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1
Knuckey, Graham. "A shell midden at Clybucca, near Kempsey, New South Wales." Australian Archaeology 48, no. 1 (January 1999): 1–11. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03122417.1999.11681626.
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Braaten, R., and G. Gates. "Groundwater–surface water interaction in inland New South Wales: a scoping study." Water Science and Technology 48, no. 7 (October 1, 2003): 215–24. http://dx.doi.org/10.2166/wst.2003.0443.
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Groundwater and surface water have traditionally been managed separately in New South Wales (NSW). However, where rivers and aquifers are hydraulically connected, groundwater pumping has the potential to deplete streamflow. To highlight the major areas of connection in inland NSW, major streams were overlaid with groundwater depth data and the locations of irrigation bores. A consistent pattern was revealed related to basin geomorphology. The main areas of connection are the mid-sections of the major rivers where alluvial systems are well developed yet still narrow and constricted and groundwater depths are shallow. The mapping was validated and the processes explored by calculating water balances for a connected and disconnected reach in the Murrumbidgee River. These showed that, in highly connected reaches, river losses and/or gains are closely related to groundwater levels.
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Cleworth, Sally, Wayne Smith, and Robyn Sealey. "Grief and Courage in a River Town: A Pilot Project in the Aboriginal Community of Kempsey, New South Wales." Australasian Psychiatry 14, no. 4 (December 2006): 390–94. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/j.1440-1665.2006.02310.x.
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Dabovic, Jodie, Lucy Dobbs, Glenn Byrne, and Allan Raine. "A new approach to prioritising groundwater dependent vegetation communities to inform groundwater management in New South Wales, Australia." Australian Journal of Botany 67, no. 5 (2019): 397. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/bt18213.
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Groundwater dependent ecosystems (GDEs) require access to groundwater to meet all or some of their water requirements to maintain community structure and function. The increasing demand of surface and groundwater resources has seen the NSW Government put in place management mechanisms to enable the sharing of water between irrigators, the environment, industry, towns and communities via water sharing plans. The groundwater sharing plans aim to provide adaptive management of GDEs by prioritising for protection those that are considered the most ecologically valuable within each plan area. The High Ecological Value Aquatic Ecosystems (HEVAE) framework has already been adopted to prioritise riverine ecosystems for management in surface water sharing plans. Here, we provide a method developed using the HEVAE framework to prioritise vegetation GDEs for management. The GDE HEVAE methods provide a derived ecological value dataset for identified groundwater dependent vegetation that is used to inform the planning and policy decisions in NSW. These decisions are required to manage and mitigate current and future risks caused by groundwater extraction. This is achieved via the identification of ecologically valuable assets to then use as the consequence component in a risk assessment for the groundwater sources, to provide vegetation GDE locations for setback distances for new groundwater production bores, and for the assessment of impacts due to current and potential future groundwater extraction. The GDE HEVAE method uses recorded and predicted spatial data to provide weighted scores for each attribute associated with the four HEVAE criteria (distinctiveness, diversity, vital habitat and naturalness). The combined scores categorise the ecological value of each groundwater dependent vegetation community (depicted as geographic information system (GIS) polygon features) from very high to very low. We apply the GDE HEVAE method to three catchments in order to demonstrate the method’s applicability across the Murray–Darling Basin with varying elevation and climate characteristics. The ecological value outcomes derived from the methods have been used to inform planning and policy decisions by NSW Government processes to allow for protection in not only areas that are currently at risk but to also manage for potential future risks from groundwater extraction.
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Keshavarzi, Mohammadreza, Andy Baker, Bryce F. J. Kelly, and Martin S. Andersen. "River–groundwater connectivity in a karst system, Wellington, New South Wales, Australia." Hydrogeology Journal 25, no. 2 (December 7, 2016): 557–74. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10040-016-1491-y.
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Timms, W., R. I. Acworth, and D. Berhane. "Shallow groundwater dynamics in smectite dominated clay on the Liverpool Plains of New South Wales." Soil Research 39, no. 2 (2001): 203. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/sr00002.
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Dynamic shallow (<5 m) groundwater levels are an important indicator of water and salt fluxes in smectite-dominated clay on the Liverpool Plains in north-eastern New South Wales. Previous hydrogeological assessments of shallow groundwater related salinity risk have focused on regional scale distribution and interaction with rising pressure levels in confined aquifer systems. In this study, groundwater levels over a 7-year period for the saline Yarramanbah subcatchment are presented, along with data from 60 new and existing shallow piezometers and precise elevation surveying and intensive automated monitoring at selected sites. The shallow groundwater system is shown to respond to recharge; however, over the medium-term it is in hydrologic balance, with no evidence of increased water storage. A proportion of recharge is lost by discharge into deeply incised surface channels. Groundwater salinity in the banks of Warrah Creek indicate that flushing of salts from clay is related to increased flux of fresh water. Concern exists that there may be increased salt export from the catchment. If this is in fact occurring while the plains are in hydrologic equilibrium, then increased salt fluxes must be related to factors other than rising groundwater levels.
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Mills, Courtenay E., Wade L. Hadwen, and Jane M. Hughes. "Looking through glassfish: marine genetic structure in an estuarine species." Marine and Freshwater Research 59, no. 7 (2008): 627. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf07215.
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Through the use of mitochondrial DNA (ATP8 gene), the prediction of intermediate genetic structuring was investigated in two species of estuarine glassfish (Ambassis marianus and Ambassis jacksoniensis) (Perciformes : Ambassidae) to determine the possibility of a generalised ‘estuarine’ genetic structure. Individuals were collected from estuaries in eastern Australia between Tin Can Bay (Queensland) in the north and Kempsey (New South Wales) in the south. Analysis of the haplotype frequencies found in this region suggested panmictic populations with star-like phylogenies with extremely high levels of genetic diversity, but with no correlation between geographic distance and genetic distance. Non-significant FST and ΦST suggested extensive dispersal among estuaries. However, Tajima’s D and Fu’s FS values suggest ‘mutation–genetic drift equilibrium’ has not been reached, and that population expansions occurring 262 000 (A. marianus) and 300 000 (A. jacksoniensis) years ago may obscure any phylogeographic structuring or isolation by distance. The finding of panmixia was contrary to the prediction of genetic structuring intermediate between that of marine fish (shallowly structured) and freshwater fish (highly structured), suggesting high dispersal capabilities in these species.
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Korbel, K. L., R. P. Lim, and G. C. Hose. "An inter-catchment comparison of groundwater biota in the cotton-growing region of north-western New South Wales." Crop and Pasture Science 64, no. 12 (2013): 1195. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/cp13176.
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Groundwater is essential to crop production in many parts of the world, and the provision of clean groundwater is dependent on healthy groundwater ecosystems. To understand better the functioning of groundwater ecosystems, it is necessary to understand how the biota responds to environmental factors, and so distinguish natural variation from human induced changes. This study compares the groundwater biota of the adjacent Gwydir and Namoi River alluvial aquifers, both in the heartland of Australia’s cotton industry, and investigates the relative importance of environmental, anthropogenic, geological, and evolutionary processes on biotic distribution. Distinct differences in biotic assemblages were recorded between catchments at a community level. However, at a functional level (e.g. microbial activity, stygofauna abundances and richness) both ecosystems were similar. The distribution of biota in both catchments was influenced by similar environmental variables (e.g. geology, carbon availability, season, and land use). Broad trends in biotic distribution were evident: stygofauna responded most strongly to geological variables (reflecting habitat) and microbes to water quality and flow. Agricultural activities influenced biota in both catchments. Although possessing different taxa, the groundwater ecosystems of the two aquifers were functionally similar and responded to similar environmental conditions.
