Indicator: IW-02 Annual water storage

Data

Number and storage capacity of large dams - 2001
	NSW	Vic.	Qld	SA	WA	Tas.	NT	ACT	Aust.
Number	135	97	99	29	49	86	3	3	501
Volume (ML)	25,769,780	12,271,626	10,469,325	260,848	12,207,839	32,401,758	275,360	91,700	93,748,236

Source: Australian National Committee on Large Dams Incorporated 2004, Register of Large Dams in Australia, viewed 11 Jan 2005, http://www.ancold.org.au/dam_register.html

Source: Environment ACT 2004, Think water, act water. Volume 3: State of the ACT's water resources and catchments, Australian Capital Territory, Canberra, viewed 4 Oct 2005, http://www.thinkwater.act.gov.au/strategy/draft_strategy.shtml

Capacities and levels of selected storages in eastern Australia
			Level of storage
Name of storage	River	Capacity	July 2001	July 2002	July 2003
		ML	%	%	%
New South Wales
Hume dam	Murray	3,038,000	43	23	20
Menindee lakes	Darling	1,678,160	117	22	4
Blowering dam	Murrumbidgee	1,631,410	55	31	15
Copeton dam	Gwydir	1,361,720	62	38	13
Wyangla dam	Lachlan	1,220,000	76	41	9
Burrendong dam	Macquarie	1,188,000	86	39	10
Burrinjuck dam	Murrumbidgee	1,026,000	40	27	8
Keepit dam	Namoi	425,500	72	21	16
Pindari dam	Severn/Macintyre	312,000	100	65	28
Snowy	Snowy	5,307,000	55	59	35
Total New South Wales		19,015,000	74	49	24
Queensland
Fairbairn dam	Nogoa	1,301,000	73	53	25
Glenlyon dam	Dumaresq/Severn	254,310	54	49	11
Callide dam	Callide river	136,300	18	10	24
Leslie dam	Condamine	106,200	35	12	7
Beardmore dam	Balonne	81,700	71	58	87
Total Queensland		6,887,580	72	60	52
Victoria
Dartmouth dam	Mitta Mitta/Murray	3,907,950		82	29
Lake Eildon	Goulburn	3,390,000		23	12
Warranga	Goulburn	411,000		49	23
Lake Mokoan	Broken	365,000		41	22
Eppalock	Campaspe	312,000		28	7
		15,702,000		45	22

Source: Hanna, N 2003, 'The Irrigation Drought: Implications for irrigators in 2003-04', Australian Commodities, vol. 10, no. 3, pp. 396-401, viewed 4 Oct 2005, http://www.abareonlineshop.com/product.asp?prodid=12584 Table 1, p. 398

Percent capacities of selected storages in eastern Australia

Source: Derived from data in Source: Hanna, N 2003, 'The Irrigation Drought: Implications for irrigators in 2003-04', Australian Commodities, vol. 10, no. 3, pp. 396-401, viewed 4 Oct 2005, http://www.abareonlineshop.com/product.asp?prodid=12584 Table 1, p. 398

End-of-month water storage volumes for metropolitan Melbourne and rural Victoria, July 2000-Nov 04

Source: Office of the Commissioner for Environmental Sustainability - Victoria (unpubl. Data) 2005, End-of-month water storage volumes for metropolitan Melbourne and rural Victoria, July 2000-Nov 04, Contact Person: Jane Tovey Program Manager, Office of the Commissioner for Environmental Sustainability, Email: Jane.Tovey@ces.vic.gov.au, viewed N/A, www.ces.vic.gov.au

Surface water stocks - 2000
	NSW	Vic.	Qld	SA	WA	Tas.	NT	Aust.
Mean annual run-off (ML/yr)	41 926 000	20 188 300	157 208 576	1 936 800	43 133 800	45 582 113	75 428 200	385 923 826
Developed yield (ML)	6 010 171	6 326 240	3 244 024	750 808	856 754	3 542 690	54 383	20 870 270

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics 2004, Water Account Australia 2000-2001,, Australian Bureau of Statistics, viewed 23 Nov 2005, http://www.abs.gov.au/Ausstats/abs@.nsf
/Lookup/D828F04237840B07CA256F4C007155B3, Table 10.9, p. 98

What the data mean

Many storages are at low levels because of the prolonged drought in parts of Australia.

Data Limitations

The volume of water captured by farm dams is likely to be significant, but it has not been estimated on a national or regional scale.

Issues for which this is an indicator and why

Inland Waters - Catchment scale influences - Hydrological condition - Surface-water availability and human use

Because of the highly seasonal nature of streamflows and the severity of droughts in Australia, a large number of major reservoirs have been built to ensure a reliable supply of water for uses including drinking water, hydroelectricity, irrigation and recreation. The growth in total water storage has declined significantly since the mid-1980s. This is partly because the most economically efficient sites for water storage have already been developed and because attitudes have changed towards major storages and their potential effects on river flows and floodplain habitats. Nationwide, there has been a growing community resistance to the building of dams because of their effects on the natural environment.

Storages on rivers can act as barriers to the movement of fish and other species up and down river systems. Storages can also create the potential for cold water pollution from releases of cold water. These are discussed in other indicators.

Other indicators for this issue: