8 4.4 Significant biodiversity ...................................................................................................... 10 5 Surface water .............................................................................................................................. 11 5.1 Upper Lachlan River ......................................................................................................... 11 5.2 Belubula River................................................................................................................... 11 5.3 Wyangala Dam to Condobolin .......................................................................................... 11 5.4 Condobolin to Willandra Weir ........................................................................................... 11 5.5 Willandra Creek.................................................................................................................12 5.6 The lower Lachlan............................................................................................................. 12 5.7 Streamflow characteristics ................................................................................................ 13 6 Groundwater................................................................................................................................ 16 7 River operations and management ............................................................................................. 18 7.1 Major storages and regulating structures ......................................................................... 18 7.2 Irrigation areas .................................................................................................................. 21 7.3 Licensed water use ........................................................................................................... 22 7.3.1 Surface water........................................................................................................ 22 7.3.2 Groundwater ......................................................................................................... 24 7.4 Water sharing plans .......................................................................................................... 24 7.4.1 Surface water sharing plans ................................................................................. 25 7.4.2 Groundwater sharing plans .................................................................................. 26 7.4.3 Plans in preparation.............................................................................................. 26 8 References .................................................................................................................................. 28 i | NSW Office of Water, April 2011 Water resources and management overview: Lachlan catchment Figures Figure 1: The Lachlan catchment.......................................................................................................... 2 Figure 2: Topography and elevation of the Lachlan catchment ............................................................ 2 Figure 3: Average annual rainfall in the Lachlan catchment ................................................................. 3 Figure 4: Average monthly rainfall at Condobolin 1879-2009............................................................... 3 Figure 5: Average annual pan evaporation in the Lachlan catchment.................................................. 4 Figure 6: Average monthly evaporation at Condobolin 1973-2009....................................................... 4 Figure 7: Land use types in the Lachlan catchment.............................................................................. 6 Figure 8: Annual flows in the Lachlan River at Cowra 1900–2010 ..................................................... 14 Figure 9: Daily flows and cumulative deviation from the mean for the Lachlan River at Cowra ......... 15 Figure 10: Groundwater aquifer types in the Lachlan catchment........................................................ 16 Figure 11: Groundwater quality and suitability in the Lachlan catchment........................................... 17 Figure 12: Groundwater management areas in the Lachlan catchment ............................................. 17 Figure 13: Location of Jemalong Irrigation District.............................................................................. 21 Tables Table 1: Land use in the Lachlan catchment......................................................................................... 5 Table 2: Nationally important wetlands in the Lachlan catchment ........................................................ 9 Table 3: Threatened aquatic species of the Lachlan catchment......................................................... 10 Table 4: Mean daily flow at selected gauges in the Lachlan catchment ............................................. 13 Table 5: Major water storages in the Lachlan catchment.................................................................... 18 Table 6: Major weirs in the Lachlan catchment................................................................................... 20 Table 7: Surface water entitlements for the Lachlan catchment 2009-10........................................... 22 Table 8: Surface water entitlements for the Belubula catchment 2009-10 ......................................... 23 Table 9: Surface water unregulated entitlements 2009-10 ................................................................. 23 Table 10: Groundwater licence share components for the Lachlan catchment 2009......................... 24 ii | NSW Office of Water, April 2011 Water resources and management overview: Lachlan catchment 1 Introduction The Lachlan catchment occupies an area of around 90,000 km2. The Lachlan River begins in the Great Dividing Range near Gunning and flows 1,400 km across western NSW to its junction with the Murrumbidgee River near Oxley (Figure 1). Under normal conditions the Lachlan River is a terminal system with little water flowing past the Great Cumbung Swamp at the end of the river.