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Morgan, Karina, Jerzy Jankowski, and Geoffrey Taylor. "Structural controls on groundwater flow and groundwater salinity in the Spicers Creek catchment, Central West region, New South Wales." Hydrological Processes 20, no. 13 (2006): 2857–71. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/hyp.6079.
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Williams, BG, and JK Ward. "The chemistry of shallow groundwaters in the Murrumbidgee irrigation area, New South Wales." Soil Research 25, no. 3 (1987): 251. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/sr9870251.
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The chemistry of shallow groundwaters in the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area of New South Wales, Australia, is examined in terms of the degree of saturation with calcium minerals. Many water samples were found to be saturated with calcite, especially when brought into equilibrium with atmospheric CO2 pressures; gypsum saturation was found more frequently from regions having waters of high ionic strength. A thermodynamic chemical model is used to describe the effects on water 'quality', for irrigation purposes, if the groundwaters are to be reused in mixtures with irrigation supply water. A tentative classification in terms of salinity and sodium hazard is presented and a simple relationship between both hazards has been derived. A potential exists for using between 25% and 95% groundwater in mixtures with supply water for irrigation, depending on the initial salt concentration.
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Acworth, R. I., and J. Jankowski. "Salt source for dryland salinity - evidence from an upland catchment on the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales." Soil Research 39, no. 1 (2001): 39. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/sr99120.
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A detailed study involving drilling, geophysics, hydrogeochemistry, and groundwater monitoring over a 10-year period has been carried out at a small catchment south-east of Yass on the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales to investigate the source of salt causing dryland salinity. The catchment is within 2 km of the top of a regional groundwater and surface water divide and remains substantially tree covered. The investigations have found a highly heterogeneous distribution of salt, most of which is associated with swelling clay. Dispersion of this clay causes the surface features commonly associated with dryland salinity. There is no hydrogeochemical evidence to suggest evaporative or transpirative concentration of salt in the groundwater. The short flow path from the top of the catchment cannot provide a significant source of salt from bedrock weathering. An alternative model of salt accumulation is proposed with the salt imported into the catchment with silt during dust storms in the arid and windy conditions during the last glacial. The management implications of this model of salt distribution and the associated dryland salinity development are discussed.
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Willis, TM, and AS Black. "Irrigation increases groundwater recharge in the Macquarie Valley." Soil Research 34, no. 6 (1996): 837. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/sr9960837.
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Rising groundwater, and the potential for development of shallow watertables, were recognised in the Lower Macquarie Valley of New South Wales in the late 1980s. Irrigated agriculture was proposed as a possible source of the recharge causing the problem. This paper reports the increase in deep percolation rates resulting from cotton irrigation on 4 soils in the Lower Macquarie Valley, New South Wales. Changes in deep percolation rates were measured on these soils over the long-term, using temporally separated chloride profiles and mass balance modelling. These changes in long-term deep percolation rates were integrated over all years since irrigation commenced. Irrigation affected deep percolation on all soils, with an increase in long-term mean rates ranging from 17 to 202 mm/year. This equated to increased leaching rates ranging from 3 to 25%. Deep percolation appeared to be related to the clay content of the B horizon. The potential groundwater rise varied from 37 to 524 mm/year. The largest increases in deep percolation rates corresponded to sites where the watertable was closest to the soil surface. This suggests that the development of shallow watertables is related to recharge resulting from irrigated agriculture. Detailed studies of deep percolation under irrigated agriculture are required in the Macquarie Valley.
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Rutherford, Susan, Stephen J. Griffith, and Nigel W. M. Warwick. "Water relations of selected wallum species in dry sclerophyll woodland on the lower north coast of New South Wales, Australia." Australian Journal of Botany 61, no. 4 (2013): 254. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/bt13037.
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The present study examined the water relations of wallum dry sclerophyll woodland on the lower north coast of New South Wales (NSW). Wallum is the regionally distinct vegetation of Quaternary dunefields and beach ridge plains along the eastern coast of Australia. Wallum sand masses contain large aquifers, and previous studies have suggested that many of the plant species may be groundwater dependent. However, the extent of this dependency is largely unknown, despite an increasing reliance on the aquifers for groundwater extraction. Fifteen species from five growth-form categories and seven plant families were investigated. The pre-dawn and midday xylem water potential (ψx) of all species was monitored over a 20-month period from December 2007 to July 2009. Pressure–volume curve traits were determined for each species in late autumn 2008, including the osmotic potential at full (π100) and zero (π0) turgor, and bulk modulus of elasticity (ε). Carbon isotope ratios (δ13C) were determined in mid-autumn 2008 to measure water use efficiency (WUE). Comparative differences in water relations could be loosely related to growth forms. A tree (Eucalyptus racemosa subsp. racemosa) and most large shrubs had low midday ψx, π100 and π0, and high ε and WUE; whereas the majority of small and medium shrubs had high midday ψx, π100 and π0, and low ε and WUE. However, some species of similar growth form displayed contrasting behaviour in their water relations (e.g. the herbs Caustis recurvata var. recurvata and Hypolaena fastigiata), and such differences require further investigation. The results suggest that E. racemosa subsp. racemosa is likely to be groundwater dependent, and large shrubs such as Banksia aemula may also utilise groundwater. Both species are widespread in wallum, and therefore have the potential to play a key role in monitoring ecosystem health where aquifers are subject to groundwater extraction.
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Fielder, D. Stewart, William J. Bardsley, and Geoff L. Allan. "Survival and growth of Australian snapper, Pagrus auratus, in saline groundwater from inland New South Wales, Australia." Aquaculture 201, no. 1-2 (September 2001): 73–90. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/s0044-8486(01)00555-5.
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Lamontagne, Sébastien, Andrew L. Herczeg, John C. Dighton, Jaswant S. Jiwan, and Jodie L. Pritchard. "Patterns in groundwater nitrogen concentration in the floodplain of a subtropical stream (Wollombi Brook, New South Wales)." Biogeochemistry 72, no. 2 (February 2005): 169–90. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10533-004-0358-9.
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Humphreys, E., WS Meyer, SA Prathapar, and DJ Smith. "Estimation of evapotranspiration from rice in southern New South Wales: a review." Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 34, no. 7 (1994): 1069. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ea9941069.
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This paper reviews field measurements of evapotranspiration from rice (ET rice) in the Murrumbidgee Valley of southern New South Wales. The results are compared with US Class A open pan evaporation (E pan) at CSIRO Griffith, and with reference evapotranspiration (ETo) calculated using a locally calibrated Penman equation. Both methods (+ETrice = +Epan or +ETrice = +ETo) give good estimates of total evapotranspiration from flooded rice over the ponded season of about 5 months, from October to February. Variation between seasons in total ETo, rainfall, and ETo minus rainfall is large. Over 32 years, total seasonal ETo varied by a factor of 1.5, while rainfall varied >10-fold. The irrigation water requirement for rice +(ETo - rainfall) varied from 685 mm in 1992-93 to 1350 mm in 1990-91. This large variation highlights the need to adjust the rice water use limit (16 ML/ha or 1600 mm) on a seasonal basis, to detect and eliminate high water use paddocks where percolation to the groundwater or surface runoff is excessive (>2 ML/ha). On average, an irrigation requirement of 10.5 ML/ha is needed to replace net evaporative loss +(ETo - rainfall) for rice flooded for 5 months, October-February. Monthly totals of ETo are compared for several locations within the rice-growing areas of southern New South Wales, and differences between locations are found to be small and not significant. This reflects the strong dependence of evaporation on radiant energy, which is unlikely to vary spatially to a significant extent across the region. ETo calculated from meteorological data collected at CSIRO Griffith therefore provides a definitive basis for estimating evapotranspiration from rice in southern New South Wales. Furthermore, CSIRO Griffith has a computerised meteorological data base going back to the 1930s. Current meteorological data and historical records are readily available by contacting the Metdata Manager. Therefore, the case is made for using CSIRO Griffith ETo as the reference for estimating evapotranspiration from rice in southern New South Wales. This study provides farmers, Land and Water Management Plan groups, and policy makers with a tool that can be used, on a yearly basis, to evaluate rice paddock water use efficiency. It should be adopted to confine rice growing to the least permeable soils.
