7 minute read
SPECIAL REPORT: WATER
WATER, WATER EVERYWHERE
For the people on the frontline at Water NSW, the past three years have tested them at every turn. Years of debilitating drought followed by unseasonable catastrophic weather events have presented them with unprecedented situations to monitor and respond to.
Words TONY BLACKIE
The management of the state’s water resources is without doubt a highly complex process. Even though dams and water catchments across NSW are now at peak levels, daily monitoring of dams and river systems is a high priority.
“Dam management is now erring on the side of caution, due to not knowing exactly where the weather is going,” said Tony Webber, spokesperson for Water NSW.
A YEAR OF EXTREMES
Tony admits there has been criticism of Water NSW, particularly over the critical weather periods and, most recently, with the impacts of the extreme rain and flooding events. While Water NSW is always trying to improve its services, he pointed out that the team managing the water flows and dams across NSW also live in the affected areas.
“Their homes, families and friends have been impacted by the floods and increased water flows. They are invested in safe and considered management of the flows,” he said of his frontline colleagues.
AIN’T NO SUNSHINE: Sunflowers near Coleambally in the Murrumbidgee Valley.
Image by NSWIC.
“It has to be said that due to the efforts our people made, the flooding was less intensive and the impacts weren’t as great, especially when you consider that the dams have filled multiple times. In other words, we are talking about extraordinary levels of water which have been both above the average and above the forecasts.”
–TONY WEBBER Spokesperson for Water NSW
Tony said most people in NSW have seen the news footage of Wyangala Dam spilling into the Lachlan River in November 2022. This, he said, clearly showed the power and impact of the rising water.
Despite this, the outcomes were a good indication of the diligent and careful calculations and success achieved by Water NSW dam operators in creating space in the dam between rainfall events to hold back huge amounts of water, before the frightening November deluge finally pushed the dam beyond capacity.
Flooding creates an ephemeral wetland in the Gwydir Valley
“I have never seen a year like 2022,” Tony said.
Over the coming months, Water Ministers from the eastern states will meet with federal counterparts to discuss key issues around water management, with particular reference to the Murray Darling Basin Plan and a focus on the Menindee Lakes.
With unprecedented rainfall in the Darling catchment, the massive flows are making their way into the Menindee Lakes.
Rice paddies at Coree, near Jerilderie in the NSW Murray.
Images by NSWIC.
Tony pointed out that the lakes were receiving 1.5 times their total capacity in a five-week period during the height of the La Niña rainfall period. With a floodplain that was already saturated, this meant inevitable higher downstream floods. Tony said that the Menindee Lakes are only now showing a fall from peak inflows.
A BETTER SYSTEM
NSW Farmers Association has been brokering discussion between Water NSW, local government and farming communities across the state. They recognise that water management is a highly complicated issue and that dialogue with all the parties involved is a means to producing a better system.
The rollout of these meetings has so far involved communities on the South Coast, with more to come.
Flume gates near Griffith in the Murrumbidgee Valley
Images by NSWIC.
NSW Farmers has taken a strong stance on many water-related issues such as recent buy-back plans and the formulation of a consistent management plan which benefits farmers and the local communities.
The NSW Irrigators’ Council (NSWIC) represents 12,000 water licence holders across the state. CEO Claire Miller said a lot of good work has been done to improve water management for environmental purposes but a great deal more needs to be done to safeguard water for food and fibre production and the viability of rural and regional towns.
Irrigators grow 76% of Australia’s vegetables
Images by NSWIC.
She said that while the Murray-Darling Basin Plan has delivered greater environmental flows, it has reduced water security for farmers.
“If you can’t access enough water at prices you can afford, you go out of business,” Claire said.
Water security is not just an issue in the Basin, however. Claire explained that coastal farmers need to build more farm water storage so they can fill up when rivers are running high, protect rivers by not pumping when flows are low, and provide more water for activities such as fire-fighting.
Delivery channel, Darlington Point in the Murrumbidgee Valley.
Images by NSWIC.
Changing climate conditions mean water must be managed not just with the next drought in mind, but also the next inevitable super-wet period.
“We have to manage for both ends of the extreme, with fewer shoulder years in between,” Claire said. “We don’t want knee-jerk reactions when the extreme periods hit.
“We want the Basin Plan to work, but not at the cost of seeing our communities die. We need integrated catchment management, and we believe we are at a tipping point.”
Claire said farmers are very adaptable and have historically played a responsible role in water management.
Irrigating fodder crops for dairy in the Bega Valley
Images by NSWIC.
She said there is an impression that water users take what they want and let the rest suffer, but in fact, water is allocated first to make sure rivers run, then to supply towns and stock domestic. Irrigators are last to be allocated from what’s left, and first to have the taps turned off when it turns dry. Further, data from the ‘water police’, the Natural Resources Access Regulator, show theft and misuse is rare.
The Basin Plan and earlier reforms have also redirected one in three litres of irrigation water to the environment, on top of river flows. It means much less water for farmers, especially in low flow or drought periods, leaving farmers less resilient to climate extremes. Claire is worried about the political pressure to further reduce farmers’ water access.
She added that degradation drivers such as carp are undermining the Basin Plan’s gains, achieved at large socioeconomic cost. She has called on Basin ministers to move beyond the Plan’s simplistic ‘just add more water’ approach.
Orange grove near Curlwaa in far southwestern NSW; Mulwala Canal, near Finley in the NSW Murray.
Images by NSWIC.
“The focus, funding and sense of urgency must shift,” Claire said. “The biggest threats include invasive species such as carp, habitat degradation, blocked fish passage and cold-water pollution.
“Buying back more water from farmers won’t fix that. The 2,100 billion litres recovered under the Plan so far is delivering many environmental benefits, but if these degradation drivers are not addressed, then just adding water will only ever be tinkering around the edges.”
Waterlogged statistics
On the Gwydir River, Copeton Dam near Inverell exceeded capacity and spilled more times in the latter part of 2022 than the previous 40 years combined.
In the past 12 months Keepit Dam – the main storage on the Namoi River near Gunnedah that ran dry during the most recent drought – received and released water equivalent to almost 2.5 times its storage capacity.
Mulwala Canal, near Finley in the NSW Murray.
Images by NSWIC.
If dams like Burrendong on the Macquarie River near Wellington and Burrinjuck on the Murrumbidgee River near Yass had both been empty in July, they would have received enough water since winter to fill and spill almost three times.
