Water Smart Dams Project Making dams work again? That’s damn smart
Southern Dirt is excited to be a key partner in the Water Smart Dams project, an initiative aimed at improving water management practices for our growers. This project focuses on optimizing dam construction and maintenance to ensure reliable water supply and enhance farm productivity. Our involvement is centered on providing local expertise, conducting practical trials, and supporting our growers with the latest research and innovations.
Aim & Objectives:
Over 3.5 years, the WaterSmart Dams project aimed to explore and test practical solutions to make farm water supplies more reliable and resilient in a drying climate. With rainfall becoming more variable, evaporation increasing, and water security under pressure, the project investigated ways to capture, store, and conserve water across farm dams and paddocks.
Working with 12 local growers, the project focused on reducing evaporation, improving water harvesting from waterlogged areas, repairing leaking dams, enhancing runoff through lined and roaded catchments, managing water quality, and testing small-scale desalination. Trials included dam covers, vegetated dams, and subsurface drainage to understand their performance under real farm conditions.
A key outcome is the Water Evaluation Platform (WEP), developed by UWA, which allows farmers to simulate dam performance, optimise catchments, estimate evaporation, and assess costs and benefits of water infrastructure.
The project was delivered by the Grower Group Alliance (GGA) through the South-West WA Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub, in collaboration with DPIRD and UWA, leveraging prior work and investment. Four grower group partners—Compass Agricultural Alliance (Darkan), Southern Dirt (Kojonup), Merredin and Districts Farm Improvement Group (Merredin), and the Fitzgerald Biosphere Group (Jerramungup)—supported trial implementation and grower engagement across the region.
Methodology :
Southern Dirt was one of four grower groups participating in the WaterSmart Dams project, which was delivered through a network of on-farm demonstration sites across the region. Each site was designed to test a different approach to improving dam performance. The project was delivered in partnership with the University of Western Australia (UWA), the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD), and the Grower Group Alliance (GGA), combining grower knowledge with scientific monitoring to ensure results were practical, evidence-based, and applicable to real farm systems
At each site, a tailored solution was implemented to address a specific water management challenge. This included installing a Daisy Dam cover on a key farm dam to reduce evaporation, assessing an existing naturally vegetated dam to determine whether established windbreaks could limit water loss compared to open dams, and installing socked subsurface agricultural drains in waterlogged paddocks to capture fresh runoff for dam replenishment.
Once the infrastructure was in place, UWA installed monitoring equipment such as weather stations, water depth loggers, rain gauges, and flow meters to collect continuous data on inflows, evaporation, and water quality. Seasonal site visits were conducted to inspect equipment, carry out water sampling, and observe any changes in dam performance.
The project placed a strong emphasis on extension and grower engagement. Demonstration sites were showcased during field days, bus tours, and workshops, giving producers and industry representatives the chance to see technologies in action and hear directly from host farmers about their experiences. Alongside these practical demonstrations, the Water Evaluation Platform (WEP) provided an interactive, online tool for farmers to explore water security options, simulate dam performance, optimise catchments, and evaluate the costs and benefits of different interventions. This combination of hands-on learning and evidence-based digital tools ensured that the project’s findings could be confidently applied across real-world farming systems throughout the region.
Results & Trial Data:
Across the three demonstration sites, the WaterSmart Dams project generated valuable data and practical insights into on-farm water management. At Wayde Robertson’s property, the Daisy Dam cover performed as intended, reducing evaporation and providing reliable summer water for livestock without the need for carting. While the cover did not noticeably improve water quality (algae growth), it did not reduce it either, and stock adapted quickly to drinking alongside the cover. The low-maintenance, cost-effective design has proven to be a practical option for similar-sized farm dams.
At the Ashton farm, two complementary strategies were trialled to improve water reliability under a drying climate. A socked ag pipe subsurface drain captured excess water from seasonally waterlogged areas, reclaiming 5–7 hectares of previously unproductive land and supplying fresh water to a key dam. Meanwhile, a naturally vegetated dam demonstrated clear evaporation-reducing benefits, with Sheoaks and Paperbarks acting as a windbreak to improve water retention without active management. Together, these low-cost, low-maintenance strategies enhanced dam reliability and paddock productivity.
At Ben Webb’s site, a culvert into the dam was installed and the subsurface drain significantly increased inflows into the dam, prompting the installation of additional drains across the property. Crops in previously waterlogged gullies are now establishing and yielding well, while the captured water has boosted dam reliability. Some minor challenges, such as managing soft ground after installation and preventing rodent access to pipes, were identified, but overall the system has been a clear success.
