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Gingin water supply tightens
Industry acts as Gingin water supply tightens
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3 GINGIN Brook is experiencing the worst of this dry, with its second lowest flows since records started 45 years ago.
PHOTOS © DEPARTMENT OF WATER AND ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATION
In the Gingin area the government, water users and the community are working together to keep their water sources sustainable after what has been an extremely dry year, with annual rainfalls continuing to decline as a result of climate change.
Less rainfall means less run off into rivers and streams, and so far this year streamflow from Harvey River, north to Gingin Brook, including the Swan River, is tracking below the post 1975 average. Gingin Brook is experiencing the worst of this dry, with its second lowest flows since records started 45 years ago. After another poor winter rainfall in 2020, Gingin is facing its third consecutive year of rainfall below the average since 2010 — an average which is already well below the long-term one. Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (the Department) senior environmental water planning officer Adam Green explained that low rainfall has also had an impact on recharge to the local aquifers, which are connected to the rivers and streams. “This means there is likely to be increased pressure on water resources in Gingin this summer due to the cumulative impact of reduced recharge to local shallow groundwater aquifers over consecutive years, as well as reduced groundwater contribution to Gingin’s groundwater dependent streams over the dry part of the year, which seems to have started earlier in 2020,” Mr Green said. High levels of water use from multiple users, coinciding at similar times during hot weather, can exacerbate the impact of already low flows on stream health and water available for other users. “We find that the problems get worse on hot days during dry periods, when everyone wants to pump at the same time,” he said. “It’s not just taking water from the river, using bores within 600 metres of the brooks can also impact river flows, as the aquifers and rivers are connected,” Mr Green said. Gingin Brook and Lennard Brook and the surrounding shallow sand aquifers are important sources of water for horticulture. It is therefore of particular importance that water users and the community work together, particularly during the dry summer and autumn months, to minimise impacts to streamflow, the environment and other water users. The Department has been working with the Gingin water users and community over a number of years to raise awareness of climate change, and management approaches to the issues
3 THE department has been working with Gingin water users and the community to raise awareness of climate change and management approaches.
surrounding the impact of reduced rainfall on Gingin and Lennard brooks. This summer they are gearing the community up for another major effort. “There is an increasing need for community stewardship approaches to help water users adapt to climate change,” Mr Green said. “It’s about community and government aligning their objectives and working together to improve the management of water resources under climate change. “Government can provide support through communication, policy and regulation, and community can provide support through shared messaging, education, and individual and collective initiatives that promote best practice water and farm management, as well as setting an example for others to follow.”
Measures that are being adopted Gingin Brook water catchment landholder amongst Gingin water users include: water information package. • Voluntarily spreading water use throughout the week and talking with neighbours about staggering pumping on different days or times to reduce short term impacts on flow The booklet is targeted to individual landholders within the Gingin Brook catchment and explains the climate and water science specific to key zones. in the brooks It looks at current rainfall and • • Using the Department’s online streamflow gauging data, and Bureau of Meteorology weather forecasts, to assess watering requirements and consider how individuals may be able to help preserve flows during hot weather or low flow periods Protecting fish and streamflow trends, as well as future drier projections, and educates landholders by providing information and resources to help sustainable farming and water use practices at the local landholder scale, that will help improve the resilience of the overall brook system. “What we are working There is a need to focus on using water crayfish communities in the brooks by viewing online streamflow data and ensuring flows remain above 5ML/day at efficiently everywhere in the State. on in this region is developing a culture of cooperation and action by sharing information and the Gingin Townsite (Gingin) responsibility for the health of gauging station and 5.1ML/day at the system,” Mr Green said. • the Lennard Brook (Molecap Hill) gauging station Ensuring there is enough flow remaining for downstream water users and the environment “The Department’s climate and water science, and the Gingin Water Group’s landholder engagement strategy, go hand in hand in demonstrating the need for community stewardship in Gingin • Preventing stock access to the going forward. stream to help improve water quality and the overall ecological health of the system. “We need landholders who are educated on the water and climate change situation and working together Local community group the Gingin to do their bit at the landholder Water Group are embracing the water scale, to protect Gingin Brook at the stewardship approach with the support catchment scale.” of the Gingin Shire, Chittering Landcare, Northern Agricultural Catchment Council, and the Department. Actions that can help range from improving habitat pockets through the catchment, to working towards best After receiving a State NRM Community practice on-farm activities, including Stewardship Grant in 2019 for their water efficiency, irrigation techniques, landholder engagement strategy for drainage and nutrient management, Gingin Brook, the group have prepared a revegetation, fencing, erosion control
3 PROTECTING indigenous fish and crayfish communities in the brooks is important for ecosystem health.
measures and monitoring (e.g. water level and quality; soil moisture). “The more landholders who take this approach onboard through the catchment, the more others will do the right thing and follow suit,” Mr Green said. Over time, this can make a positive change and provide resilience to an important ecosystem that is being impacted by climate change.” Given the very low rainfall in a lot of growing areas, there is a need to focus on using water efficiently everywhere in the State. The Department advises all water users that exceeding entitlements is not a strategy to manage water supply issues and that compliance and enforcement activities are ongoing and targeted to high risk areas. Licensees are also reminded to submit water metering data as required under the Rights in Water and Irrigation Regulations 2000, and the deadline is approaching for all licenses with entitlements between 10,000kL–49,999kL throughout the State to have meters installed by the end of 2020.
MORE INFORMATION
For Department of Water and Environmental Regulation licence enquiries phone 1800 508 885 or email licence.enquiry@
