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