Water Module. Property Management Planning Risk Assessment. 1. Water Resources. Physical Characteristics or Risk. Management Practices or Needs

Transcription

1 Property Management Planning Risk Assessment Water Module 1. Water Resources Physical Characteristics or Risk 1.1 Do you have watercourses on your farm which are order 4 and below (permanent, ephemeral creeks or streams)? yes no Good management of waterways is essential to protect water quality, and prevent downstream impacts. Refer to section 5 (water quality) and the biodiversity module. 1.2 Do you currently irrigate or plan to irrigate in the future? yes likely no The water resources module and risk assessment will improve your understanding of water resource issues and legal requirements. 1.3 Do you have on farm storage dams >1ML OR dams located on a watercourse? yes no The water resources module and risk assessment will improve your understanding of water resource issues and legal requirements. Sept

2 1.4 Are all of these dams currently licensed? none some all Storage dams >1ML OR dams located on a watercourse must be licensed. If they are not or you are not sure, check with DPIPWE and apply to license unlicensed dams and unlicensed water. If the risk rating for Questions is low, then go straight to section 4 - stock water Do you know the volume of water - licensed for irrigation on your property? - available for irrigation on your property? no yes 1.5 Knowing the answer to both these questions is important for legal reasons & in order to be able to manage the available water resource. Knowing the available water resource allows successful scheduling of cropping rotations. 1.6 Are you familiar with the security and reliability of the water resources? no yes Security & reliability of water reosurces will impact the reliability of production enterprises and the likelihood of failures. If you don t understand or are of the surety of water allocations and the reliability of catchment yields, and don t understand the implications for the available water resource, then it is important to obtain advice. Sept

3 2. Water Infrastructure For your irrigation systems, do you know the - design operating pressure? - design flow rate? - design application rate i.e application rate per hour or day? 2.1 no yes Understanding your irrigation system is important so that you maximise your water use efficiency, scheduling and minimise run off and wastage. 2.2 For your irrigation systems, do you check the: - operating pressure against the design pressure? - flow rate against the design system flow rate? - application rate of your system against the design application rate (mm/application period)? rarely sometimes regularly Systems change over time, which affects the operation and potentially reduces application efficiency and increases off-site impacts. Regular monitoring enables potential problems to be dealt with before they become a major issue. Do your existing irrigation systems result in often sometimes rarely 2.3 any noticeable runoff and ponding of water after a normal irrigation event? Unsure Sept

4 For your irrigation systems, do you: - know the design distribution performance of your system/s? - measure the distribution performance of your system? Is the design distribution performance: no some all rarely sometimes regularly <60% 60-80% >80% Irrigation system distribution uniformity should be greater than 80%. Knowing and checking the distribution performance of the system allows issues to be identified before they impact on crop production or have off-site impacts. 2.4 Does the measured distribution performance closely match the design performance? no sometimes yes Sept

5 3. Irrigation Water Usage 3.1 Do you know the amount of water required to meet demands of the crops you grow? none some all Different crops will have different water demands. You need to know what these demands are to be able to plan your irrigation schedules and cropping rotations. 3.2 Do you have an irrigation scheduling system in place? If yes, what techniques are used? no yes Irrigation scheduling should take into account weather forecasts and soil moisture levels. Irrigation should be applied to achieve optimum irrigation interval to meet crop needs. 3.3 Do you use techniques to maximise water use efficiency (e.g. irrigate at night, use automated start and stop systems etc)? If yes, what techniques are used? rarely sometimes usually Techniques which maximise water use efficiency reduce production costs and can lead to increased crop yields. 3.4 Do you use strategies to manage nutrient inputs and potential losses from the crop root zone? If yes, what strategies are used? rarely sometimes usually A range of strategies can help reduce the risk of nutrient losses, including nutrient budgeting, soil and/or sap testing to determine fertiliser applications, use of grassed drains and riparian buffer strips and careful irrigation scheduling. Sept

6 3.5 Do you use strategies to reduce potential irrigation run off & ponding of low lying areas? If yes, what strategies are used? rarely sometimes usually These might include buffers between irrigated areas and areas of native vegetation or riparian areas, grassed waterways and effective irrigation scheduling. Sept

7 4. Stock & Domestic Water Usage Do you know the amount of water the stock you run require: - on a daily basis? - on an annual basis? 4.1 no yes Different classes and types of stock require different volumes of water. Knowing how much water they need is important for drought planning & stock health. 4.2 Do you know how much stock water you have available: - at maximum supply? - at minimum supply? no yes If stock water is supplied by waterholes, this may vary during the year. It is important to be able to plan grazing around water availability. 4.3 Do you have a reticulated system for stock water? no pdks some pdks all pdks Unsure Reticulated water can have many advantages over waterholes - it is more reliable, has less environmental impact & can be better for stock health. Sept

