Water-dependent ecosystems projects
Investments to achieve more effective and efficient management of environmental water, including the conservation of high value water ecosystems.
Announced projects include:
Ecological outcomes of flow regimes
Tying together ecological and flow data, creating predictive models to help provide a more accurate assessment of ecologically sustainable levels of extraction in the Murray Darling Basin.
Development and implementation of the framework for the assessment of river and wetland health (FARWH)
Contributing to the evaluation of the FARWH and its relationship to existing state and territory river health monitoring and assessment programs.
Development and implementation of the framework for the assessment of river and wetland health (FARWH) - Northern Australia
Contributing to the evaluation of the FARWH and its relationship to existing State and Territory river health monitoring and assessment programs.
National coordination of the framework for the assessment of river and wetland health (FARWH) trials
Contributing to the evaluation of the FARWH and its relationship to existing state and territory river and wetland health monitoring and assessment programs and provide important coordination of the jurisdictional trials of the FARWH.
Testing the framework for the assessment of river and wetland health (FARWH) in NSW
Contributing to the evaluation of the FARWH and its relationship to existing state wetland health monitoring and assessment programs.
Hydro-ecological relationships and thresholds to inform environmental flow management and river restoration
Studying hydro-ecological relationships for selected unregulated rivers of coastal and inland Queensland and New South Wales.
Water-dependent ecosystems - part 1
Designed to progress understanding of high-priority issues relating to aquatic ecosystems in Australia.
Water-dependent ecosystems - part 2
Progressing understanding of high-priority issues relating to aquatic ecosystems in Australia.
Community of practice for environmental water managers
Creating an opportunity for interested environmental water managers to meet and discuss common issues and explore a range of mechanisms for ongoing engagement.
Case studies of sustainable levels of extraction and groundwater-dependent ecosystems
Highlighting the complexities and the localised nature of management of different groundwater-dependent ecosystems in different jurisdictions.
Minimising environmental damage from water recovery from inland wetlands
Determining appropriate wetting and drying strategies in inland wetlands to minimise formation of sulfidic sediments, and providing environmental water managers with tools and guidelines on how to best manage inland wetlands to prevent the buildup of acid sulfate soils, and how to remediate affected systems.
National water resource assessment using waterbirds
Developing national methodologies, guidelines and assessment protocols to measure conservation value and success of environmental water delivery to water-dependent ecosystems using assessment and monitoring of waterbirds as an indicator of ecosystem health.
Optimising environmental watering protocols to maximise benefits to native fish populations
Evaluating the fish community response to inundation in a series of actively managed wetlands on the Murray River.
Additional trials to support development of a national framework for the assessment of river health
Contributing to the development of the Australian Water Resources Information System (AWRIS) national framework for the assessment of river and wetland health and improve its national applicability.
Surface water sustainability expertise
Helping build knowledge and capacity for environmental water managers and water planners by more effectively delivering water dependent ecosystems knowledge and products.
Investigating low flows for improved water planning and management
Improving knowledge of low flows including flow rates, surface and groundwater drivers, spatial distribution, pool persistence, ecosystem responses, modelling, and predictive tools. This project is also listed under the water planning and management theme.
National inventory of water stressed systems
Establishing a national inventory of stressed catchments and aquifers, based on a nationally consistent set of criteria and published data. This project is also listed under the national assessment and water planning and management themes.