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Adams, Matthew, Peter L. Smith, and Xihua Yang. "Assessing the effects of groundwater extraction on coastal groundwater-dependent ecosystems using satellite imagery." Marine and Freshwater Research 66, no. 3 (2015): 226. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf14010.
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Terrestrial vegetation that depends on the subsurface presence of water can be severely affected by groundwater extraction. We analysed Landsat imagery to assess the ecological risk posed by groundwater pumping to native vegetation on the Tomago Sandbeds, a coastal sand mass in northern New South Wales. The effect of extraction on each major vegetation community was assessed by comparing rates of evapotranspiration between extraction zones and matched areas outside the influence of extraction. We found a significant long-term change in evapotranspiration close to groundwater extraction points within most forest, woodland and scrub communities, including those not currently regarded as being wholly dependent on groundwater. We therefore suggest that management of groundwater-dependent ecosystems should not be based on degree of dependence but instead on their sensitivity to groundwater management regimes. Our approach can provide policy makers with information needed to evaluate and adjust groundwater management within groundwater-dependent ecosystems.
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Giambastiani, B. M. S., A. M. McCallum, M. S. Andersen, B. F. J. Kelly, and R. I. Acworth. "Understanding groundwater processes by representing aquifer heterogeneity in the Maules Creek Catchment, Namoi Valley (New South Wales, Australia)." Hydrogeology Journal 20, no. 6 (May 26, 2012): 1027–44. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10040-012-0866-y.
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Jayasuriya, R. T. "Modelling the economic impact of environmental flows for regulated rivers in New South Wales, Australia." Water Science and Technology 48, no. 7 (October 1, 2003): 157–64. http://dx.doi.org/10.2166/wst.2003.0436.
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The management of water resources across Australia is undergoing fundamental reform in line with the priorities identified by the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) in 1994. This includes reforms to the specification of property rights, the way the resource is shared between the environment, irrigators and other users, charges for water use and the operational management of the river systems. In New South Wales (NSW), a series of water sharing plans (WSPs) is being developed for each water source in the State including regulated rivers, unregulated rivers and groundwater aquifers. These plans, which are the mechanisms by which COAG reforms are being implemented, are being developed by community-based water management committees (WMCs). The role of the WMCs is to develop a plan that achieves a balance between environmental, economic and social outcomes. NSW Agriculture has assisted a number of WMCs by quantifying the economic impact of proposed WSP options on the irrigation community. This paper outlines the approach taken by NSW Agriculture to quantifying economic impacts on irrigators in regulated catchments and provides results of case studies in the Lachlan River Catchment which is heavily developed for irrigation.
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Benyon, Richard G., S. Theiveyanathan, and Tanya M. Doody. "Impacts of tree plantations on groundwater in south-eastern Australia." Australian Journal of Botany 54, no. 2 (2006): 181. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/bt05046.
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In some regions dependent on groundwater, such as the lower south-east of South Australia in the Green Triangle, deep-rooted, woody vegetation might have undesirable hydrological impacts by competing for finite, good-quality groundwater resources. In other regions, such as the Riverina in south-central New South Wales, where rising watertables and associated salinisation is threatening the viability of agriculture, woody vegetation might have beneficial hydrological impacts. In response to a growing need to better understand the impacts of tree plantations on groundwater, annual evapotranspiration and transpiration were measured at 21 plantation sites in the Green Triangle and the Riverina. Sources of tree water uptake from rainfall and groundwater were determined by measurements of evapotranspiration and soil water over periods of 2–5 years. In the Green Triangle, under a combination of permeable soil over groundwater of low salinity (<2000 mg L–1) at 6-m depth or less, in a highly transmissive aquifer, annual evapotranspiration at eight research sites in Pinus radiata D.Don and Eucalyptus globulus Labill. plantations averaged 1090 mm year–1 (range 847–1343 mm year–1), compared with mean annual precipitation of 630 mm year–1. These plantation sites used groundwater at a mean annual rate of 435 mm year–1 (range 108–670 mm year–1). At eight other plantation sites that had greater depth to the watertable or a root-impeding layer, annual evapotranspiration was equal to, or slightly less than, annual rainfall (mean 623 mm year–1, range 540–795 mm year–1). In the Riverina, where groundwater was always present within 3 m of the surface, Eucalyptus grandis Hill ex Maiden trees at three sites with medium or heavy clay, alkaline, sodic, saline subsoils used little or no groundwater, whereas E. grandis and Corymbia maculata (Hook.) K.D.Hill and L.A.S.Johnson trees at a site with a neutral sandy soil and groundwater of low salinity used 380 and 730 mm year–1 of groundwater (respectively 41 and 53% of total annual evapotranspiration). We conclude that commonly grown Eucalyptus species and P. radiata are able to use groundwater under a combination of light- or medium-textured soil and shallow depth to a low-salinity watertable.
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Viswanathan, M. N. "Mineral Sand Mining and Its Effect on Groundwater Quality." Water Science and Technology 22, no. 6 (June 1, 1990): 95–100. http://dx.doi.org/10.2166/wst.1990.0056.
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Tomago sandbeds (New South Wales, Australia) is a coastal unconfined aquifer, where mining of mineral sands, like Rutile, Zircon, Ilmenite etc., was in progress since 1972. Groundwater is also extracted from Tomago aquifer for urban water use. Groundwater iron levels vary from 0.1 mg/litre to about 10 mg/litre. Iron in excess of 0.3 mg/litre is removed by chemical treatment. Mining of mineral sands resulted in the substantial increase of iron levels. The level of increase itself being very site specific. Several processes were identified as being responsible for such increases. If water were to be extracted from the mined area, additional treatment would be required to remove excess iron.
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Benson, Doug, and Ian R. C. Baird. "Vegetation, fauna and groundwater interrelations in low nutrient temperate montane peat swamps in the upper Blue Mountains, New South Wales." Cunninghamia 12, no. 4 (October 24, 2012): 267–307. http://dx.doi.org/10.7751/cunninghamia.2012.12.021.
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Kreeb, KH, RDB Whalley, and JL Charley. "Some investigations into soil and vegetation relationships associated with alkaline-saline soil surfaces in the Walcha area, Northern Tablelands, New South Wales." Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 46, no. 1 (1995): 209. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ar9950209.
