Water and Environment STRATEGIC REVIEW OF THE SURFACE WATER MONITORING NETWORK REPORT Prepared for Department of Water Date of Issue 3 August 2009 Our Reference 1045/B1/005e STRATEGIC REVIEW OF THE SURFACE WATER MONITORING NETWORK REPORT Prepared for Department of Water Date of Issue 3 August 2009 Our Reference 1045/B1/005e STRATEGIC REVIEW OF THE SURFACE WATER MONITORING NETWORK REPORT Date Revision Description Revision A 28 April 2009 Draft Report for client review Revision B 05 June 2009 Amendments following client review Revision C 19 June 2009 Further amendments following client review Revision D 30 July 2009 Final inclusion of figures and formatting Revision E 3 August 2009 Final for release to client Name Position Signature Date Originator Glen Terlick Senior Hydrographer, 30/07/09 Department of Water Emma Neale Environmental 30/07/09 Consultant Reviewer Vince Piper Principal Civil/ Water 30/07/09 Resources Engineer Leith Bowyer Senior Hydrologist, 30/07/09 Department of Water Location Address Issuing Office Perth Suite 4, 125 Melville Parade, Como WA 6152 Tel: 08 9368 4044 Fax: 08 9368 4055 Our Reference 1045/B1/005e STRATEGIC REVIEW OF THE SURFACE WATER MONITORING NETWORK REPORT CONTENTS CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................1 1.1 Background ...................................................................................................1 1.2 State Water Strategy......................................................................................1 1.3 Reasons For Review .......................................................................................2 1.4 This Review...................................................................................................2 2 HYDROLOGY IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA ................................................................4 2.1 Drainage Divisions .........................................................................................4 2.2 Climate Within Drainage Divisions ....................................................................4 2.2.1 South West Drainage Division .................................................................4 2.2.2 Indian Ocean Drainage Division ...............................................................4 2.2.3 Timor Sea Drainage Division ...................................................................4 2.2.4 Western Plateau Drainage Division...........................................................5 2.3 Climate Variability and Climate Change.............................................................5 3 MEASUREMENT HISTORY IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA .............................................9 3.1 Commencement of Surface Water Assessment...................................................9 3.2 Establishment of Representative Network..........................................................9 4 CURRENT MONITORING NETWORK ....................................................................10 4.1 Need for Hydrological Data............................................................................ 10 4.2 surface Water Monitoring Indicies .................................................................. 10 4.3 Current Regional Monitoring Stations.............................................................. 10 5 STRATEGIC REVIEW METHODOLOGY .................................................................19 5.1 How this Strategic Review Has Been Carried Out.............................................. 19 5.2 Surface Water Monitoring Use Classifications ................................................... 19 5.3 Use Classifications........................................................................................ 20 5.3.1 Urban Water ....................................................................................... 20 5.3.2 Salinity............................................................................................... 20 5.3.3 Waterways.......................................................................................... 20 5.3.4 Flood.................................................................................................. 20 5.3.5 Water Assessment ............................................................................... 20 5.3.6 Climate Change ................................................................................... 20 6 DESIRED SURFACE WATER MONITORING NETWORK .........................................21 6.1 Management Area Prioritisation ..................................................................... 21 6.2 Importance of Surface Water Monitoring ......................................................... 22 6.3 Rainfall Monitoring ....................................................................................... 22 6.4 Regional Reviews of surface water monitoring ................................................. 22 Our Reference 1045/B1/005e i STRATEGIC REVIEW OF THE SURFACE WATER MONITORING NETWORK REPORT CONTENTS 7 SOUTH COAST REGION REVIEW.........................................................................24 8 SOUTH WEST REGION REVIEW ..........................................................................35 9 KWINANA PEEL REGION REVIEW.......................................................................47 10 SWAN AVON (GOLDFIELDS) REGION REVIEW ...................................................57 11 MID-WEST GASCOYNE REGION REVIEW ............................................................67 12 PILBARA REGION REVIEW .................................................................................77 13 KIMBERLEY REGION REVIEW.............................................................................87 14 OTHER HYDROLOGIC MONITORING NETWORKS ................................................96 14.1 Work Proposed by BOM................................................................................. 96 14.2 Other Emerging Networks ............................................................................. 96 15 RECOMMENDATIONS..........................................................................................97 15.1 Surface Water Monitoring Management Arrangements ...................................... 97 15.2 Monitoring changes to the surface water monitoring network............................. 97 15.3 Explore better ways to manage the Network.................................................... 97 15.4 Hydrological Indicies..................................................................................... 97 TABLES Table 4.1: Currently Operating Surface Water Monitoring Stations....................................... 11 Table 5.1: Description of Use Classifications for stream flow monitoring stations ................... 19 Table 6.1: Surface Water Priority Areas by Region ............................................................. 21 Table 7.1: South Coast Region Current Hydrological Monitoring Stations .............................. 25 Table 7.2: South Coast Region Surface Water Focus Catchments......................................... 25 Table 7.3: Proposed Stream Monitoring Sites to be Re-Opened ........................................... 31 Table 8.1: South West Region Current Hydrological Monitoring Stations ............................... 36 Table 8.2: South West Region Surface Water Focus Catchments.......................................... 36 Table 8.3: Proposed Stream Monitoring Stations to be Re-Opened....................................... 43 Table 9.1: Kwinana Peel Region Current Hydrological Monitoring Stations............................. 47 Table 9.2: Kwinana-Peel Region Surface Water Focus Catchments ....................................... 53 Table 9.3: Proposed Stream Monitoring Stations to be Re-Opened....................................... 53 Table 10.1: Swan Avon Region Current Hydrological Monitoring Stations .............................. 58 Table 10.2: Swan Avon (Goldfields) Region Surface Water Focus Catchments ....................... 58 Table 10.3: Proposed Stream Monitoring Stations to be Re-Opened ..................................... 63 Table 11.1: Mid West Gascoyne Region Current Hydrological Monitoring Stations .................. 67 Table 11.2: Mid West Gascoyne Surface Water Focus Catchments ....................................... 73 ii Our Reference 1045/B1/005e STRATEGIC REVIEW OF THE SURFACE WATER MONITORING NETWORK REPORT CONTENTS Table 11.3: Proposed Stream Monitoring Sites to be Re-Opened.......................................... 73 Table 12.1: Pilbara Region Current Hydrological Monitoring Stations .................................... 78 Table 12.2: Pilbara Region Surface Water Focus Catchments............................................... 83 Table 12.3: Proposed Stream Monitoring Stations to be Re-Opened ..................................... 84 Table 13.1: Kimberley Region Current Hydrological Monitoring Stations................................ 88 Table 13.2: Kimberley Region Surface Water Focus Catchments .......................................... 93 Table 13.3: Proposed Stream Monitoring Sites to be Re-Opened.......................................... 94 FIGURES Figure 2.1: Drainage Divisions of Western Australia .............................................................7 Figure 4.1: Current Stream Monitoring Stations 2008......................................................... 13 Figure 4.2: Current Rainfall Monitoring Stations 2008 ........................................................ 15 Figure 4.3: Current Salinity