Sustainable Expansion of Irrigated Agriculture and Horticulture in Northern Adelaide Corridor ED-17-01

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Unlocking the full potential of South Australia's resources, energy and renewable assets has become an economic priority for the South Australian Government. Expansion of horticulture along the Northern Adelaide Corridor is viewed by governments and agencies as having potential to achieve significant economic development for the state of South Australia. Sustainability and expansion of horticultural and agricultural practices in the Northern Adelaide Corridor (including the Northern Adelaide Plains, NAP) is strongly influenced by the sustainability of existing water supplies and water qualities of these and potential new water resources. <br /> <br /> This project (Project ED.17.01) was funded through the Goyder Institute for Water Research. The project was structured into five distinct tasks, as follows: <br /> <br /> Development and optimisation of modelling domain and impact assessment of irrigation expansion on the receiving environment <br /> <br /> Modelling nutrient and chemical fate, including salinity/sodicity risk, as the basis for identifying longevity of recycled water utilization and mitigation strategies under current and future climate <br /> <br /> Source water options / water availability, quality, treatment and storage considerations <br /> <br /> Assessment of Depth to Groundwater (Proof of Concept) and <br /> <br /> Integration of the four previous tasks into a consolidated report and suggested guideline development. <br /> <br /> The Task 3 dataset and derived sub-models integrated into a Microsoft Excel operational model called 'Irrigation water quality and quantity for covered crops model' (or 'IW-QC2') were acquired through field sample collections, climate modelling, historic and predicted rainfall data, available water quality data accessed from various sources such as government agencies, water corporation, industry and associations, and through a landholder survey. The key aim of Task 3, was to develop an improved understanding of the qualities and quantities of established and potential new water resources (with blending and/or treatment) for the NAP and further north to the Light River, horticultural practices, and provide data needed for the other project tasks. Consideration of water supply options were based on seasonal availability, fit-for-purpose water quality for various crop types and practice needs, through blending of existing and potential (including through treatment processes) new water resources (such as groundwaters of various salinities and rainwater harvesting). The IW-QC2 model was developed to enable ready determination and or prediction of water resource availability, water quality and treatment needs based on selected crop types, climate prediction modelling and current horticulture practices. The model, in Excel forms a platform on which crop types can be expanded as well as inclusion and application of alternative climate prediction models.