State of the Environment

2006

Indicator: IW-45 Groundwater management plans that consider groundwater dependent ecosystems

Data

Six major types of groundwater dependent ecosystems have been identified:

The response of groundwater dependent ecosystems to change in the key attributes (level or pressure, discharge flux, quality of water) is variable. There may be a threshold response in some cases, whereby an ecosystem collapses completely if a certain attribute value is exceeded. For example, mound spring communities supported by groundwater could cease to exist if pressure in the aquifer fell to the point where there was no further surface discharge. In other cases a more gradual change in the health, composition and/or ecological function of communities may occur as, for example, with increasing groundwater salinity or contaminant concentration.

Ecosystems dependent on groundwater face a broad range of direct and indirect threats. The main pressures are: water resource development, agricultural land use, acid sulphate soils, urban and commercial development, mining and plantation forestry.

There is wide variability between the groundwater planning processes used in each of the Australian states and territories. In Queensland and Victoria many groundwater management units are over-allocated, despite the current lack of explicit provision of water for environmental purposes.

Relative importance of some Australian groundwater ecosystems
Threat to ecosystem Vulnerability Risk Value Importance
Ecosystem Process Groundwater attribute Impact if threat realised Likelihood of threat being realised Conservation value of ecosystem Risk x Vulnerability x value  
Entirely dependent on groundwater
Mound spring ecosystems Water resource Pressure High High High High
Karstic groundwater ecosystems Water resource, agriculture, mining Level, quality High High High High
Permanent lakes and wetlands of Swan Coastal Plain Urban & commercial, water resources Level, quality High High Moderate High
Pilbara spring ecosystems Mining, water resource, agriculture Level, quality High Moderate High High
Inland mangrove near 80 Mile Beach in Western Australia No immediate threat Level High Low High High
Arid zone groundwater calcrete ecosystems Water resource, mining Level, quality High Moderate High High
Riverine aquifer ecosystems Water resource, agriculture, urban & commercial development Level, quality High High Moderate High
Marine tide influenced cave (or anchialine) ecosystems Water resource, mining Level, quality High Moderate High High
Highly dependent on groundwater
Pilbara river pool ecosystems Water resource, mining, agriculture Level, quality High Moderate Moderate High
Near shore stromatolites of coastal Western Australia Urban & commercial, water resource Level, quality High Moderate High High
Groundwater dependent wetlands of basalt plains of Western Victoria Water resource, agriculture, forestry Level, quality Moderate High Moderate High
Damplands of Swan Coastal Plain Water resource, urban & commercial Level, quality High High Moderate High
Mesophyll palm vine forests of tropical north Australia Water resource Level, flux High Low Moderate Moderate
Solution hollow swamp communities of Eyre and Yorke Peninsulas Agriculture Level, quality High Low Moderate Moderate
Permanent water hole ecosystems of rivers and lakes of Central Australian lowlands and South Australian ranges Water resource, agriculture Level, quality High Low Moderate Moderate
Melaleuca stands in upper south-east of South Australia Agriculture Level, quality High Low Moderate Moderate
Paperbark swamp forests and woodlands of tropical northern Australia Water resource Level Moderate Moderate Moderate Moderate
Base flow dependent aquatic ecosystems of uplands of south-eastern Australia Water resource, agriculture Level, flux, quality Moderate Moderate Moderate Moderate
Permanent coastal lake, dune and beachridge plain ecosystems of coastal NSW and coastal sand islands of NSW and Qld. Urban & commercial, water resource, acid sulphate soils Level, quality High High Moderate High
Phragmites and Typha communities of permanently flooded swamps and lakes of inland areas of the uplands of south-eastern Australia Water resource, agriculture Level, quality High High Moderate High
Permanent base flow dependent swamps and river pools of Kangaroo Island Water resource, agriculture Level, quality, Flux Moderate High Moderate High
Riparian swampland communities of Mount Lofty Ranges Water resource, agriculture Level, quality Moderate High Moderate High
Swan Coastal Plain damplands and sumplands with paperbark and Banksia woodlands Water resources, urban & commercial Level, quality High High Moderate High
Coastal swamp scrub sedgeland communities in the near-coastal dune systems of the Upper South East of South Australia Agriculture Level High Moderate Moderate High
Base flow dependent ecosystems in south-western Western Australia Water resources, agriculture, forestry Level, quality Moderate Moderate Moderate Moderate
Lake and riparian sedgelands, swamp heaths and bog communities in Tasmania Agriculture, water resources Level Moderate Low Moderate Moderate
Groundwater dependent seasonally-permanently waterlogged swamp heathlands, sedgelands, and Phragmites grasslands in Tasmania, where waterlogging is dependent on groundwater levels Agriculture, water resources, forestry, urban & commercial Level, quality Moderate Moderate Moderate Moderate
River pool and billabong herblands of floodplains in tropical northern Australia Mining, agriculture Level, quality Moderate Low Moderate Moderate
Base flow dependent herbland ecosystems of uplands and plateaux of northern Australia Mining, agriculture Level, flux Moderate Low Moderate Moderate
Lake ecosystems of major river systems of north-eastern Australia Agriculture Level, flux Moderate Low Moderate Moderate
Volcanic crater lakes and swamps of Cape York Peninsula Agriculture, water resource Level, quality Moderate Low High Moderate
Permanent glacial lakes supporting wet tussock and Carex grasslands and Sphagnum swamps in the south-eastern uplands No immediate threat Level High Low Moderate Moderate
Swamp heaths and sclerophyll forests of the Hawkesbury Sandstones and inland floodplains of the uplands of south-eastern Australia Water resource, agriculture, urban & commercial Level Moderate Moderate Moderate Moderate
Eleocharis and Baumea sedgelands in lagoons of the inland rivers of the south-eastern Australia Water resource, agriculture Level Moderate Moderate Moderate Moderate
Alpine bogs in the highlands of NSW and Victoria No immediate threat Level Moderate Low Moderate Moderate
Ecosystems fringing the Gippsland Lakes in eastern Victoria Agriculture, urban & commercial Level, quality Moderate Moderate Moderate Moderate
River plain grasslands on the floodplains of the North Australian Plateau Mining, agriculture Level, flux Low Low Low Low
Tropical sclerophyll forests and woodlands on the North Australian Plateau Water resource, agriculture Level Low Low Low Low
Ecosystems with opportunistic groundwater dependence
Ecosystems of the Coorong Agriculture, water resources Level, quality Moderate High High High
Ecosystems of permanent lakes and swamps at termini of inland rivers in the Central Lowlands and South Australian Ranges Agriculture, water resource Level High Moderate Moderate High
Major ocean embayments such as Port Phillip Bay Agriculture, urban & commercial, acid sulphate soils Flux, level, quality Moderate High Moderate High
Intermittent floodplain lakes of the Central Lowlands Agriculture, water resource Level, quality Moderate Moderate Moderate Moderate
Swamp sclerophyll forests on the coastal floodplains of the uplands of south-eastern Australia, and of the Lander-Barkly Tablelands Agriculture Level Moderate Moderate Moderate Moderate
Jarrah forest and Banksia woodlands of south-western WA Agriculture Level Moderate Moderate Low Moderate
Lignum shrublands on inland river systems Agriculture, water resource Level Moderate Moderate Low Moderate
Coastal mangrove and salt marsh ecosystems Agriculture, urban & commercial, acid sulphate soils Level, quality Moderate High Low Moderate

