The Canning plan area
The Canning catchment is located to the south-east of Perth and extends from the Swan-Canning Estuary across the Swan coastal plain onto the Darling plateau.
Canning surface water resources
The Canning River is the main resource in the Canning catchment.
Surface water flows in the Canning catchment are regulated by: the Canning reservoir (on upper reaches of the Canning River), the Victoria reservoir (Upper Bickley Brook), the Wungong reservoir (Southern-Wungong River) and the Churchman reservoir (Churchman Brook).
Water planning in the Canning
We are developing a water management plan for surface-water resources in the Canning River catchment.
Why is the department preparing a water management plan?
We need to develop a plan to help us manage:
- allocation of water to licensed water users
- the impacts of abstraction on the ecology of the river system
- water supply for the Perth metropolitan region
- the impacts of climate change on competing demands for water.
A major piece of work that has been completed as part of the planning process is an investigation into the flow regimes required to maintain the ecology of the river. Flow regimes aim to maintain or improve the existing ecology from increasing pressure due to urban expansion, changing land use, water abstraction and reduced rainfall.
How long until the plan is developed?
A draft water management plan will be ready by late 2008.
How can I access the information on the Canning River that the department has produced?
We are committed to making our technical information that is used in the planning process available to the public.
Please click on the links to access the following report:
