Paroo catchment

Snapshot

The landscape and its water

The Paroo is a series of waterholes, lakes and wetlands, some which remain permanently wet. With major rainfall, breakouts occur along the watercourses causing widespread flooding across the plains. In wet years, the lower Paroo receives flows from the Warrego River system via Cuttaburra Creek. In very wet years, the waters of the Paroo will flow to reach the Darling River, between Louth and Wilcannia.

The elevation of the Paroo's headwaters in the Warrego Range is around 330 metres. At the southern end of the catchment, the floodplains have an elevation of around 100 metres. Annual rainfall is low, with averages of 200–400 mm across the catchment. Most of the rain falls in the north of the catchment and occurs in summer and autumn. Evaporation in the region is high.

The Paroo region is underlain by shallow alluvial and sandstone aquifers. Shallow groundwater is generally saline and supply is unreliable. The deeper confined aquifers of the Great Artesian Basin also lie beneath the catchment, supplying the bulk of groundwater used in the region. Artesian springs are a feature through the region, including the Eulo artesian springs supergroup, which is a collection of more than 40 springs scattered in the area south-west of Eulo.

Living in the catchment

The Paroo catchment is home to few people – less than 0.1% of the population of the Basin. They live on large agricultural holdings or in small settlements such as:

Explorers passed through the region in the 1840s but it was not until the 1860s that pastoralists took up land, with livestock grazing only becoming viable thanks to demand from the goldfields and links to settled areas through river transport on the Darling. European settlement was along the river courses to ensure water supplies for people and livestock.

First Nations cultural heritage 

The lands of the Paroo catchment have been important to First Nations people for over 25,000 years. Many First Nations people have a connection with the region, and their history, culture and livelihoods are intertwined with its river systems. The Paroo catchment includes (or borders) the traditional lands of the Bidjara, Budjiti, Gwamu/Kooma, Kunja, Mardigan and Murrawarri Nations.

Industry and agriculture

The income of the population comes from grazing of beef cattle and sheep for wool production, or associated employment, and retail and services to the local population. Goat production is a developing livestock industry in the region. There are few irrigated crops, and crop production is small – providing supplementary feed for livestock.

Tourism in the region is supported by natural attractions such as wetlands and national parks. Local government in the region is supporting growth in the tourism industry to diversify the local economy.

Opals are mined in the southern parts of the catchment, especially around White Cliffs.

Generally, groundwater resources within the region are of poor water quality and are not suitable for large-scale irrigation. Water from the Great Artesian Basin is a more reliable source for domestic and stock water. As a result, agriculture and industry uses little surface water or other groundwater in the region.

Regulation of water in the catchment

The Paroo River is mostly unregulated but some water is taken from the river by diversion of flow or overland flows. Water is held in weirs or large, shallow earthen storages located on the floodplain, known as 'ring tanks' or 'turkey nest' dams. 

According to the 2016 Queensland water resource plan for the region, the Paroo catchment average end-of-system flow (assuming full usage of entitlements) is estimated to be just 1% less than the flows experienced in the system prior to any water resource development. At least 99% of the average 'without development' water in the Queensland section must flow into New South Wales. Because of this, development of water regulation resources is not likely in the foreseeable future.

Ecosystems

Lakes Numalla and Wyara within the Currawinya National Park are wetlands of international importance. Lake Numalla holds fresh water but Lake Wyara’s water is saline.

The region is a habitat for many animal and plant species, including a diverse range of waterbirds, as well as for many fish species, including a genetically distinct population of golden perch.

Yantabulla Swamp is part of the Cuttaburra Basin system, which covers more than 37,000 hectares and sources its water from the Cuttaburra Creek and Paroo River. It is the most important waterbird breeding site in north-west New South Wales.

Plants

Mulga scrub and shrubland are the main vegetation types on the plains of the Paroo catchment. Eucalypt and gidgee fringe the river and streams. The dominant eucalypt species in the catchment are river red gum, coolabah and poplar box. 

In the lower reaches of the catchment many types of wetland vegetation are found, including:

River health

The Sustainable Rivers Audit 2 (2012) reported on rivers in the Basin. 

Updated information about the health of specific rivers will be available when the Sustainable Rivers Audit 3 is undertaken. Funding to reinstate this program was announced as part of the October 2022 Australian Government budget.

See the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water October 2022 Budget fact sheets for more information.