Students: Pavel Dvoracek

Pavel Dvoracek

Faculty of Science, Quaternary Earth and Water Systems

Thesis Title: Integrated groundwater flow model: Laidley Creek catchment, Lockyer Valley, southeast Queensland


Aim: The aims of this project are to define a hydrogeological framework for the Laidley Creek catchment, and apply numerical modelling techniques (stochastic modelling) to gain an understanding of the hydrogeological processes within the catchment. The main focus will be on the shallow alluvial aquifer as a main resource of available groundwater.



Objectives: The Lockyer Valley region utilizes intensive irrigation using predominantly groundwater from the shallow alluvial aquifer. It is becoming increasingly obvious that without adequate management of groundwater resources, the water supply situation will deteriorate; the water resources in this catchment system have already shown signs of being unsustainable. To be able to manage the groundwater resource more background information on the groundwater flow system as well as overall hydrological system is required.

In 1988 the Clarendon Subartesian Area (Central Lockyer Area) was declared to promote the sustainable use of groundwater for the lower section of the valley. This declared area, however, covers only part of the wider Lockyer catchment. Laidley Creek catchment is one of the important groundwater source areas, but has not been investigated in detail. Furthermore groundwater use in the Laidley catchment is not metered and a licence is not required to use the alluvial groundwater. As a consequence, our current understanding of the processes and resources within this subcatchment is limited.

The research objectives within Laidley Creek catchment investigation are: