Water supplies : dams and roaded catchments

Authors

W J. BurdassFollow
T. R. Negus
A. L. Prout
I. A. F. Laing

Keywords

Water supply, Water harvesting, Watersheds, Dams

Disciplines

Bioresource and Agricultural Engineering | Hydrology | Soil Science | Water Resource Management

First Page Number

70

Last Page Number

73

ISSN

0021-8618

Abstract

Western Australia's Upper and Lower Great Southern statistical areas include most of the broad-scale agricultural land south of a line from Perth to Hyden. Much of the area is well-developed and carries 13.4 million sheep, 203 00 cattle and 95 000 pigs, almost half the State's livestock.

There are few natural rivers and lakes to water livestock in summer and much of the bore water is salty. On-farm waterr conservation, therefore, consits mainly of excavated earth tanks (dams) which are filled by surface runoff or shallow seepage. In the drier areas and in the sandplain roaded catchments have neen built to ensure reliable filling of dams.

To supply the larger towns in the area, the Water Authority of Western Australia has developed the Great Southern Towns Water Supply Scheme in which water is pumped inland from Wellington Dam near Collie.

Recommended Citation

Burdass, W J.; Negus, T. R.; Prout, A. L.; and Laing, I. A. F. (1985) "Water supplies : dams and roaded catchments," Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4: Vol. 26: No. 3, Article 3.
Available at: https://library.dpird.wa.gov.au/journal_agriculture4/vol26/iss3/3