Enhancement of hydrological monitoring and data management in Western Australia

Liz WesternA/Director Regional Management and Water Information

Western Australia’s key challenges•

WA is a State with vast distances–

Disbursed monitoring networks

–

3G coverage focused on major population centres in SW

–

high Satellite call costs–

Harsh environments

•

Reliance on groundwater–

High cost of drilling and maintaining bores

–

Vandalism and other hazards–

Age of monitoring network 3G coverage

Kimberley / Pilbara Gorges, tree lined channels, open spinifex plains

Wet season monsoons, storms and cyclones (Kimberley) Cyclones and storms (Pilbara)

Mid West Shallow valleys, light tree cover

Moderated winter fronts, summer storms and cyclones

South West / South Coast Forested valleys

Winter fronts and summer storms

BOM assistance 2007-2010•

2007-08 -

$1,485,770

•

2008-09 -

$2,218,322•

2009-10 -

$1,881,265

TOTAL $5,585,357Department of Water

Water Corporation

Department Environment and Conservation

Department of Agriculture and Food

Forest Products Commission

Ord Irrigation Cooperative

BOM funded projects 2007-2010•Equipment Purchases 12 projects•Data transfer & system improvements

9 projects

•Improved monitoring coverage

9 projects

•Data improvement 6 projects•Data capture/backlogs 3 projects•Telemetry 6 projects

•Spatial data capture 3 projects

•SWIC and NWAC 3 projects

•Other 2 projects

Highlights•

Equipment Purchases–

Low, medium & high flow gauging equipment

–

Acoustic dopplers

& powered travellerways–

Toughbooks

for infield data capture

–

Upgrading of ageing toroid EC sensors

Highlights•

Data transfer and system improvements–

WIN database upgrade

–

Water Corporation PI system improvements

–

Agriculture WA Agbores

upgrade–

Centralised DEC historical data collection and transfer

Highlights•

Improved monitoring coverage–

Canning river meteorological & hydrological monitoring

–

FPC install 4 streamflow

monitoring sites–

Establish new, refurbish & reconfigure existing gauging stations in the Midwest

–

Re-establish stream gauging at long term catchments Shannon (1963-99) and Gardner (1964-99) rivers (Climate change/Wild rivers)

Highlights•

Data improvement–

Surface geometry data capture at 4 Pilbara gauging stations

–

Bore details audit–

Semi-automated data validation process for Hydstra

files to improve timeliness of data availability eliminating backlogs

Highlights•

Data improvement (continued)–

Refinement of Discharge Ratings using new technologies such as LIDAR (aerial survey) and RTK (Hand-held satellite communications).

–

Major mid-west flood warning catchments are now rated –

previously impossible (Irwin Moore)

Highlights•

Telemetry–

Loggers & telemetry at 10 monitoring bores Carnarvon

–

Loggers & telemetry at 26 monitoring bores in Northern Gnangara Mound

–

Further expand the number of loggers & telemetry on bores in the Gnangara Mound

–

Five Neon satellite systems in the Kimberley and NextG

in Perth

Highlights•

Spatial data capture–

Improve reservoirs geodatabase

for WA

–

Capture drainage datasets for the Swan-Canning catchment

Highlights

•

SWIC•

NWAC

State Commitments•

State Water Accounting team of 3

•

Biological module for WIN database (joint NWC)

•

Metering project & centralisation of meter data into WIN

•

State network of 350 gauging stations – 50% telemetered and data available at

www.water.wa.gov.au

1997

19981999

2000

2001

2002

20032004

2005

2006

20072008

-3.75

-3.50

-3.25

-3.00

-2.75

-2.50

-2.25

-2.00

-1.75

-1.50

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Ave

rage

Gro

undw

ater

Lev

el (m

)

State Commitments•

State network of 3000 bores –

data

collection an increased focus•

Ongoing project to capture accession report data into WIN

•

Service 3,000 data requests pa –

majority from commerce, consultants and private stakeholders

•

95 staff working in Water Information Collection, Data Management and Provision

•

$5.5 million annual maintenance budget

State Commitments

•

Hydrography training program