Journal articles on the topic 'Rivers Australia Management'
To see the other types of publications on this topic, follow the link: Rivers Australia Management.
Create a spot-on reference in APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard, and other styles
Consult the top 50 journal articles for your research on the topic 'Rivers Australia Management.'
Next to every source in the list of references, there is an 'Add to bibliography' button. Press on it, and we will generate automatically the bibliographic reference to the chosen work in the citation style you need: APA, MLA, Harvard, Chicago, Vancouver, etc.
You can also download the full text of the academic publication as pdf and read online its abstract whenever available in the metadata.
Browse journal articles on a wide variety of disciplines and organise your bibliography correctly.
1
Edgar, B., N. Schofield, and A. Campbell. "Informing river management policies and programs with science." Water Science and Technology 43, no. 9 (May 1, 2001): 185–95. http://dx.doi.org/10.2166/wst.2001.0536.
Full textAbstract:
Conventional wisdom has it that we already have enough science to address the problems causing degradation of our environment, including rivers. This is not true. However it is the case that we could be using existing knowledge better, and that we could be doing more to learn the lessons from the huge sums being spent on river restoration and management. Informing good policy and practical on-ground management with R&D outputs has proven to be is difficult, but essential. This paper reviews some of the history of water and river management in Australia and how perceptions of rivers have evolved. It discusses the challenge of enhancing the linkages between science, policy and practice in river management. It outlines the knowledge exchange, R&D and capacity building strategies of the National Rivers Consortium - a new initiative whose founding partners are LWRRDC, the MDBC, CSIRO Land and Water and the Western Australian Waters and Rivers Commission. This strategic collaboration between policy makers, river managers and scientists brings together organisations with responsibility and expertise to improve the health and management of Australian rivers. The National Rivers Consortium is making a major investment in knowledge exchange and capacity building, based on direct personal contact and learning by doing. The Consortium is establishing a program of training activities targeting river managers and policy makers, based on the best available science and high quality information products. It will support river managers as they plan and implement river restoration and protection projects. The paper concludes with a discussion of the key knowledge gaps that remain impediments to the better management of Australia's unique and diverse river landscapes.
2
Douglas, Michael M., Stuart E. Bunn, and Peter M. Davies. "River and wetland food webs in Australia's wet - dry tropics: general principles and implications for management." Marine and Freshwater Research 56, no. 3 (2005): 329. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf04084.
Full textAbstract:
The tropical rivers of northern Australia have received international and national recognition for their high ecological and cultural values. Unlike many tropical systems elsewhere in the world and their temperate Australian counterparts, they have largely unmodified flow regimes and are comparatively free from the impacts associated with intensive land use. However, there is growing demand for agricultural development and existing pressures, such as invasive plants and feral animals, threaten their ecological integrity. Using the international literature to provide a conceptual framework and drawing on limited published and unpublished data on rivers in northern Australia, we have derived five general principles about food webs and related ecosystem processes that both characterise tropical rivers of northern Australia and have important implications for their management. These are: (1) the seasonal hydrology is a strong driver of ecosystem processes and food-web structure; (2) hydrological connectivity is largely intact and underpins important terrestrial–aquatic food-web subsidies; (3) river and wetland food webs are strongly dependent on algal production; (4) a few common macroconsumer species have a strong influence on benthic food webs; and (5) omnivory is widespread and food chains are short. The implications of these ecosystem attributes for the management and protection of tropical rivers and wetlands of northern Australian are discussed in relation to known threats. These principles provide a framework for the formation of testable hypotheses in future research programmes.
3
Pittock, Jamie. "Are we there yet? The Murray-Darling Basin and sustainable water management." Thesis Eleven 150, no. 1 (February 2019): 119–30. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0725513618821970.
