Reports, Working and Technical Papers

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Browsing Reports, Working and Technical Papers by Subject "Alice Springs"
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    The hydrogeology of the Rocky Hill Region, Northern Territory
    (National Centre for Groundwater Research and Training, Flinders University, 2020-06) Cook, Peter ; Wischusen, J ; Knapton, A
    The Rocky Hill area has been identified as a potential future bore field for Alice Springs town water supply, and in 1996 NT Portion 4704 was set aside for that purpose. The area has been the focus of several hydrogeological investigations over the past 50 years, most recently in 1998-2000 (Read and Paul, 2000, 2002). The current report updates the hydrogeological characterisation of this area, based on drilling and sampling of new test production bores within NT Portion 4704, and water level, geochemistry and geophysical surveys carried out within the Rocky Hill region within the last 20 years. This data will be used in a groundwater model which will assess the long-term sustainability of Rocky Hill as a future water supply for Alice Springs. The groundwater model will be the focus of a subsequent report.
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    The potential impact of irrigated agriculture on groundwater quality in the Rocky Hill Region, Northern Territory
    (National Centre for Groundwater Research and Training, Flinders University, 2017-02) Cook, Peter ; Knapton, A ; White, N
    Alice Springs’ public water supply is currently largely sourced from the Roe Creek borefield, located approximately 15 km south‐southwest of the town, in the north‐eastern section of the Amadeus Basin. However, at current extraction rates, water levels at Roe Creek are expected to decline beyond economical pumping depths by approximately 2050. By this time, it is expected that much of Alice Springs’ public water supply will be derived from a borefield within the Rocky Hill region. NT Portion 4704 was acquired by the Power and Water Corporation (PWC) for this purpose in 1996. Undoolya Rocky Hill Agricultural Block (NT Portion 1476) is located immediately northeast of NT Portion 4704, and the two blocks share a common boundary. Fodder crops have been grown intermittently on the agricultural block under centre pivot irrigation since the 1970s, with intensification of irrigation since 2002 when grapes were planted in the southeast of the block. Currently, there are about 60 ha of irrigated vineyards at this site. Proposals have been developed for expansion of onions onto areas of Undoolya Pastoral Lease, immediately south of the current vineyard development, and a water licence to facilitate this development has been granted.