Science Support for the Musgrave and Southern Basins Prescribed Wells Areas Water Allocation Plan 2012/15
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TECHNICAL REPORT SCIENCE SUPPORT FOR THE MUSGRAVE AND SOUTHERN BASINS PRESCRIBED WELLS AREAS WATER ALLOCATION PLAN 2012/15 DISCLAIMER The Department for Water and its employees do not warrant or make any representation regarding the use, or results of use of the information contained herein as to its correctness, accuracy, reliability, currency or otherwise. The Department for Water and its employees expressly disclaim all liability or responsibility to any person using the information or advice SCIENCE SUPPORT FOR THE MUSGRAVE AND SOUTHERN BASINS PRESCRIBED WELLS AREAS WATER ALLOCATION PLAN Simone Stewart, Darren Alcoe and Lyz Risby Science, Monitoring and Information Division Department for Water June 2012 Technical Report DFW 2012/15 Science, Monitoring and Information Division Department for Water 25 Grenfell Street, Adelaide GPO Box 2834, Adelaide SA 5001 Telephone National (08) 8463 6946 International +61 8 8463 6946 Fax National (08) 8463 6999 International +61 8 8463 6999 Website www.waterforgood.sa.gov.au Disclaimer The Department for Water and its employees do not warrant or make any representation regarding the use, or results of the use, of the information contained herein as regards to its correctness, accuracy, reliability, currency or otherwise. The Department for Water and its employees expressly disclaims all liability or responsibility to any person using the information or advice. Information contained in this document is correct at the time of writing. © Government of South Australia, through the Department for Water 2012 This work is Copyright. Apart from any use permitted under the Copyright Act 1968 (Cwlth), no part may be reproduced by any process without prior written permission obtained from the Department for Water. Requests and enquiries concerning reproduction and rights should be directed to the Chief Executive, Department for Water, GPO Box 2834, Adelaide SA 5001. ISBN 978-1-921923-31-9 Preferred way to cite this publication Stewart, S, Alcoe, D and Risby, L, 2012, Science Support for the Musgrave and Southern Basins Prescribed Wells Areas Water Allocation Plan, DFW Technical Report 2012/15, Government of South Australia, through Department for Water, Adelaide Download this document at: http://www.waterconnect.sa.gov.au/TechnicalPublications/Pages/default.aspx Department for Water | Technical Report DFW 2012/15 ii Science Support for the Musgrave and Southern Basins Prescribed Wells Areas Water Allocation Plan FOREWORD South Australia’s Department for Water leads the management of our most valuable resource—water. Water is fundamental to our health, our way of life and our environment. It underpins growth in population and our economy—and these are critical to South Australia’s future prosperity. High quality science and monitoring of our State’s natural water resources is central to the work that we do. This will ensure we have a better understanding of our surface and groundwater resources so that there is sustainable allocation of water between communities, industry and the environment. Department for Water scientific and technical staff continue to expand their knowledge of our water resources through undertaking investigations, technical reviews and resource modelling. Allan Holmes CHIEF EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT FOR WATER Department for Water | Technical Report DFW 2012/15 iii Science Support for the Musgrave and Southern Basins Prescribed Wells Areas Water Allocation Plan Department for Water | Technical Report DFW 2012/15 iv Science Support for the Musgrave and Southern Basins Prescribed Wells Areas Water Allocation Plan ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Science Support for the Musgrave and Southern Basins Prescribed Wells Areas Water Allocation Plan project was funded by the Eyre Peninsula Natural Resources Management Board. The authors would like to acknowledge staff of the Eyre Peninsula Natural Resources Management Board for their assistance with field work and collection of groundwater salinity and water level data. The development of the Aquaveo™ Arc Hydro Groundwater model would not have been possible without holding numerous discussions regarding GIS fundamentals, technical issues and progress with Ben Plush. Department for Water | Technical Report DFW 2012/15 v Science Support for the Musgrave and Southern Basins Prescribed Wells Areas Water Allocation Plan Department for Water | Technical Report DFW 2012/15 vi Science Support for the Musgrave and Southern Basins Prescribed Wells Areas Water Allocation Plan CONTENTS FOREWORD ......................................................................................................................................... III ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ......................................................................................................................... V 1. INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................... 1 1.1. PURPOSE ................................................................................................................................ 1 1.2. SCOPE ..................................................................................................................................... 1 2. PRESCRIBED WATER RESOURCES ................................................................................................ 3 2.1. BACKGROUND ........................................................................................................................ 3 2.2. HISTORY OF WATER MANAGEMENT IN EYRE PENINSULA ..................................................... 3 2.3. REGIONAL GEOLOGICAL SETTING .......................................................................................... 3 2.4. DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESCRIBED WELLS AREAS .................................................................. 5 2.4.1. Musgrave PWA ...................................................................................................................... 5 2.4.2. Southern Basins PWA ............................................................................................................ 5 2.5. HYDROGEOLOGY .................................................................................................................... 5 2.5.1. Quaternary aquifer ................................................................................................................ 5 2.5.2. Tertiary aquifers .................................................................................................................... 9 2.5.3. Jurassic aquifer .................................................................................................................... 11 2.5.4. Basement aquifers ............................................................................................................... 11 2.6. RECHARGE ............................................................................................................................ 11 2.6.1. Review of previous groundwater recharge studies ............................................................. 12 2.6.2. Quaternary aquifers ............................................................................................................ 14 2.6.3. Tertiary aquifers .................................................................................................................. 14 2.6.4. Jurassic and basement aquifers ........................................................................................... 14 3. CAPACITY OF THE GROUNDWATER RESOURCE ......................................................................... 15 3.1. METHOD FOR ESTIMATING RESOURCE CAPACITY ............................................................... 16 3.2. LIMITATIONS, UNCERTAINTIES AND ASSUMPTIONS ........................................................... 46 3.2.1. Interpolation technique ....................................................................................................... 46 3.2.2. Geovolumes uncertainty ..................................................................................................... 47 3.2.3. Porosity/storativity values ................................................................................................... 47 3.2.4. Recharge estimates ............................................................................................................. 47 3.2.5. Water requirements for aquifer maintenance .................................................................... 48 4. WATER DEMAND ...................................................................................................................... 50 4.1. NON-LICENSED DEMAND – STOCK AND DOMESTIC ............................................................ 52 4.1.1. Method for estimating stock water use .............................................................................. 52 4.1.2. Method for estimating domestic water use ........................................................................ 57 4.1.3. Estimates of stock and domestic water use ........................................................................ 57 4.2. LICENSED WATER DEMAND ESTIMATES .............................................................................. 59 4.3. FUTURE DEMAND FOR WATER ............................................................................................ 60 4.4. MINING ................................................................................................................................. 62 4.4.1. Integrating the mining sector into