Delineation of the Banwell Spring catchment area and the nature of the spring hydrograph (UBSS Proceedings v.18(3))

Abstract: Using water budgeting, the catchment area for Banwell Spring has been calculated to be 14 sq km including both Carboniferous Limestone and Dolomitic Conglomerate aquifers. Dye tracing has fixed the eastern boundary of the catchment, but because of the failure of a dye trace from Singing River Mine the southern boundary in the Dolomitic Conglomerate had to be estimated based on the size and position of other springs. The northern boundary is limited by geology and the eastern boundary by the location of other springs. Banwell spring has two distinctive sub-catchments which lie to the east and west of the spring and which have similar storage and flow properties but different recharge. The eastern sub-catchment has some concenytrated surface recharge which gives it a more 'flashy' discharge response than the west which has only dispersed recharge.