Full textAbstract:
In 2007, then Australian Prime Minister Howard said of the Murray-Darling Basin’s rivers that action was required to end the ‘The tyranny of incrementalism and the lowest common denominator’ governance to prevent ‘economic and environmental decline’. This paper explores the management of these rivers as an epicentre for three key debates for the future of Australia. Information on biodiversity, analyses of the socio-ecological system, and climate change projections are presented to illustrate the disjunction between trends in environmental health and the institutions established to manage the Basin sustainably. Three key debates are considered: (1) conflict over the allocation of water between irrigated agriculture versus a range of other ecosystem services as the latest manifestation of the debate between adherents of the pioneering myth versus advocates of limits to growth in Australia; (2) cyclical crises as a driver of reactive policy reform and the prospects of the 2008 Water Act forming the basis of proactive, adaptive management of emerging threats and opportunities; and (3) subsidiarity in governance of the environment and natural resources in the Australian federation. Implementation of the 2012 Basin Plan as promised by the Federal Government ‘in full and on time’ is a key sustainability test for Australia. Despite Australian claims of exceptionalism, the Murray-Darling Basin experience mirrors the challenges faced in managing rivers sustainably and across governance scales in federations around the world.
4
Islam, Md Rakeb-Ul, Daniel J. Schmidt, David A. Crook, and Jane M. Hughes. "Patterns of genetic structuring at the northern limits of the Australian smelt (Retropinna semoni) cryptic species complex." PeerJ 6 (May 3, 2018): e4654. http://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.4654.
Full textAbstract:
Freshwater fishes often exhibit high genetic population structure due to the prevalence of dispersal barriers (e.g., waterfalls) whereas population structure in diadromous fishes tends to be weaker and driven by natal homing behaviour and/or isolation by distance. The Australian smelt (Retropinnidae:Retropinna semoni) is a native fish with a broad distribution spanning inland and coastal drainages of south-eastern Australia. Previous studies have demonstrated variability in population genetic structure and movement behaviour (potamodromy, facultative diadromy, estuarine residence) across the southern part of its geographic range. Some of this variability may be explained by the existence of multiple cryptic species. Here, we examined genetic structure of populations towards the northern extent of the species’ distribution, using ten microsatellite loci and sequences of the mitochondrial cytbgene. We tested the hypothesis that genetic connectivity among rivers should be low due to a lack of dispersal via the marine environment, but high within rivers due to dispersal. We investigated populations corresponding with two putative cryptic species, SEQ-North (SEQ-N), and SEQ-South (SEQ-S) lineages occurring in south east Queensland drainages. These two groups formed monophyletic clades in the mtDNA gene tree and among river phylogeographic structure was also evident within each clade. In agreement with our hypothesis, highly significant overallFSTvalues suggested that both groups exhibit very low dispersal among rivers (SEQ-SFST= 0.13; SEQ-NFST= 0.27). Microsatellite data indicated that connectivity among sites within rivers was also limited, suggesting dispersal may not homogenise populations at the within-river scale. Northern groups in the Australian smelt cryptic species complex exhibit comparatively higher among-river population structure and smaller geographic ranges than southern groups. These properties make northern Australian smelt populations potentially susceptible to future conservation threats, and we define eight genetically distinct management units along south east Queensland to guide future conservation management. The present findings at least can assist managers to plan for effective conservation and management of different fish species along coastal drainages of south east Queensland, Australia.
5
Brodie, Jon E., and Alan W. Mitchell. "Nutrients in Australian tropical rivers: changes with agricultural development and implications for receiving environments." Marine and Freshwater Research 56, no. 3 (2005): 279. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf04081.
Full textAbstract:
In tropical Australia, intensive studies of river suspended sediment (SS) and nutrient dynamics have been restricted to streams on the north-east coast between the Fitzroy and Normanby Rivers (Queensland), Magela Creek/East Alligator River (Northern Territory) and the Ord River (Western Australia). Historical conditions in these rivers were probably characterised by low–moderate SS concentrations and low concentrations of dissolved inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus in flow events. Introduction of agriculture has transformed SS and nutrient dynamics. Grazing has led to soil erosion and increased SS and particulate nutrient concentrations and fluxes in event flows. Fertilised cropping has increased nutrient inputs to catchments, where it forms a substantial proportion of the catchment area. Consequently, both particulate and dissolved inorganic nutrient concentrations and fluxes have increased. Australian tropical rivers have episodic flows, with most material transport occurring during large flow events. The restricted period of these highly energetic flows means little trapping of materials in waterways occurs. Loads are transported efficiently downstream and processes such as denitrification and in-channel sedimentation may be of limited importance. Owing to excessive nutrient inputs associated with agriculture, a number of northern freshwater, estuarine and coastal ecosystems are now eutrophic. Continued development, especially fertilised cropping, without adequate management of nutrient losses is likely to exacerbate these problems.