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The characteristics of the soil, vegetation and groundwater at a dryland salinity site on Miramoona, a property near Walcha on the Northern Tablelands of New South Wales, were investigated. Soil parameters measured at 23 points along a 200 m transect were highly correlated with the pattern of vegetation. Of overriding significance was soil pH, which varied from a high of over 10 on bare areas delineated by Critesion marinum and Cynodon dactylon to a low of less than 5 on grazing land supporting the growth of a wide range of pasture species. The bare areas were characterized by alkalinity. While they were sodic at all depths measured, they were only marginally saline and then only at the soil surface. The chemical composition of the groundwater collected from three piezometer tubes varied quite markedly over the site. It is hypothesized that the presence of alkaline bare areas on the Northern Tablelands is not a new problem, but rather the natural result of alternating wet and dry periods which have induced accumulation of carbonates and bicarbonates of the alkali cations, notably sodium. Drainage of the original perched swamps by the early landholders, tree clearing and the grazing of domestic livestock would have accelerated the process since European settlement. However, tree planting would appear unlikely to have any impact on the reclamation process in the short term. A more viable option would be the recreation of the original swamps in suitable situations, although this solution would create problems for grazing management.
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Young, R. R., A. Broughton, J. M. Bradd, and J. F. Holland. "If long fallow cropping is leaky then shallow groundwaters on the Liverpool Plains should be of recent origin." Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 44, no. 10 (2004): 1051. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ea03133.
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Previous groundwater studies have indicated that up to 195 000 ha of the Liverpool Plains catchment, south of Gunnedah, New South Wales, Australia, are at risk from shallow saline watertables. Replacement of hydraulically stable, native perennial grasslands with more ‘leaky’ annual cropping systems since the 1950s, particularly long fallow wheat–sorghum rotations, has been held responsible for an apparent increased frequency of shallow watertables and saline discharge. If so, then it follows that shallow groundwater in the alluvium will be recent (less than about 30 years old) and the solution to the problem is a straightforward reduction in deep drainage under farming systems via increased evapotranspiration. However, in this study, we have found levels of bomb pulse tritium in shallow groundwaters that indicate that about half of the shallow groundwaters in the Mooki subcatchment pre-date current agricultural practices. A hypothesis for this unexpected outcome suggests that the problem is complex and that solutions need to be site-specific.
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Griffith, Stephen J., Susan Rutherford, Kerri L. Clarke, and Nigel W. M. Warwick. "Water relations of wallum species in contrasting groundwater habitats of Pleistocene beach ridge barriers on the lower north coast of New South Wales, Australia." Australian Journal of Botany 63, no. 7 (2015): 618. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/bt15103.
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This study examined the water relations of sclerophyllous evergreen vegetation (wallum) on coastal sand barriers in eastern Australia. Many wallum species may be groundwater dependent, although the extent of this dependency is largely unknown. Twenty-six perennial tree, shrub and herb species were investigated in three groundwater habitats (ridge, open depression, closed depression). Pre-dawn and midday shoot xylem water potentials (ψx) were measured monthly between late autumn 2010 and late summer 2011. Pressure–volume curve traits were determined in mid- to late spring 2009, including the osmotic potential at full (π100) and zero (π0) turgor, and bulk modulus of elasticity (ε). Carbon isotope ratios (δ13C) were also determined in mid- to late spring 2009, to measure water-use efficiency (WUE). The species displayed a range of physiological strategies in response to water relations, and these strategies overlapped among contrasting growth forms and habitats. Linear relationships between osmotic and elastic adjustment were significant. A strong correlation between δ13C and distribution along the hydrological gradient was not apparent. Banksia ericifolia subsp. macrantha (A.S.George) A.S.George, Eucalyptus racemosa Cav. subsp. racemosa and Eucalyptus robusta Sm. displayed little seasonal variation in ψx and maintained a comparatively high pre-dawn ψx, and are therefore likely to be phreatophytic. Wetland vegetation in the lowest part of the landscape appeared to tolerate extreme fluctuations in water availability linked to a prevailing climatic pattern of variable and unreliable seasonal rainfall.
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White, Laura, Claudia Catterall, and Kathryn Taffs. "The habitat and management of hairy jointgrass (Arthraxon hispidus, Poaceae) on the north coast of New South Wales, Australia." Pacific Conservation Biology 26, no. 1 (2020): 45. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/pc19017.
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Ecological information about threatened species is required to guide strategic management approaches for effective biodiversity conservation in Australia. Arthraxon hispidus (hairy jointgrass) is a listed threatened species in New South Wales (NSW), but there is limited information on its habitat preferences and native vegetation associations, as well as the impact of historical and ongoing anthropogenic disturbance on its distribution and abundance. In the present study, populations of A. hispidus on the north coast of NSW were surveyed to investigate the habitat characteristics associated with various occurrences of the species. Its preferred habitat was found to be dense ground-cover formations in high-moisture, low-canopy conditions. Cover was highest in moisture-associated assemblages in and around wetlands, drainage lines and groundwater seepages, often in association with native grasses, sedges and herbs. These findings suggest that naturally open freshwater wetland communities comprise the most plausible native habitat niches for A. hispidus populations on the north coast of NSW. A. hispidus also occurs widely among introduced pastures and weeds in previously forested areas, demonstrating the species’ potential to exploit derived habitat. Results indicate that, although ongoing disturbance continues to promote A. hispidus in these exotic-dominated landscapes where historical clearing has created potential habitat opportunities, anthropogenic disturbance (slashing or cattle grazing) is not necessary to sustain A. hispidus within native-dominated wetland communities. Findings suggest more scope for integrated management of A. hispidus within broader native vegetation conservation strategies rather than a single species approach.
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Abrams, Kym M., Rachael A. King, Michelle T. Guzik, Steven J. B. Cooper, and Andy D. Austin. "Molecular phylogenetic, morphological and biogeographic evidence for a new genus of parabathynellid crustaceans (Syncarida : Bathynellacea) from groundwater in an ancient southern Australian landscape." Invertebrate Systematics 27, no. 2 (2013): 146. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/is12033.
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The putatively ancient subterranean crustacean family Parabathynellidae has been poorly studied, in part because of the problem of obtaining material from difficult to access subterranean habitats in which they live. Further, the systematics of the group has been complicated by their generally simplified morphology and isolated descriptions of new taxa in the absence of any phylogenetic framework. Using material from comprehensive field surveys and mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) and nuclear 18S sequence data, plus morphology, a new genus is recognised, Arkaroolabathynella Abrams & King, gen. nov., from underground waters in the Flinders Ranges, South Australia. Arkaroolabathynella contains four genetically and morphologically distinct species, described as A. bispinosa Abrams & King, sp. nov., A. remkoi Abrams & King, sp. nov., A. robusta Abrams & King, sp. nov. and A. spriggi Abrams & King, sp. nov. Phylogenetic analysis also revealed a previously unknown diversity of parabathynellids from southern Australia, and a complex set of relationships with the eastern (New South Wales) and south-western (Western Australia) continental faunas. Additionally, this study showed that deep molecular divergences in parabathynellids are not always reflected in morphological divergence. A checklist to Australian parabathynellid genera and species is also provided.
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Doroudi, Mehdi S., Grant K. Webster, Geoff L. Allan, and D. Stewart Fielder. "Survival and Growth of Silver Perch, Bidyanus bidyanus, a Salt-tolerant Freshwater Species, in Inland Saline Groundwater from Southwestern New South Wales, Australia." Journal of the World Aquaculture Society 38, no. 2 (June 2007): 314–17. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-7345.2007.00102.x.
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Zolfaghar, Sepideh, Randol Villalobos-Vega, James Cleverly, Melanie Zeppel, Rizwana Rumman, and Derek Eamus. "The influence of depth-to-groundwater on structure and productivity of Eucalyptus woodlands." Australian Journal of Botany 62, no. 5 (2014): 428. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/bt14139.
