South East Regional Water Balance Model Historical Groundwater Extraction Dataset 1970-2013

Full description

As part of the Goyder Institute for Water Research funded South East Regional Water Balance project, a historical groundwater extraction dataset was produced for a large portion of the South East of South Australia. The objective of the dataset was to provide inputs for a regional groundwater flow model.

The basis for the dataset was a metered groundwater extraction dataset for 2009-2013, provided by DEWNR. The metered dataset contained 3,812 metered groundwater extraction records. A quality check removed obvious errors and issues with inconsistent reading dates. Meter records were merged where they related to the same extraction well but different time periods. The extraction records were then assigned locations. Geographical coordinates were assigned to the meter records based on meter position data provided by DEWNR. Meter position data was not available for 1,032 wells, so the extraction volumes for these wells were distributed evenly across those wells with geographical coordinates in the corresponding groundwater management areas. This ensured that water balances were correct at least at the management area scale, but provides a source of error, particularly if this dataset is to be used in local scale groundwater models.

Extraction commencement dates were assigned to the meter records using a variety of methods with varying uncertainty associated with them. Historical groundwater extraction from 1970 to 2014 was then estimated using the average annual groundwater extraction rate for an individual bore was assumed to be constant over time. Records for the metered period (2009/10 – 2012/13) were applied to preceding years since extraction commenced at each location.
This study was supported by The Goyder Institute for Water Research.

Date coverage: 1970 - 2013
Location:
- South East of South Australia.
- GDA94 MGA Zone 54 Approx. E377,300 m, N5,770,000 m in the south-west and E565,300 m, N5,994,000 m in the north-east.