Conclusion & learning outcomes:
The WaterSmart Dams project has shown that practical, low-maintenance solutions can boost on-farm water security and productivity. Across 12 sites, strategies such as subsurface drainage, Daisy Dam Covers, leaking dam repairs, lined and roaded catchments, vegetated dams, water quality management, and small-scale desalination were trialled to see how they perform under real farm conditions.
Subsurface drains reclaimed waterlogged paddocks, vegetated dams and dam covers reduced evaporation, and catchment improvements increased runoff capture. Water quality monitoring and desalinisation ensured supplies were fit-for-purpose, improving reliability and resilience across farms.
A central outcome is the Water Evaluation Platform (WEP), developed by UWA’s Centre for Water and Spatial Science. The WEP helps farmers, contractors, and communities simulate dam performance, optimise catchments, estimate evaporation, and assess costs and benefits.
The project was delivered by the Grower Group Alliance (GGA) through the South-West WA Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub, in collaboration with DPIRD and UWA, providing farmers with evidence-based tools to manage water in a drying climate.
Meet our Smart Dams Champions:
The Ashton Family
On their mixed farm near Boscabel, Brad and Sarah Ashton have turned a waterlogging problem into a productivity win. “We’ve gone from an area often wiped out by waterlogging to paddocks showing no sign of it at all,” Brad says. A 750-metre socked subsurface drain now channels winter runoff into a key dam, reclaiming an estimated five to seven hectares of productive land.
Their 8.2-megalitre dam, naturally surrounded by Sheoaks and Paperbarks, has also proven its worth. The vegetation acts as a windbreak, reducing evaporation by up to 38 per cent in summer, conserving water with zero active management.
The trials have shown the power of simple, low-cost interventions to boost water security and farm resilience. For Brad and Sarah, WaterSmart Dams has been a hands-on way to see what works on their farm—and it’s made a real difference.
Read the Ashton’s full case study below.
The Robertson Family
Wayde & Emma Robertson’s farm at Scott’s Brook has long battled summer evaporation on dams across his farm, often forcing him to cart water across paddocks. That changed in March 2023 when a Daisy Dam Cover was installed on one of his main dams. “We didn’t need to cart any water to this paddock for the summer months while stock grazed stubbles,” Wayde says.
The cover is specially formulated with an opaque white top layer and black underside, completely blocks sunlight, reducing evaporation and keeping water available for longer. Stock adapted quickly, drinking right from the edge within 24 hours, and maintenance has been minimal, just one rope having to be retied. Installation was “Easy for two people,” Wayde notes.
The cover has given Wayde peace of mind, providing reliable water during critical dry months. He would recommend it to other farmers looking for a simple, low-maintenance way to extend water availability, and plans to consider it for other dams in particularly dry years.
Read the Robertson’s full case study below.
The Webb Family
Ben and Emily Webb’s farm near Qualeup has struggled with seasonal waterlogging, leaving paddocks unproductive. That changed with a subsurface drainage system installed through the WaterSmart Dams project.
“Before the drain, crops would die in the gully and low areas,” Ben says. “Now we can grow crops there, and plants are using soil moisture better.” The 900-metre network of socked pipes channels water directly into a key dam, improving both paddock productivity and water availability. Canola in 2023 and barley in 2024 thrived, and this year’s canola is looking strong.
The Webb’s were so impressed they’ve added more drains across the farm. “The water quality has been very good, and having scientists and the grower group observing the site has been great,” Ben notes.
This simple, low-maintenance system shows how tailored drainage can reclaim productive land while boosting dam reliability, making a real difference for farm resilience.
Read the Webb’s full case study below.
Water Evaluation Platform
A key outcome of the WaterSmart Dams project is theWater Evaluation Platform (WEP), a free, publicly available digital tool that helps Western Australian farmers take the guesswork out of water infrastructure planning. Developed by UWA’s Centre for Water and Spatial Science with DPIRD and local grower groups, and informed by two years of demonstration trials, the WEP enables users to simulate dam performance, optimise catchments, estimate evaporation, and evaluate the costs and benefits of different water security strategies.
The platform allows farmers, consultants, and advisors to explore cost-effective options for dam size, catchment area, and evaporation reduction, all tailored to local climate, budget, and water needs. It has been tested against real farm data, including lined catchments, vegetated dams, dam covers, and subsurface drainage.
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