6
Jayawardana, J. M. C. K., Martin Westbrooke, Michael Wilson, and Cameron Hurst. "Macroinvertebrate communities in willow (Salix spp.) and reed beds (Phragmites australis) in central Victorian streams in Australia." Marine and Freshwater Research 57, no. 4 (2006): 429. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf05139.
Full textAbstract:
Exotic willows (Salix spp.) are widespread riparian tree species of rivers in temperate Australia and New Zealand. Despite being considered as a weed of national significance, little is known about the habitat value of willows and the impact on aquatic biota of vegetation change following willow management programmes. Macroinvertebrate fauna in root habitats of willows and Phragmites australis habitats were examined in three central Victorian rivers to understand the effect of such littoral habitat changes on macroinvertebrates. Data were analysed using Partially Nested Factorial ANOVA with season, river and habitat as main effects. Habitat structure had a significant effect (P < 0.05) on macroinvertebrate community assemblage. However, effect of habitat was not consistent among seasons. The greatest community differences among habitats were observed during winter and least separation during autumn. Taxa responsible for community differences among habitats were also identified. Species richness and abundance did not show consistent variation among habitats over different rivers or seasons. This study provided some indication of the macroinvertebrate community changes that would take place in situations where riparian vegetation changes takes place from willows to P. australis.
7
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.
Full textAbstract:
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.
8
Ganf, George G., and Naomi Rea. "Potential for algal blooms in tropical rivers of the Northern Territory, Australia." Marine and Freshwater Research 58, no. 4 (2007): 315. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf06161.
Full textAbstract:
Rivers in the Northern Territory (NT) of Australia are under pressure from increasing vegetation clearance, land use and nutrient run-off. The literature on algal blooms clearly identifies the predisposing factors but in the NT, these factors are not well researched. We report on the potential for tropical rivers to experience problems related to algal growth. NT rivers were found to have a low nutrient status and a viable inoculum of blue-green, brown and green algal communities. The growth response of these algal groups to nutrient enrichment via bioassays and pulse-amplitude-modulation (PAM) fluorometry measurements varied among rivers and the addition of N, P or N&P. However, the overwhelming findings were that all rivers had the potential to experience algal blooms with enrichment. Back-calculations based on the chlorophyll concentrations recorded in bioassay experiments and stoichiometric ratios of chlorophyll:nutrients suggest there are pools of biologically available organic forms of N and P in addition to inorganic forms. The role of river length in the development of algal blooms was investigated: the longer the river reach, the slower the flow, and the greater the availability of nutrients, the higher potential for algal blooms. Given the strong indications that increased nutrient run-off to tropical rivers will result in algal blooms, prudent land-use and development with nutrient management strategies is essential.
9
Hamilton, Stephen K., and Peter C. Gehrke. "Australia's tropical river systems: current scientific understanding and critical knowledge gaps for sustainable management." Marine and Freshwater Research 56, no. 3 (2005): 243. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf05063.
Full textAbstract:
Australia’s tropical river systems are poorly understood in comparison with Australia’s temperate freshwater and tropical marine systems. Tropical rivers convey ~70% of the continent’s freshwater runoff, and are increasingly being targeted for development. However, existing knowledge is inadequate to support policy for tropical regions that avoids repeating the environmental problems of water use in southern Australia. This paper summarises existing knowledge on the hydrogeomorphic drivers of tropical catchments, fluxes of sediments and nutrients, flow requirements and wetlands. Key research issues include improved quantification of available water resources, hydrological, biogeochemical and ecological linkages at systems scales, understanding and valuing ecosystem processes and services, and projecting the effects of long-term climate change. Two special considerations for tropical Australia are the location of major centres of government and research capacity outside the tropical region, and the legal title of much of tropical Australia vesting in Aboriginal communities with different cultural values for rivers. Both issues will need to be addressed if tropical research is to be effective in supporting resource management needs into the future. Systems-scale thinking is needed to identify links between system components and coastal enterprises, and to protect the environmental, social, and economic values of Australia’s tropical river systems.