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Although it is well documented that access to groundwater can help plants survive drought in arid and semiarid areas, there have been few studies in mesic environments that have evaluated variation of vegetation characteristics across a naturally occurring gradient in depth-to-groundwater (DGW). The aim of this study was to determine whether differences in groundwater depth influence structural attributes and productivity of remnant woodlands in south-eastern Australia. The study area was located in the Kangaloon bore-field area of New South Wales, where DGW varies from 2.4 m to 37.5 m and rainfall is plentiful. We examined structural (leaf-area index, basal area, stem density, tree height, Huber value (HV) and aboveground biomass) and functional (aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP)) attributes of seven woodland sites differing in DGW. We also used ∂13C analysis of sapwood across six sites, along with observed non-linear changes in structural attributes, to infer groundwater use by trees. Significant differences in structural attributes and ANPP were observed across sites. The three shallowest sites with 2.4 m, 4.3 m and 5.5 m DWG had significantly larger aboveground biomass and ANPP than did the four deepest sites (DGW ≥9.8 m). Across all attributes (except HV in the summer, where the mean values were significantly larger at sites where DGW was 5.5 m or less and across the four deeper sites (DGW ≥9.8 m), there were no differences in these three structural traits, nor in ANPP. Despite finding no significant differences in HV across sites in the summer, in winter, the two deepest sites had a significantly larger HV than did the two shallowest sites. Significant increases in ∂13C of sapwood occurred across five of the six sites, consistent with increasing water-use efficiency as DGW increased, reflecting the declining availability of groundwater with increasing DGW. This study has demonstrated that even in a mesic environment, putative access to groundwater can have important impacts on structural and functional traits of trees and, consequently, on woodland productivity.
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Hancock, P. J., and A. J. Boulton. "Stygofauna biodiversity and endemism in four alluvial aquifers in eastern Australia." Invertebrate Systematics 22, no. 2 (2008): 117. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/is07023.
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Short-range endemism is common in groundwater fauna (stygofauna), placing many species at risk from anthropogenic impacts such as water abstraction and pollution. Few of the alluvial aquifers in eastern Australia have been sampled for stygofauna. Fauna from two aquifers in Queensland and two in New South Wales was sampled to improve ecological knowledge of stygofauna and the potential threats posed to it by development. Our surveys found stygofauna in all four aquifers, with most taxa collected from bores with low electrical conductivity (<1500 µS cm–1). Taxon richness decreased with distance below the water table. The most taxon-rich bores in each region occurred where the water table depth was <10 m, were associated with the alluvium of tributaries of large regulated river systems, and were near phreatophytic trees. It is possible that tree roots constitute a habitat and source of organic matter in alluvial aquifers as they do in cave streams. It is important to document the biodiversity of particular regions and aquifers so that species can be conserved in the face of increasing groundwater use. For effective resource management, future research should strive to understand the tolerances and ecological requirements of groundwater communities and the ecosystem services they provide.
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Kimber, Stephen W. L., Delton J. Sizemore, and Peter G. Slavich. "Is there evidence of arsenic movement at cattle tick dip sites?" Soil Research 40, no. 7 (2002): 1103. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/sr02011.
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Soils at cattle tick dip sites in Australia have been contaminated by a range of chemicals, including arsenic (As). To determine if significant off-site migration of As from dip sites has occurred, 28 dip sites were surveyed to assess both surface and subsurface As transport. Although previous studies using sequential extraction techniques indicated a risk of As leaching at these sites, no evidence of such movement was found in the field from this study.The As concentration in shallow groundwater (2 m) at clay textured sites was below detection level of 1 μg/L.�At sandy textured sites, groundwater immediately adjacent to the dip bath contained significant levels of soluble arsenic, but declined sharply with distance (c. 20 m) from the bath.The distribution of As at the soil surface was consistent with disposal methods used (pumping out used fluid from the dip). No sites showed significant transport and redeposition of As.Arsenic speciation in groundwater revealed As (V) as the dominant species in all sites. As (III) was found in detectable quantities at one site only.Most dip sites in New South Wales are located on heavier textured soils rich in iron oxides that adsorb As. These sites pose a negligible risk of contaminating groundwater. However, a few dip sites also occur on coastal sand relics. These sites have potential to contaminate groundwater within small distances (c. 20 m) from the dip bath. Lack of significant surface movement of residues was attributed to good vegetation cover at the sites surveyed.
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Suckow, Axel, Alec Deslandes, Christoph Gerber, Sebastien Lamontagne, Dirk Mallants, Philip Davies, Andrew Taylor, et al. "Multi-isotope studies investigating recharge and inter-aquifer connectivity in coal seam gas areas (Qld, NSW) and shale gas areas (NT)." APPEA Journal 60, no. 1 (2020): 335. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/aj19187.
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Large sedimentary basins with multiple aquifer systems like the Great Artesian Basin and the Beetaloo Sub-Basin are associated with large time and spatial scales for regional groundwater flow and mixing effects from inter-aquifer exchange. This makes them difficult to study using traditional hydrogeological investigation techniques. In continental onshore Australia, such sedimentary aquifer systems can also be important freshwater resources. These resources have become increasingly stressed because of growing demand and use of groundwater by multiple industries (e.g. stock, irrigation, mining, oil and gas). The social licence to operate for extractive oil and gas industries increasingly requires robust and reliable scientific evidence on the degree to which the target formations are vertically and laterally hydraulically separated from the aquifers supplying fresh water for stock and agricultural use. The complexity of such groundwater interactions can only be interpreted by applying multiple lines of evidence including environmental isotopes, hydrochemistry, hydrogeological and geophysical observations. We present an overview of multi-tracer studies from coal seam gas areas (Queensland and New South Wales) or areas targeted for shale gas development (Northern Territory). The focus was to investigate recharge to surficial karst and deep confined aquifer systems before industrial extraction on time scales of decades up to one million years and aquifer inter-connectivity at the formation scale. A systematic and consistent methodology is applied for the different case study areas aimed at building robust conceptual hydrogeological models that inform groundwater management and groundwater modelling. The tracer studies provided (i) in all areas increased confidence around recharge estimates, (ii) evidence for a dual-porosity flow system in the Hutton Sandstone (Queensland) and (iii) new insights into the connectivity, or lack thereof, of flow systems.
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Vanags, C. P., and R. W. Vervoort. "Hydrological and water-use efficiency implications of geomorphological stratification in palæochannels in the Northern Murray–Darling Basin." Crop and Pasture Science 64, no. 12 (2013): 1182. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/cp13168.
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Regional climactic variability coupled with an increasing demand on water has placed an even greater pressure on managers to understand the complex relationships between surface water and groundwater in the Murray–Darling Basin. Based on limited soil sampling combined with geophysical observations, past research has suggested that relic subsurface drainage features (also known as palæochannels) have a higher risk of deep drainage and lateral flow, particularly where water is impounded or applied as irrigation. The aim of this study was to investigate the hydrological behaviour of an irrigated 25-ha site in North-western New South Wales in more detail to predict deep drainage risk in the presence of palæochannel systems. Several years of direct and indirect observations, including soil sampling and groundwater measures, were collected. Coupling the field data with one- and two-dimensional water balance models revealed a more complex behaviour where a palæochannel functions like a large underground drain. In contrast to other studies, this study suggests that the actual palæochannel does not pose a higher drainage risk, but the combination of the palæochannels with the surroundings soils does have a higher deep drainage risk.
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Gonzalez, Dennis, Sreekanth Janardhanan, Daniel E. Pagendam, and Daniel W. Gladish. "Probabilistic Groundwater Flow, Particle Tracking and Uncertainty Analysis for Environmental Receptor Vulnerability Assessment of a Coal Seam Gas Project." Water 12, no. 11 (November 13, 2020): 3177. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/w12113177.
