Develop and implement management options

There is a suite of options available for implementing a conjunctive water management approach. The options adopted will be defined by:

the management issues that have been identified as requiring addressing within the catchment;
the current understanding of catchment water processes, as developed through baseline assessment, conceptualisation and possible construction of predictive models;
the management targets identified for the catchment; and
the resources available in terms of budget, expertise and time.

An appropriate mix of both policy and investment options can be implemented. Policy options that recognise or take advantage of the linkages between groundwater and surface water resources can include strategies such as licencing and allocation, water trading or risk management approaches, buffer zones or planning rules. Investment options involve on-ground works such as water banking infrastructure (such as Aquifer Storage and Recovery schemes), groundwater interception schemes, or groundwater pumps to provide supplementation of stream flow.