Interconnection of surface water and groundwater systems-river losses from disconnected streams - NSW
Project details
| Objective: |
To review previous measurement approaches, research data and undertake investigations of connectivity and impacts in six pilot areas in order to validate the approaches to determining connectivity in losing/disconnected streams that will then be applied to 10 to 15 regional catchments. |
| Funding: |
Total project funding of $2.406 million with $1.390 million from the Australian Government Water Fund and 1.016 million from the New South Wales Government. |
| Jurisdiction: |
NSW |
| Commenced: |
28 March 2008 |
| Completion: |
August 2010 |
Progress
About the project
The project is further advancing the understanding of surface water/groundwater interactions and associated impacts in Australia. The project is reviewing previous measurement approaches and research data availability and undertaking investigations of connectivity and impacts in six pilot areas. This will validate the approaches to determining connectivity in losing/disconnected streams that will then be applied to 10 to 15 regional catchments. The six pilot areas will build on existing data and modelling capabilities and include areas where there are high levels of extraction.
Further information about this project is available from the New South Wales Office of Water.
Project benefits
The project has:
- developed methods to quantify the degree of leakage from surface water to groundwater systems both spatially and temporally
- addressed double accounting and improve decision making through improved understanding of water resources and surface water and groundwater connectivity
- installed monitoring equipment and demonstrate the application of these methods in representative catchments and then extrapolate this information to 20 to 30 priority regional catchments
- provided estimates of the level of loss from major river to groundwater systems
- communicated the outcomes to decision makers at all levels of government to enable integrated water resource management