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The production of coalbed methane, or coal seam gas (CSG) in Australia increased 250-fold since the 1990s to around 1502 petajoules in 2019 and continues to expand. Groundwater flow in the aquifers intersected by gas wells could potentially facilitate a transport pathway for migration of contaminants or poorer quality water from deeper formations. While regulatory and mitigation mechanisms are put in place to minimize the risks, quantitative environmental impact assessments are also undertaken. When many gas wells are drilled in a wide area where many potential receptors are also spatially distributed, potential source-receptor combinations are too numerous to undertake detailed contamination risk assessment using contaminant transport modelling. However, valuable information can be gleaned from the analysis of groundwater flow directions and velocities to inform and prioritise contamination risk assessment and can precede computationally challenging stochastic contaminant transport modelling. A probabilistic particle tracking approach was developed as a computationally efficient screening analysis of contamination pathways for a planned CSG development near Narrabri in northern New South Wales, Australia. Particle tracking was run iteratively with a numerical groundwater flow model across a range of plausible parameter sets to generate an ensemble of estimated flow paths through the main Great Artesian Basin aquifer in the area. Spatial patterns of path lines and spatial relationships with potential receptors including neighbouring groundwater extraction wells and hydrologically connected ecological systems were analysed. Particle velocities ranged from 0.5 to 11 m/year and trajectories indicated dedicated contaminant transport modeling would be ideally focused at the local scale where wells are near potential receptors. The results of this type of analysis can inform the design of monitoring strategies and direct new data collection to reduce uncertainty and improve the effectiveness of adaptive management strategies and early detection of impacts.
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Blunden, B. G., and B. Indraratna. "Evaluation of surface and groundwater management strategies for drained sulfidic soil using numerical simulation models." Soil Research 38, no. 3 (2000): 569. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/sr99018.
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The effective management of acid sulfate soils is a major issue for many coastal regions in Australia. Simulations were conducted to evaluate 4 different water management strategies that could be applied to agricultural land on the south coast of New South Wales, Australia, to minimise acid generation from acid sulfate soils. The water management strategies are compared with the existing extensively drained situation which generates and discharges large quantities of acidic pyrite oxidation products. The 4 water management strategies include elevated drain water levels using a weir, 25 mm irrigation on a 7- or 14-day cycle, and elevated drain water levels with irrigation. All of these strategies were designed to minimise the generation of acid by reducing the transport of oxygen to the sulfidic soil. Simulations were conducted for weather and site conditions experienced during a 12-month period starting in July 1997. Model simulations showed that maintenance of elevated drain water levels using a weir in the drain significantly reduced the amount of acid generated by 75% and 57%, at 10 and 90 m distance from the drain, respectively, by comparison with the existing drained state. The addition of 25 mm irrigation on a 14-day cycle to the weir simulation reduced the oxidation of pyrite by a further 1–2%. Application of irrigation only on a 7-day cycle also reduced the acid generated by 89% and 94% at 10 and 90 m distance from the drain, respectively, by comparison with the existing drained state. Irrigation on a 14-day cycle was not as successful in reducing pyrite oxidation as either the 7-day irrigation or weir strategies. Evaluation of the 4 water management options showed that significant improvements can be made with respect to the amount of acid generated by relatively simple and cost-effective land management practices.
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Sammut, J., I. White, and MD Melville. "Acidification of an estuarine tributary in eastern Australia due to drainage of acid sulfate soils." Marine and Freshwater Research 47, no. 5 (1996): 669. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf9960669.
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Episodic acidification (pH <5) of estuarine tributaries caused by the oxidation of sulfidic floodplain sediments is widespread in eastern Australia. Drainage and flood mitigation works promote oxidation and the export of sulfuric acid and dissolved aluminium and iron into streams. This paper examines the acidification of a tidal reach on the Richmond River, New South Wales. Acid discharge is controlled by the floodplain water balance, drainage of shallow acid groundwater, and tidal floodgate operation. Floodgates store acid waters for more than six months. Acid discharges ranged from short pulses during light rains to ~950 t of sulfuric acid in a major flood that acidified the reach for over seven weeks. Extensive iron flocs accompanied acidification and coated the benthos. The chemistry of the reach reflected mixing of acid groundwater with upland waters and showed pH-dependent enhancement or depletion of species relative to chloride. Concentrations of monomeric aluminium were over 300 times larger than local (ANZECC) guidelines and 90 km of the river were acidified after floods. The estimated rate of sulfuric acid production from the floodplain is ~300 kg ha-1 year-1 and discharge may occur for over 1000 years. Management options are considered; however, the long-term consequences of acidification of tidal reaches are unknown.
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Asmyhr, Maria G., and Steven J. B. Cooper. "Difficulties barcoding in the dark: the case of crustacean stygofauna from eastern Australia." Invertebrate Systematics 26, no. 6 (2012): 583. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/is12032.
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The eastern Australian aquifers remain mostly unexplored; however, recent surveys suggest that there could be substantial levels of subterranean biodiversity hidden in these aquifers. Groundwater fauna (stygofauna) is often characterised by short-range endemism. Furthermore, high levels of cryptic species, and lack of formal taxonomic descriptions and taxonomic expertise for many of the groups demand innovative approaches for assessing subterranean biodiversity. Here we evaluate the potential of using DNA barcoding as a rapid biodiversity assessment tool for the subterranean groundwater fauna of New South Wales, Australia. We experienced low amplification success using universal and more taxon-specific primers for PCR amplification of the barcoding gene (COI) in a range of crustacean stygofauna. Sequence comparisons of the most commonly used COI universal primers in selected crustacean taxa revealed high levels of variability. Our results suggest that successful amplification of the COI region from crustacean stygofauna is not straightforward using the standard ‘universal’ primers. We propose that the development of a multiprimer (taxon specific) and multigene approach for DNA barcode analyses, using next-generation sequencing methodologies, will help to overcome many of the technical problems reported here and provide a basis for using DNA barcoding for rapid biodiversity assessments of subterranean aquatic ecosystems.
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Sun, H., and P. S. Cornish. "A catchment-based approach to recharge estimation in the Liverpool Plains, NSW, Australia." Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 57, no. 3 (2006): 309. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ar04015.
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This study investigated drainage and shallow groundwater change in a headwater catchment of the Liverpool Plains in north-western New South Wales. A catchment model, SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool), was used to explore rain-fed drainage to shallow groundwater and its relationship to land use. Drainage was predicted along with the prediction of runoff on a catchment and land-use basis over a simulation period of 44 years. Predicted drainage in the catchment was 8 mm/year for the 44 years, which essentially matched estimates derived from bore data observed in the catchment over a 22-year period. These estimates of drainage are much lower than published estimates based on scaling up to the catchment using estimates of drainage derived from point-scale models for different land uses. Estimates of drainage for the different land uses, derived from the catchment model, were also generally lower than simulated drainages from other studies in the area using point-scale models. The investigation demonstrates a place for catchment-based modelling for estimating drainage at the catchment scale. This is mainly because observed catchment runoff is used as an error controller in catchment recharge modelling, whereas scaled-up point-scale modelling generally does not use observed catchment runoff to derive the catchment drainage. Modelling on the Liverpool Plains catchment also suggests that some of the drainage entering the vadose zone and groundwater is later lost via evapotranspiration, a process not generally simulated in crop models, and requiring further investigation to improve understanding of recharge processes and accuracy of modelling.
