This 3.5-year project aims to develop knowledge and water planning tools for farmers who need their dams to work in all years and confidently make water investment decisions.
The project will involve 12 core demonstration sites, building farm-based water planning tools, workshops, field days and industry training. The project will investigate solutions including renovating existing dams, building new dams, and implementing evaporation suppression and runoff technologies.
The GGA through the South-West WA Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub will collaborate with the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) and the University of Western Australia (UWA), leveraging their existing work and prior investment in this field as well as four grower group project partners including Compass Agricultural Alliance (Darkan), Southern Dirt (Kojonup), Merredin and Districts Farm Improvement Group (Merredin) and the Fitzgerald Biosphere Group (Jerramungup).
WaterSmart Dams builds on the existing WaterSmart Farms program – a collaborative DPIRD designed program researching sustainable groundwater supply options using on-farm desalinisation technology.
This project is jointly funded through the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund (FDF) and the Western Australian state government’s Agriculture Climate Resilience Fund (ACRF), supported by the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD).
Photo Credit: Main project photo of Simon and Wendy Williamson’s rebuilt ‘roaded catchment’, dam and silt trap at Kukerin in
WA’s Upper Great Southern region. Photo: Peter Clifton, South West Catchments Council.
Activities
- In partnership with growers, better understand how dams can function in dry years and through co-design develop new farm water planning tools to create more drought-resilient farm enterprises and regional communities.
- Investigate and develop an understanding of how to make dams work again in dry years
- Partner with the University of Western Australia (UWA) and the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development experts, reviewing 12 farmer-hosted demonstration sites and data on dam-based solutions
- Create a co-designed customisable WaterSmart Evaluation Platform (WEP) and sharing knowledge
- Make the WEP freely available and supported beyond the end of the project by UWA. WEP will also capture existing knowledge on desalination from the WaterSmart Farms project. The WEP will support individual farms, private contractors, water planners and local communities make drought-resilient investment decisions.
Project Updates
Dam Technology Gallery
This gallery overviews the WaterSmart technology being implemented at the demonstration sites. Is there a solution to help improve your water security?
SmartDams Champions Demonstration Sites
This gallery showcases the growers hosting the WaterSmart demonstration sites. Find out how they are improving their dam infrastructure.
WaterSmart Evaluation Platform (WEP)
The Centre for Water and Spatial Science at UWA is developing the Water Evaluation Platform. Once completed, this WEP will provide users with a practical way to simulate the performance of their dams over time. It will also help them understand the reliability and costs of different dam and catchment designs and the options and costs for reducing water loss through evaporation. The WEP is currently under design with industry experts and growers. Some of the options highlighted through WaterSmart Dam and partner projects in WA are showcased in the technology gallery.
Fieldwork
Follow DPIRD Senior Principal Researcher Richard George and UWA Associate Professor Nik Callow on Twitter to keep up with their #smartdams fieldwork.
Resources
WaterSmart Dams Flyer
January 2025 update: The WaterSmart Dams team continues to assess the benefits and costs of on-farm water capture and evaporation suppressive solutions. Read some of the preliminary data on sub-surface drainage and effective ways to reduce evaporation in the WSD Flyer. The flyer also contains links to resources on water quality for herbicide efficacy and livestock health.
Catchment Liner Instructional Video
This project aims to gauge the efficacy of using a cost-effective material – second-hand CBH tarpaulins – to increase water run-off into dams. Watch the video here.
WA Climate Change Data
Rainfall in SW WA has been declining since the 1960’s. Find out more about this rainfall change and understand why farmers need to consider water strategies now for the future.
WaterSmart Farms Project
Existing ‘sister’ project relating to on-farm desalinisation solutions
Podcast: Farming in the Eastern Wheatbelt
A podcast dedicated to building innovation and resilience against drought in the Eastern Wheatbelt region, brought to you by Merredin and Districts Farm Improvement Group.
Preliminary Investigation of Methane Emissions from Farm Dams in Western Australia
This project aims to initiate the pilot work needed to understand how to collect and analyse methane emissions data from Western Australian farm dams.
GRDC Grains Research Update Feb 2024
WaterSmart Dams Herbicide Efficacy and Water Quality. Presented at the GRDC Grain Research Update in February 2024.
Watch presentation here.
Katanning Landcare Dam Case Studies
The project aims to understand and enhance the role of farm dams for drought resilience in the Broadacre agricultural landscape of Katanning, WA – view the Case Studies.
Why do dams fail?
Dam failures can be structural, hydraulic and hydrological or a combination of these and can be related to a series of events
South Coast Climate Dashboard
Welcome to the South Coast Climate Dashboard, an essential guide for navigating the challenges and opportunities of climate change in the lower Great Southern region.
Science to Practice Forum Jun ’22
Project overview presentation ~ Innovative water supply options for the future – Richard George and Nik Callow.
Project Team
Head of Projects GGA
MADFIG
Southern Dirt
UWA
Compass Agricultural Alliance
UWA Centre for Water and Spatial Science (CWSS)
UWA Centre for Water & Spatial Sciences
Related News
ABC ‘Country Hour’ project overview
‘…A WA-based research project called WaterSmart Dams is determined to make dams great again…’
An innovative solution for WA’s drying dams ABC News
Southern WA’s drying climate and hot summers have prompted authorities to find new ways to reduce evaporation from dams. Four small rural communities in the Great Southern have become the first to trial an innovative and inexpensive solution to losing precious water.
Get Involved
Add your details here to follow the project, stay informed on dam design updates, and field days or book a chat with one of the project team.
If you are using innovative new technologies on your dam/catchment we would be interested in hearing from you and showcasing your dam in our project gallery, complete this form.
Project Shortcuts
Contact
Enquiries to GGA Head of Projects Daniel Kidd.
Collaborators
