Salinity - Monitoring - Queensland
Queensland
Monitoring now and in the future
Further information will be provided after the next Atlas update (May/June 2001).
What is being monitored
Queensland
Responsibility
The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has primary responsibility for the assessment, monitoring and management of dryland salinity in Queensland. Within the DNR, the Salinity and Catchment Hydrology Group (SalCon) is responsible for research into both dryland and irrigation salinity.
Mapping of land salinisation
Statewide estimates of the extent of dryland salinity in Queensland are based on a questionnaire sent to regional extension officers from the Department of Natural Resources (then the Department of Primary Industries) (Gordon, 1990). Current extent estimates were based on areas nominated as severely affected by dryland salinity, displaying features such as scalds or prominent yield decline. The report includes information at district and regional scale (1:250 000). Some estimates in the report were updated to 1994.
More recent assessment of salinity extent has been conducted for the Murray-Darling Basin catchments of Queensland in the Murray Darling Basin Salinity Audit. The Salinity Audit estimated potentially waterlogged land by superimposing groundwater levels on hydrogeomorphic units. However, reliability is constrained by limited groundwater data for shallow aquifers, poor quality of groundwater data, and the lack of a high resolution digital elevation model. Similar problems were encountered in attempts to map current salinity extent for the Dryland Salinity theme of the National Land and Water Resources Audit. Therefore, salinity hazard rather than current extent was mapped for most of the state (Gordon, 2000).
Several small-scale studies have mapped salinity extent using airborne electromagnetics, interpretation of satellite imagery and ground-based electromagnetics. These studies have generally been funded from federal sources such as the Natural Heritage Trust.
Groundwater monitoring
The main source of groundwater level data in Queensland is DNR's Groundwater Database, which contains records for all licensed and many unlicensed bores across the state. It also contains data from monitoring bores in irrigation areas and other key groundwater resource areas.
This database was established to manage groundwater extraction and it is often inappropriate for monitoring shallow watertables and, hence, dryland salinity. Problems with using the DNR's Groundwater Database for dryland salinity assessment include:
- a lack of accurate bore location data;
- inadequate bore logs, particularly in the upper 50m;
- bores not maintained;
- bore casing not open in the top 50 m;
- limited water level data, with a majority of bores having only one or two water level records;
- limited water quality data.
The only area of the state where sufficient data exist to map groundwater levels on a catchment-wide basis is the Condamine-Balonne and Border Rivers catchments.
The spatial distribution of the bores in the Groundwater Database with respect to Australian Water Resources Council basins is summarised in Table C.1. Figure C.1 shows the distribution of bores in relation to local (light grey), intermediate (mid grey) and regional (dark grey) groundwater flow systems.
In addition to Queensland's Groundwater Database, there are several hundred bores targeted specifically at monitoring shallow groundwater systems for waterlogging and salinity. These are located in specific problem areas or to monitor the impacts of revegetation or tree management strategies. With some exceptions, data have been collected on an ad hoc or project basis with little ongoing data collection or central data storage beyond immediate project needs. These additional data could be tapped in a future salinity monitoring program.
Table C-1: Distribution of Groundwater Monitoring Bores in Groundwater Flow Systems in Queensland
| Basin Number | Basin Name | Region Name | kmē per monitoring Bore - Local GFS | kmē per monitoring Bore - Intermediate GFS | kmē per monitoring Bore - Regional GFS | kmē per monitoring Bore - Entire Basin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 136 | BURNETT RIVER | BURNETT | 14 | 9 | 143 | 91 |
| 138 | MARY RIVER (QLD) | MARY | - | 8 | 821 | 283 |
| 140 | NOOSA RIVER | MARY | 2 | - | 55 | 29 |
| 141 | MAROOCHY RIVER | MARY | 1 | - | - | 44 |
| 143 | BRISBANE RIVER | BRISBANE | - | 2 | - | 49 |
| 145 | LOGAN-ALBERT RIVERS | GOLD COAST | 1 | 0 | 19 | 3 |
| 416 | BORDER RIVERS | BORDER RIVERS | 3 | 26 | 343 | 197 |
| 130 | FITZROY RIVER (QLD) | FITZROY (QLD) | 10 | 3 | 373 | 82 |
| 422 | CONDAMINE-CULGOA RIVERS | CONDAMINE | 3 | 8 | 164 | 91 |
| 417 | MOONIE RIVER | BORDER RIVERS | - | - | 1051 | 1278 |
| 132 | CALLIOPE RIVER | CURTIS | - | 0 | - | 28 |
Figure C-1: Queensland Monitoring Bore Network
Surface water monitoring
The Department of Natural Resources and Mines records stream levels, measures flow and collects water samples for laboratory analysis. All data are stored on their HYDSYS database.
