2.3.2.3 Surface water

The Maranoa-Balonne-Condamine subregion includes the river basins of the Condamine-Balonne River (including the Maranoa River) and Moonie River, and the portion of the Border river basin that is located in Queensland (see the context statement (companion product 1.1 for the Maranoa-Balonne-Condamine subregion (Welsh et al., 2014))).

Most rivers in the Maranoa-Balonne-Condamine subregion are temporary, with ephemeral or intermittent surface water flow that varies between seasons and years. Apart from a few wet months (October to April), most watercourses (except the Dawson River), have zero or close to zero flows. Therefore, any potential discharge from developments to these rivers could have a significant effect on the instream and riparian environments. Disposal into surface waters is not a preferred option under Queensland’s Environmental Protection Act 1994 (DEHP, 2012). As there will be little or no natural streamflow for most days of the year, the quality of released water also remains potentially unchanged (undiluted) at downstream locations in these temporary streams. However during the dry season, it is likely that concentration of dissolved salts may rise due to evapoconcentration. Water management of CSG operations and coal mines in the subregion is described in Section 2.3.4.

Last updated:
16 October 2018
Thumbnail of the Maranoa-Baloone-Condamine subregion

Product Finalisation date

2016
PRODUCT CONTENTS