| |
|
|
All Current and Past Media Releases
|
Media Release - Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources Orange: 14 September 2005 DNR ACTS TO PROTECT CENTRAL WEST WATER SUPPLIES The Department of Natural Resources has announced contingency plans to protect water supplies for the Central West region’s towns and rural stock and domestic users should drought conditions continue.
Central West Regional Director, Axel Tennie, said if the current predictions for the drought continue to prove correct, procedures will be put in place to limit pumping from unregulated rivers and streams in the region.
“The Department has been concerned for some time now about the effect the ongoing drought conditions are having on our streams. Demand for water for irrigation coupled with limited rainfall has placed stress on our streams and groundwater supplies,” said Mr Tennie.
“We recognise there is a high level of concern that if rain doesn’t fall during spring, people will have their water supplies placed in jeopardy. Our priorities are to protect the ecosystems of our streams, people’s domestic and stock water, and town water supplies first.”
If rainfall between 1st August and 31st October 2005, remains below average irrigation pumping will be suspended until conditions improve.
The suspensions will apply to all licences held for irrigation on unregulated streams within the Central West region with specific exemptions.
It is also proposed to suspend irrigation pumping from specific bores in shallow aquifers immediately south west of Narromine, in the Grawlin Plains area, and the Bland Paleochannel south of Forbes.
The Campbells River downstream of Ben Chifley Dam, the Macquarie River to Bathurst town water supply pumps, and the Macquarie River downstream of Oxley Station would all be exempted due to the influence of regulated flows from major storages.
Those streams within the Upper Castlereagh River and Mandagery Creek Water Sharing Plan areas would also be dealt with separately in accordance with provisions of those plans.
Licences which authorise irrigation from farm dams in the catchment areas of streams and rivers will also be exempt from the suspension of irrigation. This is in recognition of the fact that the water stored in those dams should be available to the licence holder.
“I realise the measures are a significant restriction on irrigation pumping, however the conditions currently being experienced are unprecedented. It is important that refuge habitat in pools is not continually subject to pumping to protect those species for times when better flows return,” Mr Tennie said.
“The Department will continue to monitor the situation to ensure that should suspensions be put in place, they are lifted at the earliest possible opportunity.”
© NSW Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources
|
|||||||||||||||