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Johnston, W. H., P. S. Cornish, T. B. Koen, and V. F. Shoemark. "Eragrostis curvula (Schrad.) Nees. complex pastures in southern New South Wales, Australia: a comparison of Eragrostis curvula cv. Consol and Medicago sativa L. cv. Nova under intensive rotational management." Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 45, no. 10 (2005): 1255. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ea04080.
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The productivity, carrying capacity and liveweight performance of wether sheep grazing pastures of Eragrostis curvula cv. Consol and Medicago sativa cv. Nova, which were also sown with annual grasses and Trifolium subterraneum, were compared under an intensive 4-paddock rotational grazing regime in a ‘put-and-take’ grazing experiment at Wagga Wagga, New South Wales from November 1993 to August 1996. The productivity of the pastures was broadly similar, with production peaks of >1000 kg/ha in winter and >3000 kg/ha in spring and summer in paddocks that had been spelled for 6 weeks. Although annual species contributed a high proportion of the total herbage mass in spring, over the remainder of the year, both pastures were dominated by their respective perennials. E. curvula maintained an average plant density of approximately 20 plants/m2. The density of M. sativa declined noticeably during the 3 years, and at the end of the experiment M. sativa plants in 1 replicate of the experiment were killed by rising groundwater and dryland salinity. The long-term average stocking rate of E. curvula and M. sativa pastures were similar (12.1 v. 12.5 sheep/ha) and both pastures were capable of sustaining high stocking rates for lengthy periods in spring and summer. Sheep grazing M. sativa tended to be heavier than animals grazing E. curvula, and they produced, on average, 1.1 kg (or 21%) more wool. However, M. sativa was more difficult to establish and its costs for weed and insect control were higher. Therefore, although it was more productive, it might not have been the most economically viable of the 2 pastures. The implications of the findings were discussed within a whole-farm context and it was concluded that E. curvula has a complimentary role to M. sativa for sowing on landscapes and in situations to which M. sativa is poorly adapted.
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Smith, J. V. S., J. Jankowski, and J. Sammut. "Vertical distribution of As(III) and As(V) in a coastal sandy aquifer: factors controlling the concentration and speciation of arsenic in the Stuarts Point groundwater system, northern New South Wales, Australia." Applied Geochemistry 18, no. 9 (September 2003): 1479–96. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/s0883-2927(03)00063-5.
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Angus, J. F., R. R. Gault, M. B. Peoples, M. Stapper, and A. F. van Herwaarden. "Soil water extraction by dryland crops, annual pastures, and lucerne in south-eastern Australia." Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 52, no. 2 (2001): 183. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ar00103.
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The extraction of soil water by dryland crops and pastures in south-eastern Australia was examined in 3 studies. The first was a review of 13 published measurements of soil water-use under wheat at several locations in southern New South Wales. Of these, 8 showed significantly more water extracted by crops managed with increased nitrogen supply or growing after a break crop. The mean additional soil water extraction in response to break crops was 31 mm and to additional N was 11 mm. The second study used the SIMTAG model to simulate growth and water-use by wheat in relation to crop management at Wagga Wagga. The model was set up to simulate crops that produced either average district yields or the potential yields achievable with good management. When simulated over 50 years of weather data, the combined water loss as drainage and runoff was predicted to be 67 mm/year for poorly managed crops and 37 mm for well-managed crops. Water outflow was concentrated in 70% of years for the poorly managed crops and 56% for the well-managed crops. In those years the mean losses were estimated to be 95 mm and 66 mm, respectively. The third study reports soil water measured twice each year during a phased pasture–crop sequence over 6.5 years at Junee. Mean water content of the top 2.0 m of soil under a lucerne pasture averaged 211 mm less than under a subterranean clover-based annual pasture and 101 mm less than under well-managed crops. Collectively, these results suggest that lucerne pastures and improved crop management can result in greater use of rainfall than the previous farming systems based on annual pastures, fallows, and poorly managed crops. The tactical use of lucerne-based pastures in sequence with well-managed crops can help the dewatering of the soil andreduce or eliminate the risk of groundwater recharge.
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Noble, JC, MA Habermehl, CD James, J. Landsberg, AC Langston, and SR Morton. "Biodiversity implications of water management in the Great Artesian Basin." Rangeland Journal 20, no. 2 (1998): 275. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/rj9980275.
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The Great Artesian Basin (GAB) underlies a vast, mainly arid, region where most of the indigenous biota are not dependent upon surface water. In contrast, an important minority is dependent on refuges such as mound springs and their associated wetlands. In some parts of the GAB, such as western New South Wales, many springs have either ceased to flow, or are now barely detectable, because the proliferation of artesian waterbores has reduced groundwater pressures. Because of the rarity of species endemic to mound springs, and the damage they have suffered since pastoral settlement, emphasis should be directed towards conservation and possible rejuvenation of these ecosystems. Provision of artificial sources of water allows more widespread grazing by livestock, larger native and feral herbivores, thereby posing threats to native plants and animals that do not use the water. Because of the proliferation of artificial waters and the grazing they allow, terrestrial grazing-sensitive species now appear to be confined to tiny patches in the landscape. Some nature reserves within the GAB retain numerous artificial sources of water. Most of these should be closed over time to reduce negative impacts on grazing-sensitive plants and animals, especially where these species are inadequately protected elsewhere. In those regions where the ratio of artificial to natural waters is still low, consideration should be given to balancing provision of water for livestock with conservation of biological diversity, by maintaining a patchwork of areas remote from water. In regions where the density of artificial waters is high, conservation of biodiversity on freehold and leasehold lands might be enhanced with a mix of approaches accommodating the needs of the biota and the aspirations of landholders, tailored according to land type and condition. Key words: Great Artesian Basin, biological diversity, mound springs, refuges, rare biota, grazing impact, conservation management, groundwater.
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Rust, William, Mark Cuthbert, John Bloomfield, Ron Corstanje, Nicholas Howden, and Ian Holman. "Exploring the role of hydrological pathways in modulating multi-annual climate teleconnection periodicities from UK rainfall to streamflow." Hydrology and Earth System Sciences 25, no. 4 (April 23, 2021): 2223–37. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-2223-2021.
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Abstract. An understanding of multi-annual behaviour in streamflow allows for better estimation of the risks associated with hydrological extremes. This can enable improved preparedness for streamflow-dependant services, such as freshwater ecology, drinking water supply and agriculture. Recently, efforts have focused on detecting relationships between long-term hydrological behaviour and oscillatory climate systems (such as the North Atlantic Oscillation – NAO). For instance, the approximate 7 year periodicity of the NAO has been detected in groundwater-level records in the North Atlantic region, providing potential improvements to the preparedness for future water resource extremes due to their repetitive, periodic nature. However, the extent to which these 7-year, NAO-like signals are propagated to streamflow, and the catchment processes that modulate this propagation, are currently unknown. Here, we show statistically significant evidence that these 7-year periodicities are present in streamflow (and associated catchment rainfall), by applying multi-resolution analysis to a large data set of streamflow and associated catchment rainfall across the UK. Our results provide new evidence for spatial patterns of NAO periodicities in UK rainfall, with areas of greatest NAO signal found in southwest England, south Wales, Northern Ireland and central Scotland, and show that NAO-like periodicities account for a greater proportion of streamflow variability in these areas. Furthermore, we find that catchments with greater subsurface pathway contribution, as characterised by the baseflow index (BFI), generally show increased NAO-like signal strength and that subsurface response times (as characterised by groundwater response time – GRT), of between 4 and 8 years, show a greater signal presence. Our results provide a foundation of understanding for the screening and use of streamflow teleconnections for improving the practice and policy of long-term streamflow resource management.
