Consider allowable dam volumes before dam construction
Across Eyre Peninsula there are 21 priority catchments, all located around the lower Eyre Peninsula area.
If you are looking to construct a dam on your property within one of these catchment areas, an allowable dam volume (ADV) applies. This ensures all landholders have fair and equitable opportunity to capture and store surface water in dams on their properties.
If you are thinking about applying for a permit to construct a dam on your property, we can assist in your planning by calculating the total ADV for your property. Once you know the total ADV for your property, you can plan out where this water will be best used. Having a plan in place before undertaking the works can help ensure the time and money you invest in managing surface water on your property, is worthwhile.
The boundaries of the priority catchments have been determined by changes in topography, soil type and annual rainfall (among other factors). The size of your property (hectares) and location within the priority catchments will determine how much surface water you are allowed to capture and store in dams on your property.
If you have a dam or dams on your property that are not functioning as intended, by choosing to decommission these dams, the volume that they were capable of holding will be added back to your total ADV.
Not sure if this applies to you? Get in touch with your nearest landscape officer to check.
See our water affecting activities page for more information including a dam FAQ and dam guide.
