Inland Burnett Water

Water for irrigation in the Inland Burnett is limited.  Some areas have the possibility of bores but generally supply is limited and the main irrigation occurs from watercourses or bores in close proximity to watercourses.

The main irrigation areas are from the Three Moon Creek at Monto, the Burnett River at Gayndah and Mundubbera, and Barambah Creek at Murgon and Byee.  There are a number of weirs in local creeks and rivers and supply water for townships such as Mundubbera and Gayndah.

Other rivers and creeks such as the Auburn, Boyne, Burnett and Stuart Rivers, and Baker, Barambah (upstream of the Dam), Boonara and Meandu Creeks provide some surface water.  As these streams dry up, quality can become poor, particularly in the Stuart River.  Most irrigation if from bores, alongside these streams, which tap into the underground water.   Quality is usually good from these bores and flow rates vary from enough for stock water to flows adequate for large scale irrigation.  Water from bores on other soil types is very variable.  Often, if water is found, there is only sufficient for stock and domestic use, and the quality may be poor due to high levels of salt or magnesium.

Farm dams are an option to provide some irrigation water.  Sealing dams on red soils can be difficult without bringing in bentonite or suitable clay.

(O’Sullivan, Schmidt and Priaulx, 2002)