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Moore, C. L., B. R. Jenkins, A. L. Cowood, A. Nicholson, R. Muller, A. Wooldridge, W. Cook, et al. "Hydrogeological Landscapes framework: a biophysical approach to landscape characterisation and salinity hazard assessment." Soil Research 56, no. 1 (2018): 1. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/sr16183.
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In Australia, salinity has the potential to affect up to 17million hectares of agricultural and pastoral land. For many degraded sites, biophysical hazards are often poorly understood and consequently poorly managed. Attempts to remediate areas affected by salinity have met with varying degrees of success. The New South Wales (NSW) Office of Environment and Heritage, NSW Department of Primary Industries, University of Canberra and Geoscience Australia have collaborated to develop a biophysical expert-based approach for the assessment and management of salinity within landscapes. The Hydrogeological Landscape (HGL) framework provides a structure for understanding how salinity manifests in the landscape, how differences in salinity are expressed across the landscape and how salinity may best be managed. The HGL framework merges the flow dynamics of the groundwater flow system with the landscape elements of the soil landscape or regolith landform approaches. This is the first approach to specifically address all three manifestations of salinity: land salinity, in-stream salt load and in-stream salt concentration. The HGL framework methodology recognises the interplay between surface and subsurface flow systems, as well as the capacity for water to interact with salt stores in the landscape, and identifies biophysical landscape characteristics (e.g. amount and type of vegetation cover, typical land use practice) that affect these interactions. The HGL framework is an expert system that integrates the spatial variability of landscape characteristics and salinity processes to produce a salinity hazard assessment for any given area.
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Triantafilis, J., V. Wong, F. A. Monteiro Santos, D. Page, and R. Wege. "Modeling the electrical conductivity of hydrogeological strata using joint-inversion of loop-loop electromagnetic data." GEOPHYSICS 77, no. 4 (July 1, 2012): WB99—WB107. http://dx.doi.org/10.1190/geo2011-0507.1.
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In coastal-estuarine agricultural landscapes that are inherently rich in sulfidic sediments and saline water-tables, natural resource management data need to be collected to describe the heterogeneous nature of the soil, underlying regolith, and interactions with groundwater. Geophysical methods, such as electromagnetic (EM) induction instruments, are increasingly being used. This is because they measure apparent soil electrical conductivity [Formula: see text], which has previously been successfully used to map the areal distribution of soil (e.g., salinity) and hydrological (e.g., water-table depth) properties. We explored the potential of a next-generation DUALEM-421 and EM34 to be used independently and in conjunction with each other to provide information we can use to represent the pedological and hydrogeological setting of alluvial and estuarine sediments. A 1D laterally constrained joint-inversion algorithm can account for the nonlinearity of large [Formula: see text] (i.e., [Formula: see text]). We applied this algorithm to develop 2D cross sections of electrical conductivity ([Formula: see text]) from DUALEM-421 and EM34 [Formula: see text] data acquired across an estuarine landscape and situated within Quaternary fluvial sediments adjacent to Rocky Mouth Creek on the far north coast of New South Wales, Australia. We compared this joint-inversion model with inversions of the DUALEM-421 and EM34 [Formula: see text] data independently of each other. For the most part, the general patterns of the inverted models of [Formula: see text] compare favorably with existing pedological and hydrogeological interpretations, based on results achieved during a previous geoelectrical survey. However, the joint-inversion provides a more realistic model of the location and extent of a saline water-table and associated with the location of sulfidic sediments.
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Gonzalez, Dennis, Peter Dillon, Declan Page, and Joanne Vanderzalm. "The Potential for Water Banking in Australia’s Murray–Darling Basin to Increase Drought Resilience." Water 12, no. 10 (October 21, 2020): 2936. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/w12102936.
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Banking water in aquifers during wet years for long-term storage then recovering it in drought is an application of managed aquifer recharge (MAR) that minimises evaporation losses. This requires a suitable aquifer for long-term storage of banked water and occasional periods when entitlements to surface water are available and affordable. This has been widely practised in Arizona and California but thus far not in Australia, in spite of severe impacts on agriculture, society, and the environment during recent droughts in the Murray–Darling Basin. This preliminary study based on a simple area exclusion analysis using six variables, some on a 90 m grid, over the 1 million km2 basin produced a first estimate of the order of 2–4 × 109 m3 of additional aquifer storage potential in surficial aquifers close to rivers. For 6 of the 23 catchments evaluated, banking capacity exceeded an average water depth of 0.3 m for the irrigated area. At one prospective site in the Macquarie River catchment in New South Wales, water banking operations at various scales were simulated using 55 years of historical monthly hydrologic data, with recharge and recovery triggered by dam storage levels. This showed that the estimated 300 × 106 m3 additional local aquifer capacity could be fully utilised with a recharge and recovery capacity of 6 × 106 m3/month, and recharge occurred in 67% of months and recovery in 7% of months. A novel simulation of water banking with recharge and recovery triggered by water trading prices using 11 years of data gave a benefit cost ratio of ≈ 2. Data showed that water availability for recharge was a tighter constraint on water banking than aquifer storage capacity at this location. The analysis reveals that water banking merits further consideration in the Murray–Darling Basin. Firstly, management across hydrologically connected systems requires accounting for surface water and groundwater entitlements and allocations at the appropriate scale, as well as developing equitable economic and regulatory arrangements. Of course, site-specific assessment of water availability and hydrogeological suitability would be needed prior to construction of demonstration projects to support full-scale implementation.
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Holley, Cameron, Tariro Mutongwizo, Susan Pucci, Juan Castilla Rho, and Darren Sinclair. "Groundwater Regulation, Compliance and Enforcement: Insights on Regulators, Regulated Actors and Frameworks in New South Wales, Australia." SSRN Electronic Journal, 2020. http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3524730.
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Morgan, Karina, and Jerzy Jankowski. "Saline groundwater seepage zones and their impact on soil and water resources in the Spicers Creek catchment, central west, New South Wales, Australia." Environmental Geology 46, no. 2 (March 5, 2004). http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00254-004-0977-4.
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Post, David A. "Assessing the hydrological impacts of coal resource development: a case study from Australia." Vestnik of Saint Petersburg University. Earth Sciences 66, no. 1 (2021). http://dx.doi.org/10.21638/spbu07.2021.106.
Full textAbstract:
The objective of this study is to predict regional-scale cumulative impacts on water resources caused by coal resource developments in the Gloucester subregion of New South Wales (NSW), Australia. A key outcome of the assessment is identifying areas where water resources are very unlikely to be impacted (with a less than 5% chance) from those where water resources are potentially impacted (at least a 5% chance). Governments, industry and the community can then focus on areas that are potentially impacted when making regulatory, water management and planning decisions. Potential impacts were ruled out using a zone of potential hydrological change. This zone was defined based on at least a 5% chance of exceeding defined thresholds in multiple hydrological response variables including groundwater drawdown and eight streamflow metrics (only reductions in annual streamflow are reported here). The zone of potential hydrological change in the Gloucester subregion covers 250 km2 and includes 242 km of stream network. This represents 52% of the area and 70% of the stream length assessed. Groundwater drawdown exceeding 0.2 m in the near surface aquifer due to additional coal resource development is very likely (>95% chance) for an area of 20 km2 but is very unlikely (<5% chance) to exceed an area of 100 km2. Although 242 km of streams are identified as being potentially impacted, changes in streamflow are small, with a little over 5% reduction in annual flow in some streams close to the coal mines, and reductions in annual flow in the major rivers not exceeding 1 - 5%.