10
Gippel, C. J. "Australia's Environmental Flow Initiative: filling some knowledge gaps and exposing others." Water Science and Technology 43, no. 9 (May 1, 2001): 73–88. http://dx.doi.org/10.2166/wst.2001.0512.
Full textAbstract:
Many of Australia's river systems have been seriously degraded by inappropriate management of regulated flows. Other systems are facing threats from future water resources developments. There is a lack of information available to aid in allocation of environmental flows to rivers in order that they are managed in an ecologically sustainable manner. The Environmental Flows Initiative (EFI) is a major Australia-wide R&D program into environmental flows, funded through the Natural Heritage Trust (NHT), and administered by Environment Australia (EA). The program aims to identify environmental values, undertake targeted research to identify risks to river systems and flow requirements to sustain environmental values, to trial flow management options, and to evaluate these trials. The NHT relies on matching funding provided by the State and Territory authorities, and supports integrative approaches with emphasis on works on-the-ground where possible. While the EFI will close significant knowledge gaps, other gaps remain. Some of these relate to development and validation of rapid assessment techniques, understanding the importance of flow variability and how to define it, manipulation of flows to control alien species, developing a system of prioritising rivers for environmental flows, and enhancing flows with other catchment, channel and floodplain rehabilitation measures.
11
Frazier, Paul, and Ken Page. "The effect of river regulation on floodplain wetland inundation, Murrumbidgee River, Australia." Marine and Freshwater Research 57, no. 2 (2006): 133. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf05089.
Full textAbstract:
River regulation by headwater dams has altered the flow regime of rivers worldwide. For floodplain rivers, reduced connectivity between the main channel and floodplain wetlands has led to a decline in ecological health. Current river restoration theory advocates a return towards a more natural regime of floodplain wetland inundation. However, for many rivers, a poor understanding of the natural floodplain wetland inundation regime has hampered effective restoration management. This paper describes a technique for quantifying the effect of flow regulation on the inundation regime of floodplain wetlands on an extended reach of the Murrumbidgee River, Australia. A series of Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) images, captured before and after a set of floods, was analysed to describe the relationship between flow and inundation for a 640 km river reach. These data were combined with historical regulated and modelled natural daily flow data to show that river regulation has reduced the duration and frequency of wetland inundation by ~40%. For the majority of wetlands the capture of small and medium floods in the headwater dams reduced wetland inundation substantially. However, for low connecting wetlands in reaches upstream of the main irrigation off-takes, summer irrigation flows have increased inundation.
12
Salini, J., and JB Shaklee. "Genetic structure of barramundi (Lates calcarifer) stocks from northern Australia." Marine and Freshwater Research 39, no. 3 (1988): 317. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf9880317.
Full textAbstract:
Barramundi, L. calcarifer, were collected from seven localities in the Northern Territory, the Daly, Finniss, Mary, Glyde, Roper and McArthur rivers and Blue Mud Bay, and from the Ord River in Western Australia. Barramundi were sampled seven times from the Daly and Finniss rivers over a 14-month period. In total, 46 loci were identified using starch-gel electrophoresis of enzymes and polyacrylamide electrophoresis of muscle proteins. Twelve loci were polymorphic at the P0.99 level. Most loci were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. A contingency Χ2 analysis for homogeneity of alleles over all loci and all localities was highly significant (P < 0.001). Comparisons of data from adjacent pairs of localities revealed that the overall heterogeneity was attributable to heterogeneity among seven of the eight localities; the Daly and Finniss river areas were not significantly different from one another. No evidence of heterogeneity over time was found among the collections from the Daly River area. The considerable amount of heterogeneity observed suggests that each of these seven localities supports a genetically discrete stock of barramundi; this conclusion is consistent with the documented life history of Australian barramundi. The genetic heterogeneity of the stocks should be considered when management policies for L. calcarifer are being formulated.
