Tiwi Islands regional natural resource management strategy
Tiwi Land Council
Tiwi Land Council
E-Publications; E-Books; PublicationNT
2004
This strategy was ratified by a full sitting of the Tiwi Land Council at Milikapiti [Melville Island] 29 September 2003.; Made available via the Publications (Legal Deposit) Act 2004 (NT).
English
Conservation of natural resources -- Northern Territory -- Tiwi Islands; Land use -- Northern Territory -- Tiwi Islands -- Planning; Forests and forestry -- Northern Territory -- Tiwi Islands -- Planning; Tiwi Islands; Natural resources -- Northern Territory -- Tiwi Islands; Aquaculture -- Northern Territory -- Tiwi Islands -- Planning
Tiwi Land Council; Northern Territory Government
Darwin
application/pdf
Copyright
Tiwi Land Council
https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2019C00042
https://hdl.handle.net/10070/150707
https://hdl.handle.net/10070/718517
36 TIWI LAND COUNCIL TIWI ISLANDS REGIONAL NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT STRATEGY 37 The deep, confined regional aquifer occurs within the Moonkinu Member, and is separated from the shallow aquifer by a relatively impermeable layer of claystone and siltstone. It is approximately 30 to 60 metres thick, and dips gently to the north west. The top of this aquifer is located at about sea level in central Bathurst and Melville Islands, and at about 110m depth in the north of Melville Island. The aquifer has been identified in three locations on the Tiwi Islands, with bore yields ranging from 0.5 litres/second to 4 litres/second. As with the shallow aquifer, water quality has been assessed as very high, with the presence of carbonate in the aquifer material resulting in higher pH values. Recharge to the deep aquifer occurred more than 7,000 years ago when the sea level was approximately 130 metres lower than present. Rainfall in the centre of the Island recharged the aquifer where it is close to the land surface, and then slowly flowed down gradient to the north west. Over a long period of time the deeper portion was fully recharged. Recharge no longer occurs, as the water levels in the aquifer are now at sea level. Surface Water The areas of higher relief in the south of the Tiwi Islands drain mostly northwards through creek and river systems. Major catchment areas for the Islands are: Main drainage feature Catchment area km2 Bathurst Island Dudwell Creek 333 Gullala Creek 165 Fuingatingerrany & Kulaka-Iniarimu Creeks 250 Tunganapu Creek 209 Munanampi & Maand Creeks 241 Euro Creek 195 Tipabina Creek 89 Southern Bathurst 161 Melville Island Kilu-Impini Creek 536 Mirikau-yunga & Maxwell Creeks 386 Tjipripu River 726 Andranangoo Creek 554 Jessie (Aliu) River 492 Johnston River 890 Dongau Creek 552 Takamprimili Creek 610 Southern Melville 980 Table 8: Major Catchments Flows in rivers and creeks are highest during the wet season. Soils become saturated and rainfall converts to runoff, which becomes the dominant flow component. At the end of the wet season and into the dry season when rainfall reduces, the dominant flow is sourced from springs or drainage of the shallow aquifer along the course of the waterway. This is known as base flow. Base flow occurs through drainage of the Van Diemen Sandstone. Where the sandstone is thicker, the volume and duration of flow is greater. This results in some of the smaller rivers and creeks in the northern half of Melville Island flowing all year round, while many areas