While much is known about water availability in the Fitzroy Valley, more work is required to define the potential to draw from groundwater resources in the region in a way that is sustainable.
The West Kimberley groundwater investigation builds on existing State Government research in the Fitzroy Valley between Willare and Fitzroy Crossing and will help consolidate our knowledge of groundwater resources and their links to environmental, social and cultural values of the river.
The Department of Water and Environmental Regulation is working closely with a number of external research projects in the Fitzroy Valley including the National Environmental Science Program, the Northern Australia Environmental Resources Hub and the Northern Australia Water Resource Assessment, West Kimberley. These initiatives bring together leading scientists to further our knowledge of the regions groundwater resources and dependencies.
Preliminary research has identified the regional Canning Basin aquifers as offering the greatest opportunities for mosaic scale groundwater development in the lower Fitzroy River Valley, specifically the combined Poole Sandstone and Grant Group aquifers.