Introduction

As resource demands and pressure increases so to do the requirements of both management and information needs. Outlined below are the key issues facing the region as determined by the State / Territory water management agency.

What is the estimated demand for surface water in Styx River?

How was this assessment undertaken in the Styx River Surface Water Management Area?

Development Potential:

This catchment is characterised by short coastal streams and no major storage sites. Land use is mainly dryland sugarcane production and grazing. Projections for expected increased demand for irrigation water for production of sugar cane have been made in Mackay Regional Water Resources Strategy Stage 2, Final Report - May 1998. Both CSR & Mackay Sugar are interested in an expansion of sugar cane lands depending on supply of water and additional milling facilities closer to the crop production areas. There is little potential for construction of storages with sufficient viable volumes in this SWMA due to the unsuitability of the topography. Therefore, to enable a major upgrade of agricultural lands for the growing of irrigated sugar cane within this basin, further investigations have been recommended to determine the exact requirements for this potential development, to assess the water allocation required from an inter-basin transfer. A further impedient to any potential development is that this SWMA drains into the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park World Heritage Area.

Management goals and objectives:

No Detailed Management Plans have yet been developed.

See QLD Water Resources Assessment 2000 Report and Water Resources Assessment 2000 Technical Report for comment on methods and assumptions.

Comments on Management Responses in the Styx River Surface Water Management Area

Current Management Response:

Desired (Current) Management Response:

2020 Management Response:

NA

2050 Management Response:

NA

See QLD Water Resources Assessment 2000 Report for comment on management responses.

Assessment of Monitoring

Efficacy of the network:

The Department of Natural Resources (Queensland) carries out extensive monitoring of the States water resources. Flows are continuously monitored and data is kept in the HYDSYS database. Water quality is continuously monitored at selected gauges and is also sampled when hydrographers visit the gauges. All quality data is stored in the HYDSYS database. This monitoring network is reviewed periodically.

All water use in the State is licensed. Use on unregulated streams and from overland flow is not measured. Use from regulated streams is metered with the meters being read at regular intervals. Data on water allocations made by the Department of Natural Resources (Queensland) is held in the WERD database. Data on water allocated by an Order in Council or a Government Act is not held in a centralised database.

All Referable Storages are licensed.

The streams in this SWMA are unregulated. This SWMA is in an isolated area with little development or potential development unless an emerging industry is found. There is currently little need for data in this area.

Data management requirements:

See the main database for additional comments on Current and Desired Management responses.

Protective management:

Any major developments, which require the use of water or are liable to effect water quality within Queensland, are required to carry out an Environmental Impact Assessment. This is required for both developed and undeveloped catchments.

Options for monitoring:

NA

See QLD Water Resources Assessment 2000 Technical Report for an assessment of monitoring

Data Availability, Gaps and Recommendations

Data Availability:

There are no stream gauges currently in operation within the SWMA. Similarly, there are no water quality monitoring stations in operation.

Current Gaps and Recommendations:

Data Gaps: No stream gauges within the SWMA. No measurement of unregulated water use. No measurement of water harvesting use. No detailed environmental flow assessment of key sites in the SWMA Recommendations:

Future Gaps:

Water resource system models are the main management decision tools which will need to be linked in the future to improve economic, financial, social and environmental response models. Good data and information are fundamental to the accuracy and validity of these tools. Some of the needs and gaps associated with this data and information are discussed below:

There is little knowledge of the land use impacts on stream flow over a period of time.

There are limited records of the quantity of water extracted from the main stream and overland flow by water harvesting.

A database is required for all water allocations other than those already contained in the WERD database. This would include all allocations made by Government Act and Order in Council.

No information is available for unregulated water use as these users do not have meters. Much of the water harvesting in the State is also unmetered unless it is on a regulated stream.

There are no stream gauges in this SWMA and consequently there is no information available for quality or flow.

See QLD Water Resources Assessment 2000 Technical Report for a review of data availability,gaps and recommendations.

Further information

• Queensland Water Resources Assessment 2000 Technical Report
• Link to data available for download on the Surface Water Management Areas
• Link to the Map Maker to make a map using this information.