Publication Date

7-2021

Publisher

Global Groundwater (Australian Bore Consultants)

City

Perth

Abstract

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) in partnership with Water Corporation, working with Murdoch and Curtin universities, are looking at new options to improve farm water security in the wheatbelt of Western Australia.

Winter rainfall has declined since 2000 and dams, traditionally used for farm water supply, no longer provide sufficient or reliable water, especially after 1 to 2 below average years. Increasingly, groundwater supplies are being considered to supply farm needs, including those from fractured rock aquifers, with opportunities to desalinate to improve water quality.

This project undertook to review groundwater availability in fractured rock aquifers for agricultural use in the wheatbelt of WA with the aim of developing an exploration hypothesis and methodology to:

  • locate high (>3 L/sec) to moderate (0.5 to 3 L/sec) yielding bores
  • locate bores with moderate (TDS) to low (TDS) salinity
  • locate bores with long-term sustainable yields
  • target the lower saprock and fractured basement zone from 50 to 150 m depth
  • target opportunities on private and public lands.

Number of Pages

36

Keywords

fractured rock aquifer, groundwater exploration, hydrogeology, water supply, wheatbelt

Disciplines

Agriculture | Environmental Monitoring | Geology | Hydrology | Natural Resources and Conservation | Sustainability | Water Resource Management

Comments

This review provides a foundation for the drilling and geophysics investigations of the WaterSmart Farms project.

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