Publication Date

1-2014

Publisher

Stratagen

City

Perth

Abstract

The Western Australian Minister for State Development is developing an area of land on the Weaber Plain for irrigated agriculture, approximately 30 km north-northeast of Kununurra and adjoining the existing Ord River Irrigation Area, in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. Key components or environmental aspects of the project relevant to groundwater management include:

• application of 80 – 120 GL/yr of irrigation water which would increase recharge over the Weaber Plain and add to any rise in the watertable

• vegetation clearing of approximately 9260 ha of land for farms and infrastructure which would increase groundwater recharge and result in a rise to the watertable

• installation of infrastructure (including roads, channel, power supply, drainage and flood protection infrastructure, groundwater management) which would affect the pattern of surface flows and ponding therefore potentially increase recharge to groundwater

• groundwater management that could (but unlikely) require periodic discharge to the Keep River system in the wet season depending on the extent of watertable rise and soil salinity increases in the Proposal area.

Number of Pages

33

Keywords

Ord River Irrigation Area, Weaber Plain, conservation, groundwater management plan

Disciplines

Environmental Indicators and Impact Assessment | Environmental Monitoring

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