The stream height and stream flow records cover 1145 and 1055 sites respectively and the earliest data dates back to 1909. In 2001, 434 sites were being monitored.
Water samples have been collected for analysis since 1960. The analyses include major ions and nutrients (filtered and unfiltered). 1726 sites have samples collected for analysis which include EC. Approximately 162 sites are in the water quality monitoring program and 167 sites are currently collecting continuous EC data. The continuous EC monitoring began in 1992.
Data summaries are available for all sites on the WaterShed website.
Mapping of Land cover/Land use
Queensland's Statewide Landcover and Trees Study (SLATS) monitors statewide changes in land cover based on satellite imagery (DNR, 2000). The purpose is to improve the greenhouse gas inventory for the land use and forestry sector in Queensland and to provide information for review of vegetation management policies. Key components of the SLATS project are:
- the development of a satellite based monitoring system using Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) satellite imagery for 1988, 1991, 1995, 1997 and 1999 to detect change in woody vegetation cover across the entire State;
- an analysis of clearing in Queensland based on Landsat Multi Spectral Scanner (MSS) satellite imagery for 1972, 1980 and 1984 to provide improved estimates of regrowth area cleared and historical clearing rates;
- mapping the extent of woodlands in Queensland by conducting a detailed baseline land cover survey using 1991 TM satellite imagery.
DNR has mapped land use at 1:25,000 for the Fitzroy Basin for the Fitzroy Implementation Project of the NLWRA. The Bureau of Rural Sciences has contracted DNR to map a large proportion of the state as part of a national land use mapping program.
Salinity Impacts
The NLWRA salinity report for Queensland summarised key assets at risk from salinity by intersecting the salinity current extent and future predictions maps with land use (Gordon, 2000).
Future Extent
Salinity hazard was assessed for the NLWRA Dryland Salinity theme based on available datatsets for geology, soils, elevation, land use change and potential excess rainfall (Gordon, 2000).
What type of monitoring is needed for Australia?
If we are to make informed decisions about how to prioritise our investment in salinity, and how to assess the effectiveness of investments, we need to be equipped with sufficient, good quality data that enable us to answer some fundamental questions at the catchment scale.
- How effective have management activities been?
- What is the likely future extent/severity/impact of salinity?
- What is the contribution to improving groundwater level of any salinity management investment?
- What investments are likely to deliver the most effective changes to water balance and over what time frame?
- How are systems-such as in-stream water quality, wetlands and soils-responding to improvements in groundwater level?
- What are the minimum components for an effective Australia-wide dryland salinity assessment and monitoring program?
We need:
- an analytical framework based on our understanding of hydrogeological processes controlling salinity, including timescales and spatial extents;
- evaluation methods and appropriate data (including indirect and surrogate indicators) that allow continuing evaluation of land management responses; the methods must enable the linking of biophysical, social and economic dimensions;
- consistent design and standards for data collection; and
- a capability to collect and manage data, and to produce information and assessments from this data.
Link to national overview of: What type of monitoring is needed for Australia?
Further information
- Dryland Salinity Evaluation and Monitoring Report
- Queensland Dryland Salinity Assessment 2000 report
- Australian Dryland Salinity Assessment 2000 report
- National Technical Overview Report of the State-based dryland salinity assessments
- Australian Groundwater Flow Systems Report
- Queensland Department of Natural Resources
- National Dryland Salinity Program
- National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality
Link to the Map Maker to make a map using this information.
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