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Queensland Lake Eyre and Bulloo Freshwater Biogeographic Province

Queensland Lake Eyre and Bulloo Freshwater Biogeographic Province – Hydrology

Wet season (Jan-Apr) Average temperature (23°) Temperature varies along a NW-SE gradient Evaporation exceeds rainfall Width of riparian zone (36m) Small trees Grasses Low relief ratio Cracking clays Percentage of water which is base flow (9%) Annual spate duration (2 months) Annual no-flow duration (6 months) Sand Clay Low macroinvertebrate richness High turbidity Large woody debris cover (8%) Submerged macrophyte growth forms dominant Concave bank shape category Convex bank shape category Dominant bank slope (10°-60°) Fauna Specific example – Life cycle of Hyrtl's catfish

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Gauges

Modelled pre-development data from 5 gauges were used for these analyses.

Hydrology

Gauging stations used in calculation of the Lake Eyre and Bulloo FBP hydrological features

002101B 002104A 003101A 003103A 003202A

Base flow and flood flow

On average base flow only accounts for 9% of flow volume, whilst the other 91% is directly related to flood flow from rainfall events.  The difference was most pronounced at the Quilpie gauging station where only 5% of flow was base flow. 

 

Information about hydrology

Information about methods

 

No-Flow Spells Mean SE Max Min
Base Flow Index 0.088 0.016 0.14 0.050
Flood Flow Index 0.91 0.016 0.95 0.86

Magnitude of spates

Due to the large sizes of the catchment areas and the strong bias to extremes of flow, spates result in very low run-off values at 0.002 Ml km2 day-1. The FBP has a wide amount of variability in spate number, ranging from 2.3 to 3.3 spates per year.  These spates are distributed relatively evenly between the wet and dry seasons.  On average the wet season has 1.3 – 2.1 spates whereas the dry season has 1.1 – 2.3.  The average duration of spates is also quite variable, ranging from 11 to 27 days on average. 

 

Information about magnitude of spates

Information about methods

 

Magnitude of spates Mean SE Max Min
Spate run-off (Ml km2 day-1) 0.002 0.000 0.004 0.001

 

Frequency and duration of spates Mean SE Max Min
 Mean number of spates per year 3.28 1.0020 6.11 0.75
Mean duration of spates (days) 19.19 7.83 49.15 6.063
Mean number of wet season spates per year 1.72 0.38 2.88 0.61
Mean number of dry season spates per year 1.73 0.60 3.37 0.43

 

No flow spells

On average a single no-flow spell lasts for 84 days and sites in the FBP have 2 - 3 per year.  Duration of no-flow spells range from approximately 65 - 105 days with a similar period of time separating the spells.  

It should be noted that some of the variability in the presented facts is probably due to the low number of gauging stations affecting confidence in the results. 

 

Information about no flow spells

Information about methods

 

No-Flow Spells Mean SE Max Min
Frequency of No Flow Spells (spells per year) 2.76 0.61 4.32 1.18
Proportion of time with no flow (%) 0.52 0.033 0.64 0.47
Longest No Flow Spell (days) 523.60 90.77 752 235
Mean Duration of No Flow Spells (days) 84.47 19.32 144.87 42.52
Mean period between No Flow Spells (days) 83.64 23.83 171.40 41.69
Longest period between No Flow Spells (days) 523.60 90.77 752 235

Rise and fall of the hydrograph

The mean rate of rise for the FBP is approximately double the mean rate of fall.  The averages for the greatest rates of rise and fall were roughly equal.  

 

Information about hydrology

Information about methods

 

Rise and fall of the hydrograph
(per day relative to the mean daily flow) 		Mean SE Max Min
 Mean rate of rise 1.53 0.35 2.61 0.66
Greatest rate of rise 50.75 10.28 89.60 33.42
Mean rate of fall 0.77 0.30 1.94 0.23
 Greatest rate of fall 50.016 25.80 152.23 15.18

Wet and dry seasons

The proportion of annual flow is not distributed evenly between months.  The months January to April have a much greater proportion of annual flow than May to December.  Based on this the wet season for the Lake Eyre and Bulloo FBP is January to April and the dry season May to December. 

 

Information about hydrology

Information about methods

 

 

Last updated: 22 March 2013

This page should be cited as:

Department of Environment, Science and Innovation, Queensland (2013) Queensland Lake Eyre and Bulloo Freshwater Biogeographic Province – Hydrology, WetlandInfo website, accessed 20 December 2024. Available at: https://wetlandinfo.des.qld.gov.au/wetlands/ecology/aquatic-ecosystems-natural/riverine/freshwater-biogeo/lake-eyre-and-bulloo/hydrology.html

Queensland Government
WetlandInfo   —   Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation