Water management

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development supports dryland and irrigated industries by providing information on best practice water management in dryland and irrigated farming systems. This includes information on rainfall-runoff capture, storage and use, and management systems to prevent land degradation.

Support and knowledge on practices for irrigation as well as planning and design tools, to support farmers manage water in a changing climate, are being continually updated. Our work complements the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation’s Rural Water Planning Program, which offers incentive schemes, grants, planning and technical services, emergency water arrangements, and information on best practice water supply improvements.

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Articles

  • W drain removing water from landscape

    Suggested maximum velocities of surface water flow

    3 December 2013

    The table below provides suggested maximum velocities of surface water flow on various soils. This information can be used when designing surface water management structures.

  • Manning's roughness coefficient

    3 December 2013

    Suggested values for the Manning's roughness coefficient for designing soil and water conservation earthworks, such as grassed waterways, grade banks and shallow relief drains.

  • Growing the Pilbara details the findings of the Pilbara Hinterland Agricultural Development Initiative (PHADI). It delivers a prefeasibility level assessment of the irrigation development opportunities in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.

    Irrigation in the Pilbara

    16 January 2014

    The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) is planning for the future of irrigated agriculture development in the Pilbara

  • Drip irrigation laid out in a new orchard planting

    Converting Readily Available Water to litres for drip irrigation

    7 November 2013

    Drip irrigation is common in modern orchards. For this method of irrigation it is easier to use litres rather than the more traditional unit of millimetres when describing readily available water i

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    Jujube irrigation recommendations

    6 April 2017

    Jujubes (or Chinese dates) are a new horticultural industry in Western Australia. This page outlines recommendations for irrigating jujubes in WA.

  • DOW Water monitoring West Kimberley

    Monitoring groundwater

    30 January 2019

    Rising groundwater is a major land degradation hazard in many areas of the South West Agricultural Region of Western Australia, and results in increased salinisation.

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    Treating blue-green algae in small farm dams

    24 March 2014

    Blue-green algae blooms thrive in warm, calm, shallow bodies of water where the water is hard, alkaline and rich in nitrogen, phosphates, carbonates and organic matter.

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    Toxic algal blooms

    25 March 2014

    Blue-green algae blooms thrive in warm, calm, shallow bodies of water where the water is hard, alkaline and rich in nitrogen, phosphates, carbonates, and organic matter.

  • Irrigation at work

    Irrigation design for agriculture

    22 January 2016

    Irrigation design and management affects performance, yield and quality of crops.  Irrigation design determines the efficiency and effectiveness of water use, and therefore influences the profitabi

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    Water salinity and plant irrigation

    8 April 2014

    Irrigating crops with saline water can result in yield loss and decreased quality.

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