Oct
2019

Irrigation from the Boyne River: the Value of Improved Water Security

The Boyne River Irrigation Area in south east Queensland includes approximately 30 irrigators growing a diverse range of agricultural products (See figure below). These include high-value horticultural field crops such as watermelons and pumpkins, perennial horticultural tree crops such as mandarins and pecans, perennial blueberry shrubs and irrigated pastures for cattle fattening. The irrigation area relies on water stored in the Boondooma Dam near the town of Proston (figure 2). However, the Tarong power station receives a large allocation (29,990 ML) of high priority water from the dam and irrigation water is 9,142ML of medium priority water. Some irrigators also have additional but quite limited on-farm water storages. Water available for irrigation is released from the dam, and it flows downstream where irrigators with a water allocation pump out of the river either directly onto crops or into on-farm storages.

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