The Role of managed aquifer recharge in developing northern Australian agriculture

Authors

R. Evans, Jacobs
L. Lennon, Jacobs
G. Hoxley, Jacobs
R. Krake, Jacobs
D. Yin Foo, The Water Resources Division of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Northern Territory, Australia
Christopher Schelfhout Dr, Department of Agriculture, Western AustraliaFollow
John A. Simons, Department of Agriculture, Western AustraliaFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2017

Journal Title

water e-journal

ISSN

ISSN: 2206-1991

Disciplines

Agribusiness | Agricultural Economics | Agriculture | Agronomy and Crop Sciences | Hydrology | Soil Science | Water Resource Management

Abstract

Managed aquifer recharge (MAR) is a commonly used technique in many countries to artificially increase the recharge rate over the wet season and hence increase the groundwater storage available during the dry season. Considering northern Australia’s long dry season and relatively short wet season, MAR has the potential to play a major role in water resource development. Shallow weirs, infiltration trenches and injection bores were considered as the main MAR methods. Five sites were assessed in the Pilbara and seven across the Northern Territory. After consideration of a range of factors such as the available source water, local hydrogeology, soil suitability and potential irrigation demand, most sites were considered technically feasible. A cost benefit analysis was completed on the feasible sites to determine the capital and operation and maintenance costs of water supply and on-farm benefits. Preliminary costings estimated in the Pilbara show that with a weir, the annualised (levelised) cost to supply water to irrigate range between $77 and $282/ML. In the Daly catchment, preliminary costings show that, with a weir, the annualised costs to supply water for irrigation ranges between $166 and $575/ML. The calculated net benefit of fodder cropping is $110/ML, however, for horticulture (mango, Asian vegetables and melons) this ranges between $2,000 and $10,000/ML. The annualised costs suggest that MAR based irrigation schemes are more economically attractive for horticulture production.

Recommended Citation

Evans, R, Lennon, L, Hoxley, G, Krake, R, Foo, D Y, Schelfhout, C, and Simons, J A. (2017), The Role of managed aquifer recharge in developing northern Australian agriculture. water e-journal, 2 (3), 1-10.
https://library.dpird.wa.gov.au/nrm_research/22