Conservationists are raising alarms over a Western Australian government proposal to double groundwater extraction from the Martuwarra Fitzroy River catchment, warning it could threaten the region's unique sawfish populations. The river, which flows 700 kilometers through the Kimberley to King Sound, is considered the last global stronghold for sawfish, hosting four of the world's five species.
Unique Ecosystem Under Threat
Sawfish, a type of ray with chainsaw-like snouts, are among the most distinctive creatures on Earth, according to Dr. Leonardo Guida of the Australian Marine Conservation Society. The river, its estuary, and nearshore marine environments support largetooth, dwarf, green, and narrow sawfish, all protected under national environmental laws. Endangered largetooth sawfish, the largest and most imperiled species, are born at the river's mouth and spend years in its tributaries and deep aquifer-fed pools before migrating to sea. Adults can grow up to seven meters in length.
“What makes the Fitzroy River incredibly special and unique from a sawfish perspective is that it is the baseline, not just in Australia but globally, of what a relatively untouched sawfish population looks like,” Guida said.
Groundwater Extraction Concerns
The state government's draft water plan proposes increasing groundwater allocation from approximately 32 gigaliters to 75.7 gigaliters. Environmentalists and local communities fear this could deplete the aquifer-fed pools that serve as critical refuges for sawfish and other species during the dry season.
“The underground water stores that feed these refuge pools are absolutely critical in a landscape that’s so hot and dry,” said Martin Pritchard of Environs Kimberley. “Sawfish won’t survive without these pools, which also provide life support for barramundi, a whole range of other fish, freshwater prawns, and big trees and vegetation that sustain birds, possums, bats, and insects.”
Pritchard added, “We’re really concerned that the current proposal by the government is way too much and could cause significant damage to the river and the groundwater-dependent ecosystems.”
Aboriginal Perspectives and Scientific Uncertainty
Dr. Anne Poelina, executive chair of the Martuwarra Fitzroy River Council, emphasized that Aboriginal people have observed the river already under stress. “Water is precious, it’s a life force, and if living water systems continue to decline it will continue to affect people’s lives and livelihoods as well as the environment, including access to clean drinking water and the rising cost of living,” said the Nyikina Warrwa woman.
Poelina pointed to significant unknowns about the system's connectivity, groundwater volume, and potential impacts of sea level rise, arguing that allocating groundwater for profit-making activities is premature. She called for more time to gather information before finalizing the plan or issuing additional licenses, noting that a similar water allocation plan in the Pilbara had failed, with aquifers in decline.
“These are human issues as well as environmental issues – it does not make us confident when the science and lived experience stories of how these systems are changing right now,” she said. “These are public interest matters. This is going to impact everyone that’s living within this system. We need to proceed with caution and not take risks with the lives of all Kimberley people and our environment.”
Hydrogeological Insights
Dr. Ryan Vogwill, a hydrogeologist, explained that groundwater plays an “incredibly important” role in supporting the river ecosystem's high biodiversity and cultural values during dry periods. “In a big wet season, the whole system floods with water and goes all the way to the coast. But in smaller years, when there’s not so much rainfall, the river may only flow a little, or may not flow at all,” he said.
“In those periods when the surface water isn’t flowing and hasn’t flowed for some time, groundwater becomes key to the environment persisting and staying healthy.” Vogwill emphasized that interactions between surface water and different layers of groundwater aquifers are highly complex, and more monitoring is needed to understand the system and assess risks from increased extraction or unconventional gas proposals.
Government Stance and Consultation
The draft plan proposes no additional surface water allocations or dams, which Environs Kimberley supports, but the group calls for a more precautionary approach to groundwater. Applicants seeking licenses must demonstrate “sustainable groundwater use” and “protect water-dependent ecosystems and sites of ecological, cultural and social significance,” according to the draft plan. Guardian Australia asked the WA Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER) how the allocation was determined and whether the government would invest in additional monitoring but did not receive a response.
The river holds national and Aboriginal heritage list status for its outstanding cultural and natural values. Farmers have long sought greater access to water for agriculture, while recent proposals for unconventional gas development could also impact groundwater resources.
