HEADLINE TO BE PLACED IN

THIS SPACE

Water for a Healthy Country

Unlocking systems - the key to
sustainability

Food, Fish & People

Colin Creighton with Dr Shahbaz Khan & Dr Rod Oliver

Sustainable Water Management Conference
ANU September 2005
 World Population
Growth – Key Driver
 Expansion in
Global Irrigation
Areas

Figure 1. Irrigated Area: 1961-1998

300
World
250

200 Developing Countries

150 Asia

100 Developed Countries

50
Africa

0
1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 World
1995 2000

Africa Asia Developed Countries Developing Countries World

Series2

Source: FAO 2000

In 2001, 40% of agricultural products and 60% of grains were grown on irrigated land
 Food, Fish & People
• An extra 1.5-2.0 billion people by 2025

• About 29% more irrigated land required by 2025

• Assuming gains in productivity and more efficient water use the

increase in diversions to agriculture will be 18% [IWMI]

• A 8% decrease in the amount of water that should be diverted to

irrigation over the next 25 years for fisheries / river & estuary health

• The additional water for irrigated agriculture-food is about 625km3 of

water – or close to the amount of water (800km3) that is presently
used globally for industrial and urban use

We have a global responsibility

 Agronomic
Challenge to
Improve Water
Productivity

3.8 tons/ha

1.7 tons/ha

After FAO
 Environmental Water
Stress – Crude
Indicator of “Fisheries
as Food Status”

Indus Basin
Pakistan
 The Science
Challenge

 Our Thesis – By better understanding the biophysical,

economic and social systems we will be able to identify key
pressure points for improved productivity

 Key Components –
 Catchment Yield [Quality & Quantity] & Land Use Change
 Water Budgets, Use, Practice, Productivity & Profitability
 Ecological Assets, Repair Needs & Opportunities
 Institutional Context, Constraints & Opportunities

 A work in progress……..well underpinned by the Council of

Australian Government “continuous improvement” in water
policy……….and with international applications
 THE MURRAY REGION WATER BENEFIT SYSTEM
water water use water benefit lever
Murray water benefit system

rainfall
climate
150,000 GL

land use, revegetation

upland catchments
dams, fires

dryland agriculture, water & salt groundwater

forestry
Riverine Plains
irrigation

floodplains,
non-$ river 2,500 GL
water
regimes salinity
$ costs
3,000 GL Lower
Coorong, Murray
Lower Lakes irrigation
and Mouth

All water has value in this system. How can we use it more smartly to increase benefits?
Murray Landscapes & Water Benefits
traveling down the valley
- perhaps houseboating near Mildura
or sampling SA wines
- visiting the Lower Lakes
& cockles along the Murray beach
Irrigated areas,
Murray Basin

Pop: 583,000
Irrigated farms 25,000
Irrigated area 1.243m ha
…….with substantial water diversion
Average Natural Flow to Sea
14000
Full development of existing entitlements

12000 MDBC CAP on Diversions

Total
Annual Diversion (GL/Year)

NSW

10000 Victoria
S.A.
Queensland
8000 ACT
'94
Average Natural Flow to Sea '88
NSW

6000

VIC
4000

2000

SA
QLD ACT
0
1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020
Year
& altered flow patterns [at Albury]
Water diverted and
delivered by region
(2001/02)
2500
Ground w ater diversion
2000
01/02 Volume (GL)

Surface w ater diversion

Irrigation w ater delivery at farm gate
1500

1000

500

A
y

a
lly

n
y

A
e
ra
ee

S
si
ee

ke
ra

sp

S
ba

ur

ay
dg

nd
ur
dg

ro

y
pa
m

nr

ra
la
M
bi

B
bi

am
ea

ur
SW

Su

er
m

er
m

n
ol

M
ur

iv
ru

C
ru

pp

N
C

R
lb
ur

er
on
ur

ou

w
M
M

dd

Lo
G
er

Lo
pp
U

Totals: Water entitlements 7,734 GL Groundwater 602 GL

Surface diversion 8,608 GL Water delivered 6,656 GL
Irrigation requirement 8,367 GL Water transpired ~ 4,000 GL
 Irrigation
application
systems

Total ratio by area

Surface:sprinkler:micro
83 : 10 : 7
Base Case Water
Use Efficiency for
the MIA
Possible Improved
Water Use
Efficiency Scenario
for the MIA
Murrumbidgee
System Water
Account (1991)

…..finding water through accounting for flows, losses & uses

21 22

7
15
17 Burrinjuc k Dam
2536
2038 282
386 3924
1181 #
# 164
#
#

5125 1945
90
1217
#

-995
194 #
1880
466
2216
1096 #

D/S Balranald W eir

D/S Hay W eir
14

Dar lington Pt
1830
W agga W agga
Nar randera
Inflow / Outflow (GL)

Diversions (Gl) Blowering Dam

Evaporation (GL)

Net Change (GL)

….including channel leakage & reconfiguration

6220000
290
270
250
EM
230
6200000
210
190
170
150
6180000
130
110
90
70
6160000
50
30
One Channel Loses over 10 GL/yr 10

6140000
380000 400000 420000 440000 460000 480000
Costs of Reducing
Channel Losses

