Water considerations

Clare_PWR

Water is a critical asset for the people and natural biodiversity of the Yorke and Mid North region. Both surface and groundwater resources sustain the region’s economic production and the environment. The quality of the water in many areas is saline enough to limit its suitability for many economic uses and therefore limits the degree of extraction. The Clare Valley Prescribed Water Resource is the only prescribed resource in the Northern and Yorke NRM Region.

The Prescribed Area covers an area of approximately 700 km2 located some 100 km to the north of Adelaide. Approximately 5,000 people live in the Clare Valley region, with most people living in the townships of Clare, Auburn, Mintaro, Watervale, sevenhill, Leasingham and Penwortham. Clare is the largest town, providing most of the commercial and business services in the region.

Although the name of the Prescribed Area suggests a single valley, the Prescribed Area is actually made up of numerous small catchments in what has been described as an elevated plateau. The topography of the Prescribed Area is characterised by the ridges and valleys of the northern Mount Lofty Ranges. The major watercourses of the Prescribed Area are the Hill and Hutt Rivers that drain to the north into the Broughton River and the Eyre Creek and the Wakefield River that drain to the south. The Wakefield River and Broughton River catchments are hydrologically (surface water and watercourses) and almost hydrogeologically (underground water) separate.

(Source- Northern and Yorke NRM Board)

Key external links for further information

Link icon Northern and Yorke NRM Board - Water Allocation Planning

Link icon Department for Water - Water Licensing and Trade