Western Davenport hydrostratigraphy

Project overview

Research investigations are being undertaken by the Northern Territory Government and the National Centre for Groundwater Research and Training to better understand how groundwater recharges and how it moves through aquifers in the Western Davenport region.

Agricultural development requires access to reliable, secure and sustainable water resources. In many parts of the Northern Territory, water is considered to be the single greatest constraint to development.

In the Western Davenport region in central Northern Territory, there are a number of groundwater systems that may be able to provide water for development. However, there is limited understanding of how the water will recharge and move across aquifers. Currently water allocations rely on very conservative estimates of how much water can be sustainably extracted.   

This project will improve our understanding of the nature and behaviour of the aquifers within the basin, and improve the modelling used to understand the impacts of extraction. Better data and modelling will improve our ability to sustainably manage the resource.  

Goals of the assessment

This project aims to increase the evidence base for water planning and allocations in the Western Davenport Water Allocation Plan area of the Northern Territory. The project will improve understanding of the underground aquifers and geology in the region. It will also support improved modelling of both surface and groundwater.

This assessment will investigate 4 key processes:

1. Hydrostratigraphy – this refers to the underground structure and materials that groundwater flows through.
2. Groundwater recharge and flow – to understand how much can be extracted. To understand how changes in one location will affect the groundwater in other parts of the aquifer, or in neighbouring aquifers.  
3. Groundwater discharge – to understand how groundwater leaves the system, including how it moves into groundwater-dependent ecosystems (GDEs).
4. GDEs – ecosystems that rely on groundwater include springs, wetlands, rivers and vegetation. Understanding GDEs is essential for groundwater management and planning.

About the Western Davenport region

The Western Davenport region is approximately 150 km south of Tennant Creek in the Northern Territory. It contains a significant groundwater resource, good soils and a suitable climate for potential horticulture development.