Boorowa
Issue: Catchments
This issue is discussed for these areas: [an error occurred while processing this directive]
For more information refer to the following Indicators:
Contaminated Sites | Discharge to Waters | Groundwater | Land Degradation | Land Use | Surface Water Quality
How has Catchment Quality Changed?
The Boorowa Council area is located on the South West Slopes of New South Wales (NSW). The Council area lies within the Lachlan Catchment. Boorowa Council area covers an area of 2,578 square kilometres, however, it has a relatively small population of around 2,400 people. Key industries include fine merino sheep wool production, horse breeding and cattle studs. Agriculture also includes the production of canola and wheat.
Insufficient data was available for Boorowa Council area to assess changes to, or impacts on, many aspects of catchment quality over the current reporting period. As a result, changes in erosion and groundwater quality are not reported.
Drought was a significant event impacting on catchment quality in Boorowa Council area over the current reporting period. The drought, which commenced in 1997, is as serious if not worse than other major prolonged droughts, such as 1895 to 1903 and 1938 to 1945. The 2006–07 irrigation season was a record dry season for much of the area. Previous extreme drought years include 1902, 1914, 1938, 1940, 1944, 1967, 1982 and 2002.
As water availability has changed, water allocations within the catchment have been adjusted. Water allocations are made in a way that reflects the priority given to domestic and basic rights supplies, then to core environmental needs, then to irrigation and industry. Operational plans for 2007–2008 reflect that the catchment experienced one of the lowest inflow periods in history. In many cases, high security licences were permitted to carryover unused water for the first time.
Drought or excessive water extraction causes water bodies to dry out, water quality conditions deteriorate and the fish within them may die or be eaten birds. This scenario is unlikely for the main river channels, but is likely for many of the smaller creeks and tributaries. Indeed, many of the smaller creeks have already dried back to a series of disconnected pools.
Algal blooms are also more frequent during drought conditions due to low, slow flows. Most towns however have sufficient treatment facilities and treat all sewage before discharging to water and, where possible, manipulate flows to break up algal blooms.
During the drought, salinity levels are generally relatively low. This is due to little or no inflows from higher salinity tributaries and no return flows. Groundwater leakages from saline floodplains are generally also lower. However, if dilution flows continue to reduce, river salinity levels increase.
With little water available for irrigation there is the potential for substantial economic impacts. Irrigators who grow annual crops generally adjust their planting area depending on water availability. However, irrigators who grow perennial crops are impacted in the long term if they are unable to ensure crop survival.
Over the current reporting period, water allocations that were assigned in July 2006 had to be suspended in October and November 2006, due to the drought and inflows being below previous recorded low inflows. Domestic water restrictions are currently in the majority towns within the catchment. These are used to raise awareness and understanding of the current drought and encourage people to conserve and use water more efficiently, resulting in lower water consumption.
Where are the ‘Hot-Spots’?
Boorowa Council area discharges its treated effluent into the Boorowa River. The outflows are monitored and tested to ensure that they stay within the guidelines of the NSW Department of Environment and Climate Change licenses. No information regarding the impacts of this on catchment quality was available over the current reporting period.
No land use results were available for the reporting period for Boorowa Council area. Over the reporting period it is expected that the rural residential development within the Council area continued to increase. As such it is expected that the related erosion and sedimentation to this development would have also increased.
Lachlan Catchment Management Authority identify some of the key challenges facing catchments in Boorowa Council area as:
- impact of carp in the catchment.
- the loss of native vegetation across the catchment and resulting land degradation. This is leading to stream and wetland sedimentation, increasing water turbidity, rising watertables and increased salinity levels in waters.
- rapidly increasing dryland salinity and some irrigation salinity, associated with rising watertables.
- the need for irrigation to remain viable. Irrigation was held to be necessary for agriculture in the river valley and a significant contributor to the catchment's prosperity.
- reduce remaining significant point-source pollution, and urban and rural runoff where this is causing water quality problems-particularly turbidity and increased levels of nutrients (DECC, 2008).
What has been done to address Catchment Quality?
Boorowa Council has imposed water restrictions at various water storage levels and undertaken an education campaign in the papers and radio about minimising water consumption.
The Council works with Landcare Groups and Greening Australia to assist in the reduction of land degradation. The Council undertakes construction operations, such as road works and water and sewage works, to ensure that no land degradation or erosion occurs.
As a part of Boorowa Council’s support for Landcare Groups and activities, they participate in the promotion of catchment management planning for the Lachlan River catchment through continued development of a Regional Salinity alliance and participation in the Lachlan River Catchment Management Authorities consultancy group.
During the 2007-08 reporting year, Boorowa Council resolved to review its Local Environment Plan. At present Council current has an Interim Development Order operating, and it is envisaged that the Local Environment Plan will replace this. The Local Environmental Plan will be developed and finalised in the next reporting period.
To improve water quality in the Boorowa River, Boorowa Council undertook a program over the current reporting period to install gutters in urban streets and stormwater pollution control structures, such as gross pollutant traps, at various points along the system. Boorowa Council also have plans to develop a Stormwater Management Plan in the next reporting period.
What does this mean for Council?
The catchment data supplied from Council and the Department of Water and Energy is lacking for many indicators. This means that only partial assessment of the catchment quality is ever possible.
There is limited Council monitoring of erosion, sedimentation, salinity, ground and surface water quality. Therefore impacts from urban and rural development and significant natural pressures such as drought cannot be fully determined. The monitoring of the implemented Council strategies and associated actions is also necessary to determine their effectiveness in achieving the desired catchment management outcomes.
Boorowa Council should undertake the following actions to ensure environmental improvement in the catchment:
- Continue to work closely with Lachlan Catchment Management Authority, to implement joint projects and ensure consistency in approach to land and water management and complementary actions.
- Continue and build on the effective relationship NSW State Government agencies to ensure up to date information regarding condition of the catchments environmental drivers such as salinity, and associated management issues relevant to them.
- Monitor and adapt to the impacts of climate change to ensure no significant detrimental catchment effect is sustained from the changing conditions and any future actions.
- Continue to ensure impacts on ground and surface water quality are considered in landuse zoning, development applications, sewage and water supply treatment.
- Implement appropriate environmental monitoring programs to measure the effectiveness of Council's policies, strategies, and management activities.
- Support and encourage sustainable land use and water management in the urban and rural communities. Approach business and industries regarding sustainable practices and monitoring.
References
DECC (2008) NSW Water Quality and River Flow Objectives: Lachlan River Community Comment on Objectives, Department of Environment and Climate Change viewed at http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/ieo/Lachlan/report-01.htm on 15 October 2008.