4,500

4,000

3,500
Capital Cost( $/ML) Saved

3,000

2,500

2,000

1,500

1,000

500

0
0 8000 16000 24000 32000 40000
Total (ML) Saved

Bentonite Rice Hull Ash Water Sludge

Capital investment
and total water
savings - irrigation
technologies

30000
Lateral Move
Centre Pivot (tow ed)
25000 Centre Pivot (fixed)
Subsurface Drip
Capital ($/ML)

20000

15000

10000

5000

0
40905 58305 60610 61810 63630 65385 66135 81821 82121
Total Water Savings (ML)
 On-farm
Murrumbidgee &
Coleambally Irrigation
Areas
Water Environmental
Savings Benefit
2.0 to 4.0 ML/ha
Converting
Irrigation ↓ subsurface drainage
Systems ↓ surface drainage
0.1 to 3 ML/ha
Relocating rice
to suitable
locations
1 to 4% of supply
Lining on-farm ↓ accessions to watertable
channels ↓ salinity
0.1 to 0.4 ML/ha
Laser levelling
0.2 to 2.5 ML/ha
Irrigation flow
monitoring ↓ accessions to watertable
0.1 to 3 ML/ha
Soil + ground
water monitoring
 Off-farm
Murrumbidgee &
Coleambally
Irrigation Areas
Water Environmental
Savings Benefit
reduction in recharge production and
abatement
Providing cost
ecosystem environmental benefits
services
10 to 30% increase promotion of water
in water security
Incentives for efficient community
efficient water use
20 – 50 GL
Reducing
evaporation ↓ accessions to watertable
losses ↓ salinity
15 – 70 GL
Piping channels
10 – 50 GL ↓ accessions to watertable
Sealing leaky
channels
100 – 200 GL
Closer match demand with supply
Monitoring and monitoring and
delivery delivery
Efficiencies in Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area
GL 2000/01
Shallow
Irrigation water ground- 118 Total water
(surface) water supply
Current
1630

1048 1419 Water use 87%

Off-farm 90% ET efficiency 91%
conveyance
95%
Edge of
farm 946
Irrigation On-farm 88%
water 1,300,241 Water 798t/GL
conveyance 90% productivity 836
(groundwater) tonnes
Edge of
field 836
26
Field 89%
efficiency 95%
Root $322m Economic $198K/GL
439 zone 1162 profit return $207
Rainfall

18 Applying
Regional project results 75 GL saved +$14m profit
groundwater
 SIX SIGNIFICANT
ECOLOGICAL ASSETS
FOR THE LIVING
MURRAY

• Sourcing and allocating water for the environment

• 500 GL within 5 years
• Six significant ecological assets based on remnant
vegetation, internationally significant wetlands
(Ramsar)
• River channel included
• Improve water delivery to enhance floodplain
vegetation, bird and fish populations

Based on MDBC Web site: Ministerial Council Communique Nov 2003

 Interconnecting
Aquatic System
Framework

Floodplain inundation Wetland inundation Riparian inundation

Upland
Groundwater interactions

Floodplain
Floodplain biotic Wetland biotic Riparian biotic
Out of channel Water
discharge yield

Organic material delivery

Salinity accessions Nutrients
Littoral and
Eulittoral
Interface Water
Channel quality
Decomposition
Channel discharge

Channel secondary biotic Channel primary biotic Channel structure Channel

hydrodynamics
River connections

Channel
• Flow patterns
• Channel morphology
• Habitat
River connections

Channel
• Flow patterns
• Channel morphology
• Habitat
Connectivity
• Hydrological
• Material exchange
River connections

Channel
• Flow patterns Floodplain
• Channel morphology Water Regime
• Habitat • Frequency
Connectivity • Timing
• Duration
• Hydrological
• Depth
• Material exchange
River connections

Channel
• Flow patterns Floodplain
• Channel morphology Water Regime
• Habitat • Frequency
Connectivity • Timing
• Duration
• Hydrological
• Depth
• Material exchange

Wetland Water Regimes

• Geomorphology
• Duration
River connections

Channel
• Flow patterns Floodplain
• Channel morphology Water Regime
• Habitat • Frequency
Connectivity • Timing
• Duration
• Hydrological
• Depth
• Material exchange

Groundwater Wetland Water Regimes

• recharge • Geomorphology
• Movement • Duration
• Salinity
River connections

• Primary Producers • Floodplain vegetation Community Distributions

Biotic
Outcomes • Secondary Producers • Wetland vegetation
• Fish • Fauna Biotic response curves
Channel
• Flow patterns Floodplain
• Channel morphology Water Regime
• Habitat • Frequency
Connectivity • Timing
• Duration
• Hydrological
• Depth
• Material exchange

Groundwater Wetland Water Regimes

• Recharge • Geomorphology
• Movement • Duration
• Salinity
Flow GL/day

Flood Inundation Model

Mildura Flows
1956 Flood Extent
Hattah N.P. - free flow reach

Fish echoes
 Key Ecological
Components – all
temporal & spatial
challenges
 River channel structure, nutrient turnover and biota – various flow
regimes

 Ecological benefits of floods – natural and induced

 Diversity and health of native floodplain vegetation

 Connectivity between floodplain and river habitats that maximises

productivity

 Native fish abundance [and birds] – scenarios, predictive capacity for

population projections and habitat repair strategies

Systems Complexities, Interactions & Feedback Loops to Water

Use, Water Benefits & Institutional Settings – a work in progress!
HEADLINE TO BE PLACED IN
THIS SPACE

Smart Solutions for Australia’s

Water Issues

Thank you and questions?

colin.creighton@csiro.au

Sustainable Water Management Conference

ANU September 2005