Palaeovalley Groundwater Resources

Last updated:7 June 2023

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Project completed 2012

Background

The National Water Commission funded Geoscience Australia to address the knowledge and management gaps that limit the use of a major source of groundwater (palaeovalley aquifers) in much of arid and semi-arid Australia. The understanding and national perspective generated through this national-scale research significantly improved Australia's capacity to effectively assess groundwater resources in palaeovalley systems. This study helped to improve the monitoring and management of these valuable resources, especially in drier areas that are almost entirely groundwater dependent.

With national water supply issues at the forefront of both government and public agenda, Geoscience Australia made a significant and lasting contribution to the exploration, understanding and management of palaeovalley groundwater resources within the arid and semi-arid zones of Australia.

Objectives

The overall objective of the Palaeovalley Groundwater Project was to develop an innovative and integrated national approach for understanding the capacity, quality, quantity and hydrological dynamics of groundwater contained in palaeovalleys across arid and semi-arid Australia.

Deliverables

This research investigation has:

  • Filled major knowledge gaps about palaeovalley groundwater resources in arid and semi-arid Australia
  • improved methodologies for determining the characteristics, volumes and sustainability of groundwater resources in palaeovalley aquifers
  • evaluated the application of non-traditional groundwater assessment methods along with more conventional methods to assess palaeovalley aquifers and their groundwater resources for remote communities, mining activities and other stakeholders and water supply applications
  • developed a conceptual and spatial framework of key palaeovalley system types and associated groundwater characteristics in diverse arid and semi-arid regions
  • developed a national strategy to delineate and manage arid-zone palaeovalley resources in respective geologic provinces or regions
  • provided new datasets, maps and guidelines to State and Territory agencies, other water managers and communities to contribute to sustainable management and use of palaeovalley groundwater resources and associated ecosystems
  • mapped the distribution of palaeovalleys across arid and semi-arid Western Australia, South Australia and the Northern Territory, and incorporated these data into Geoscience Australia’s national geological provinces dataset.

The study built on and complemented the work of the Australian Government's Onshore Energy Security Program led by Geoscience Australia.

Implementation

The Palaeovalley Groundwater Project achieved its objectives by:

  • synthesising existing data and information to distinguish palaeovalley groundwater systems and resources, including holding several national workshops with project partners to develop conceptual models of the key groundwater processes that occur in different geologic and climatic areas of Australia and in priority regions where such knowledge and water supplies are needed
  • evaluating the most appropriate and cost-effective geoscientific and hydrogeological methods for determining the hydrogeological properties of palaeovalley groundwater systems across arid and semi-arid parts of Australia
  • developing and demonstrating representative conceptual models at investigated field localities, through an integrated approach to groundwater resource quantification. This involved synthesis of existing data from mineral exploration and water resource investigations, and new information acquired from adapted remote sensing methods, diverse geophysical applications, targeted drilling and geochemical analyses. The main demonstration sites were the Paterson Province (Western Australia), the Gawler/Eucla region (South Australia), the Ti Tree Basin (Northern Territory), the Kintore/Lake Mackay area (Northern Territory) and the Murchison region (Western Australia)
  • extensively consulted to develop a national approach, national scope, and national scale information for delineating and managing groundwater in palaeovalleys across arid and semi-arid Australia.

Outputs