13
Hart, Barry, Glen Walker, Asitha Katupitiya, and Jane Doolan. "Salinity Management in the Murray–Darling Basin, Australia." Water 12, no. 6 (June 26, 2020): 1829. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/w12061829.
Full textAbstract:
The southern Murray–Darling Basin (MDB) is particularly vulnerable to salinity problems. Much of the Basin’s landscape and underlying groundwater is naturally saline with groundwater not being suitable for human or irrigation use. Since European settlement in the early 1800s, two actions—the clearance of deep-rooted native vegetation for dryland agriculture and the development of irrigation systems on the Riverine Plains and Mallee region—have resulted in more water now entering the groundwater systems, resulting in mobilization of the salt to the land surface and to rivers. While salinity has been a known issue since the 1960s, it was only in the mid-1980s that was recognized as one of the most significant environmental and economic challenges facing the MDB. Concerted and cooperative action since 1988 by the Commonwealth and Basin state governments under a salinity management approach implemented over the past 30 years has resulted in salinity now being largely under control, but still requiring on-going active management into the future. The approach has involved the development of three consecutive salinity strategies governing actions from 1988 to 2000, from 2001 to 2015, and the most recent from 2016 to 2030. The basis of the approach and all three strategies is an innovative, world-leading salinity management framework consisting of: An agreed salinity target; joint works and measures to reduce salt entering the rivers; and an agreed accountability and governance system consisting of a system of salinity credits to offset debits, a robust and agreed method to quantify the credits and debits, and a salinity register to keep track of credits and debits. This paper first provides background to the salinity issue in the MDB, then reviews the three salinity management strategies, the various actions that have been implemented through these strategies to control salinity, and the role of the recent Basin Plan in salinity management. We then discuss the future of salinity in the MDB given that climate change is forecast to lead to a hotter, drier and more variable climate (particularly more frequent droughts), and that increased salt loads to the River Murray are predicted to come from the lower reaches of the Mallee region. Finally, we identify the key success factors of the program.
14
Close, Paul G., Rebecca J. Dobbs, David J. Tunbridge, Peter C. Speldewinde, Danielle M. Warfe, Sandy Toussaint, and Peter M. Davies. "Customary and recreational fishing pressure: large-bodied fish assemblages in a tropical, intermittent Australian river." Marine and Freshwater Research 65, no. 5 (2014): 466. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf13042.
Full textAbstract:
Permanent waterholes in intermittent rivers of northern Australia support a diverse piscifauna and are popular areas for customary and recreational fishing. The present preliminary study explored the perception that fishing reduces the abundance of targeted, large-bodied species that become restricted to disconnected waterholes during the distinct dry season. River sites in the Fitzroy River catchment, Western Australia, could be clearly classified as experiencing either high or low fishing pressure by using metrics of human ‘accessibility’. The abundance of Hephaestus jenkinsi and Lates calcarifer, targeted by both recreational and customary fishers was highly correlated with accessibility and showed a negative relationship with fishing pressure. Non-target species showed no discernible trend. We estimated that 38% of river length remains subject to relatively low fishing pressure. These preliminary relationships suggest that fish harvest can potentially alter the structure of fish assemblages in disconnected habitats. The potential impact of fishing on the sustainability of fish populations is, most likely, greatest for non-diadromous species and will become more apparent with increasing distance from recolonisation sources. Combining management techniques that maintain recolonisation and recruitment potential with traditional fisheries management strategies (e.g. bag and size limits) presents a suitable approach to mitigate the effects of fish harvesting from tropical intermittent rivers.
15
Sheehan, J. "Indigenous property rights and river management." Water Science and Technology 43, no. 9 (May 1, 2001): 235–42. http://dx.doi.org/10.2166/wst.2001.0548.
Full textAbstract:
The presence of indigenous property rights and interests arising from the survival of native title in Australia presents unique issues in the management of rivers and riverine lands. Existing common law and statutory tidal and non-tidal rights are a complex overlay of public and private property rights which are themselves undergoing significant change through the commodification of many natural resources by Commonwealth and State governments, such as marine species stock and non-tidal water. The melding of indigenous values and management practices with existing management regimes for rivers and riverine lands offers considerable potential for both sustainability of resource utilisation, and respect and recognition of native title with resultant predicted benefits in the vexed area of compensation.
