LRAM was commissioned by a Steering Group of shires and local stakeholders to complete an inventory of irrigation land suitability and strategic irrigation issues for the that part of the Fitzroy River Basin covered by the Isaac/Connors streams. The study area has the largest extent of unallocated water resource in the whole of the basin. A team of four specialist consultants were assigned to the study to fill in missing land resource mapping for part of the study area, investigate catchment hydrology and assess agricultural viability and sustainability issues.
The Isaac Connors catchment comprises 15% of the total Fitzroy catchment area but contains largest extent of of high rainfall lands in the basin. A single set of land systems and combined map was compiled for the study area using two published CSIRO land system maps, available Department of Natural Resources and Mines mapping and new land system mapping undertaken by LRAM for areas not covered by the previous studies.
Of almost 200,000 ha of land within 5 km of the major streams in the area (and therefore potentially able to be serviced by riparian pumping schemes), 57,000 ha are considered both flood free and suited to irrigation development. However, the majority of dam sites identified within the catchment are unlikely to prove cost effective for irrigation development although the MT Bridget dam site on the Connors River is an exception.
Livestock enterprises dominate the study area with less than 1,000 ha of fully irrigated development within the catchment. There is significant potential for expansion of cotton, sugar cane and irrigated grain and forage production for use on local feedlots. However a demonstrated security of access to water supplies is critical for investment in irrigation development, especially in the cotton and sugar industries. Other factors that could possibly alienate significant areas from future irrigation development include vegetation and biodiversity values and salinity hazards.