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Preliminary assessment of the managed aquifer recharge potential in the Wilcannia region, northwest New South Wales, Australia.

Created 16/10/2025

Updated 16/10/2025

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In northwestern New South Wales (NSW), communities on the Upper Darling–Baaka River have a heavy reliance on surface water, resulting in inadequate water security during drought. This high level of water insecurity affects economic prospects, community welfare, and the environment. As part of the Exploring for the Future program, Geoscience Australia in partnership with the NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, undertook a study with the aim of improving groundwater system and aquifer understanding, and to identify potential groundwater resources and management options. As part of the project, a new airborne electromagnetic (AEM) survey consisting of 25,000 km line kilometres from Wilcannia to Bourke and Brewarrina was acquired. Integrating the AEM data with borehole water chemistry, hydrodynamics and geophysical data, such as surface magnetic resonance, supported the presence of four potential Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) targets upstream of Wilcannia with a sand-rich aquifer and low salinity groundwater. One of the four MAR targets has been recommended for a follow-up pilot study owing to its proximity to Wilcannia and the availability of existing infrastructure, such as electricity. Potential sites within the target area were also identified as potential locations for riverbank filtration and aquifer storage and recovery wells.

The project highlights the potential for alternative water supply options such as MAR, which can supplement traditional water supply to improve climate resilience for town water supply.

Presented at the 2025 International Association of Hydrogeologists (IAH) Conference

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Field Value
Title Preliminary assessment of the managed aquifer recharge potential in the Wilcannia region, northwest New South Wales, Australia.
Language eng
Licence Not Specified
Landing Page https://data.gov.au/data/dataset/f7733b91-466e-4268-bc64-fb07eb67c470
Contact Point
Geoscience Australia Data
clientservices@ga.gov.au
Reference Period
Geospatial Coverage
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
{
  "coordinates": [
    [
      [
        140.0,
        -38.0
      ],
      [
        154.0,
        -38.0
      ],
      [
        154.0,
        -28.0
      ],
      [
        140.0,
        -28.0
      ],
      [
        140.0,
        -38.0
      ]
    ]
  ],
  "type": "Polygon"
}
Data Portal Geoscience Australia

Data Source

This dataset was originally found on Geoscience Australia "Preliminary assessment of the managed aquifer recharge potential in the Wilcannia region, northwest New South Wales, Australia.". Please visit the source to access the original metadata of the dataset:
https://ecat.ga.gov.au/geonetwork/srv/eng/csw/dataset/preliminary-assessment-of-the-managed-aquifer-recharge-potential-in-the-wilcannia-region-northw