8 5. Water Audit 5.1 Are you aware of the water balance for your property the total licensed volume of water from all sources and the total required for irrigation & stock and domestic? no yes If you know the answer to Q 1.7, 3.1, 4.1 & 4.2 then you should be able to calculate this. It is critical to know if you have sufficient water to grow planned crops & livestock. 5.2 Is the available licensed water resource sufficient to meet irrigation and stock requirements? Do you understand the legal requirements attached to water licencing? no yes The use of water above the current licensed capacity would be in breach of the Water Management Act It is important to understand both the Act and what steps must be taken to comply with it. Sept

9 6. Proposed Water Usage 6.1 Are your licensed irrigation demands expected to increase in the future (e.g. due to increased irrigation area or changes in crop type, etc)? yes no Any future increase in irrigation requirements will require additional water resource to be secured. If the risk rating is high or medium please complete section 7, if it is low, go to section 8 (Water Qaulity) Sept

10 7. Water Development Options 7.1 Do you have plans to increase your irrigation entitlements? yes unlikely no If yes, then it is important to know whether this is acheivable at a realistic cost. 7.2 Do you know what other water resource options may be available for your farm? no yes If not, and you answered yes to Q 8.1 then research what viable options are available. 7.3 Are you aware of the potential impacts of climate change / variability on the availability of water resources in your catchment? no yes This is important as it may affect the viability of your rotations, if supplementary rainfall becomes less reliable. Look at the lower percentile rainfall averages for your district. 7.4 Are you aware of the regulatory requirements for accessing additional water resources? no yes If not, and you answered yes to Q 8.1, then obtain advice from a qualified water resource consultant. Sept

11 8. Water Quality 8.1 Are you familiar with the water quality issues in your catchment? no yes Poor quality water leaving your property will have implications for users downstream and the environment. Management practices onfarm can influence water quality. 8.2 Do you monitor drainage lines for: - water quality? - water volume? rarely sometimes often If potential issues are noticed early on, they can be fixed before they become a major problem. If there are large amounts of runoff following irrigation, check infrastructure and adjust the irrigation schedule. 8.3 Do you test irrigation water quality? If yes, what are the results? rarely sometimes regularly High salt levels in irrigation water can lead to crop yield reduction, significantly damage crops and have adverse effects on soils. 8.4 Do you test stock drinking water quality? If yes, what are the results? rarely sometimes regularly High salt levels in stock drinking water can lead to reduced production and adversely effect animal health. Sept

12 8.5 Is the irrigation water known to be: - acid/alkaline? - saline (electrical conductivity)? - high in N or P? - low in dissolved oxygen? - turbid? - contain heavy metals? - contain agricultural chemicals? some rarely none Take measures to assess the cause of poor water quality and develop an action plan to prevent or minimise these issues occurring. 8.6 Are fertilisers, agriculture chemicals and fuels stored so as to minimise the risk of polluting watercourses or groundwater? rarely sometimes always There is a legal obligation to store chemicals/fertiliser & fuel to prevent the risk of pollution. 8.7 Is the risk of contaminating watercourses addressed when applying and handling fertilisers, agricultural chemicals and fuels? rarely sometimes always There is a legal obligation to handle chemicals/fertiliser & fuel to prevent the risk of pollution. Sept

13 8.8 Is wastewater produced as part of crop production process? Is wastewater produced as part of on farm processing of produce? e.g. washing vegetables yes no If waste water is produced, there is a legal obligation to store it to prevent the risk of pollution. 8.9 Is wastewater adequately contained and stored on-site? no yes There is a legal obligation to store wastewater to prevent the risk of pollution If wastewater is reused is it managed and utilised in compliance with the relevant legislation and guidelines? rarely sometimes always There are laws regulating the use of wastewater to protect human health and the environment. If wastewater is being used, ensure that the relevant laws and codes of practice are known and followed. Sept

14 8.11 Are watercourses protected from uncontrolled stock access? Are off-stream or hardened drinking points provided for stock water? Has native riparian vegetation been retained or replanted along waterways? Do waterways have some vegetative cover protecting the banks? Are grassed riparian buffer strips used adjacent to waterways? Are riparian weeds found along waterways? Is bank/channel erosion occurring along waterways on your property? rarely sometimes usually often some rarely Refer to biodiversity module for more information. Sept