The Lower Canning River plan area is located to the south-east of Perth and extends from the Swan-Canning Estuary across the Swan coastal plain onto the Darling plateau.
Canning surface water resources
The Canning River is the main resource in the Canning catchment.
Surface water flows in the Canning catchment are regulated by: the Canning reservoir (on upper reaches of the Canning River), the Victoria reservoir (Upper Bickley Brook), the Wungong reservoir (Southern-Wungong River) and the Churchman reservoir (Churchman Brook).
Water planning in the Canning catchment
The department released the Lower Canning River surface water areas allocation plan for public comment on 16 September 2010. The three month comment period closed on 3 December 2010.
The department will respond to all submissions in a statement of response. The statement of response summarises the issues and questions raised during the public comment period and how we will address them. It will also show how we have used comments to improve the plan. We will release the statement of response document with the final plan, which we expect to release in early 2011.
The plan contains allocation limits that define how much water can be abstracted from the water resource units each year. It includes policies for how we will allocate and manage water resources and informs how we will monitor, measure and evaluate the objectives of the plan.
Why has the department prepared a water management plan?
The flows in the upper part of the Canning River have been stored to provide water for the Integrated Water Supply Scheme since 1940. Water released to the lower Canning River provides for riparian and licensed use and contributes to maintaining some ecological character of the highly modified system.
The purpose of the plan is to set a new approach to managing the release of water available in the lower Canning to best meet key ecological needs.
The allocation plan provides:
- Our approach to managing the flow regime, including supplementing the river flows with scheme water to support the ecological values of the resource
- Our approach for managing take of water
- Objectives for surface water in the lower Canning River surface water area
How can I access the information on the Canning River that the department has produced?
A major piece of work that has been completed as part of the planning process is an investigation into the flow regimes required to maintain the ecology of the river. Flow regimes aim to maintain or improve the existing ecology from increasing pressure due to urban expansion, changing land use, water abstraction and reduced rainfall.
We are committed to making our technical information that is used in the planning process available to the public.
The Ecological Water Requirements for the Lower Canning River details the studies undertaken to determine the ecological water requirements of the lower Canning River.
Please click on the links to access the following documents:
Allocation plan and supporting documents
Lower Canning River surface water allocation plan : for public comment (below Canning Dam to Kent St Weir)
Publish Date: 16/09/2010
Ecological reports
Ecological study of the lower Canning River environmental water releases (below Canning Dam to Kent Street Weir)
Publish Date: 12/11/2010
Ecological water requirements for the Lower Canning River (below Canning Dam to Kent St Weir)
Publish Date: 15/09/2010
Environmental values, flow related issues and objectives for the Canning River, Western Australia : from the Canning Dam to Kent St Weir
Publish Date: 21/08/2006
Further information
For licensing information, please contact the Swan Avon Regional office in Victoria Park. Phone 08 6250 8000, or visit the Water regions website.
For planning information, please contact the Department of Water's Water Allocation Planning branch. Phone 08 6364 7600 or email allocation.planning@water.wa.gov.au.