Source: Sinclair Knight Merz Pty Ltd 2001, Environmental Water Requirements of Groundwater Dependent Ecosystems, Department of the Environment and Heritage, viewed 16 Nov 2005, http://www.deh.gov.au/water/
rivers/nrhp/groundwater/chapter2.html, Table 2.1

Mound springs

There are 334 mound springs in the Great Artesian Basin, mostly in South Australia or Queensland. The ecosystems associated with these mound springs are totally dependent on artesian pressure. Significant pressure recovery has occurred in the Flinders Zone, but only moderate to minor recovery has occurred in other spring zones. The effects of pressure recovery on overall spring health is variable and may take many years to be observable.

In response to declining pressures and water levels in the Great Artesian Basin there has been the capping of many bores, the piping of drainage canals, and the restoration of some spring wetlands.

Source: Hassall and Associates Pty Ltd 2003, Review of the Great Artesian Basin sustainability initiative, Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Canberra, viewed 4 Oct 2005, http://www.affa.gov.au/content/publications.cfm?
ObjectID=07F7F8F9-DD6A-4E87-93BC79E638BBCDDB.

Number of artesian bores controlled (reconditioned, plugged, replaced, piped) under the Great Artesian Basin Sustainability Initiative

Number of artesian bores controlled (reconditioned, plugged, replaced, piped) under the Great Artesian Basin Sustainability Initiative

Source: Hassall and Associates Pty Ltd 2003, Review of the Great Artesian Basin sustainability initiative, Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Canberra, viewed 4 Oct 2005, http://www.affa.gov.au/content/publications.cfm?ObjectID=07F7F8F9-DD6A-4E87-93BC79E638BBCDDB.

What the data mean

If groundwater is to be managed according to the principle of ecological sustainable development then resources need to be managed to conserve biological diversity. This can only be if some allocation of groundwater is provided to meet the needs of dependent ecosystems.

Where surface water and groundwater interact, integrated management would be appropriate.

Data Limitations

Limited data are available on management of groundwater dependant ecosystems.

Issues for which this is an indicator and why

Inland Waters — Human response - policy and management - Management of surface and groundwaters 

The existence of groundwater management plans that consider groundwater dependent ecosystems is indicative of the extent to which this issue is receiving consideration in water management.

Other indicators for this issue:

Inland Waters — Human response - policy and management - Management of aquatic biota and biodiversity 

Groundwater dependent ecosystems represent a small, but diverse and important component of Australia's biological diversity. The existence of groundwater management plans that consider groundwater dependent ecosystems is indicative of the extent to which this biodiversity issue is receiving consideration in water policy and management.

Other indicators for this issue:

Inland Waters — Human response - policy and management - Habitat management (including wetland management) 

Groundwater management plans that consider groundwater dependent ecosystems indicate a focus on habitat management.

Other indicators for this issue:

Further Information

Key

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