16
Cary, John, and Anne Pisarski. "Social benchmarking to improve river ecosystems." Water Science and Technology 64, no. 5 (September 1, 2011): 1148–53. http://dx.doi.org/10.2166/wst.2011.044.
Full textAbstract:
To complement physical measures or indices of river health a social benchmarking instrument has been developed to measure community dispositions and behaviour regarding river health. This instrument seeks to achieve three outcomes. First, to provide a benchmark of the social condition of communities' attitudes, values, understanding and behaviours in relation to river health; second, to provide information for developing management and educational priorities; and third, to provide an assessment of the long-term effectiveness of community education and engagement activities in achieving changes in attitudes, understanding and behaviours in relation to river health. In this paper the development of the social benchmarking instrument is described and results are presented from the first state-wide benchmark study in Victoria, Australia, in which the social dimensions of river health, community behaviours related to rivers, and community understanding of human impacts on rivers were assessed.
17
Jenkins, K. M., R. T. Kingsford, G. P. Closs, B. J. Wolfenden, C. D. Matthaei, and S. E. Hay. "Climate change and freshwater ecosystems in Oceania: an assessment of vulnerability and adaptation opportunities." Pacific Conservation Biology 17, no. 3 (2011): 201. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/pc110201.
Full textAbstract:
Human-forced climate change significantly threatens the world’s freshwater ecosystems, through projected changes to rainfall, temperature and sea level. We examined the threats and adaptation opportunities to climate change in a diverse selection of rivers and wetlands from Oceania (Australia, New Zealand and Pacific Islands). We found common themes, but also important regional differences. In regulated floodplain rivers in dry regions (i.e. Australia), reduced flooding projected with climate change is a veneer on current losses, but impacts ramp up by 2070. Increasing drought threatens biota as the time between floods extends. Current measures addressing water allocations and dam management can be extended to adapt to climate change, with water buy-back and environmental flows critical. Freshwater wetlands along coastal Oceania are threatened by elevated salinity as sea level rises, potentially mitigated by levee banks. In mountainous regions of New Zealand, the biodiversity of largely pristine glacial and snow melt rivers is threatened by temperature increases, particularly endemic species. Australian snow melt rivers face similar problems, compounding impacts of hydro-electric schemes. Translocation of species and control of invasive species are the main adaptations. Changes to flow regime and rising water temperatures and sea levels are the main threats of climate change on freshwater ecosystems. Besides lowering emissions, reducing impacts of water consumption and protecting or restoring connectivity and refugia are key adaptations for conservation of freshwater ecosystems. Despite these clear imperatives, policy and management has been slow to respond, even in developed regions with significant resources to tackle such complex issues.
18
Cartwright, I., and H. Hofmann. "Using geochemical tracers to distinguish groundwater and parafluvial inflows in rivers (the Avon Catchment, SE Australia)." Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Discussions 12, no. 9 (September 10, 2015): 9205–46. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/hessd-12-9205-2015.
Full textAbstract:
Abstract. Understanding the location and magnitude of groundwater inflows to rivers is important for the protection of riverine ecosystems and the management of connected groundwater and surface water systems. Downstream trends in 222Rn activities and Cl concentrations in the Avon River, southeast Australia, implies that it contains alternating gaining and losing reaches. 222Rn activities of up to 3690 Bq m−3 imply that inflows are locally substantial (up to 3.1 m3 m−1 day−1). However, if it assumed that these inflows are solely from groundwater, the net groundwater inflows during low-flow periods exceed the measured increase in streamflow along the Avon River by up to 490 %. Uncertainties in the 222Rn activities of groundwater, the gas transfer coefficient, and the degree of hyporheic exchange cannot explain this discrepancy. It is proposed that a significant volume of the total calculated inflows into the Avon River represents water that exfiltrates from the river, flows through parafluvial sediments, and subsequently re-enters the river in the gaining reaches. This returning parafluvial flow has high 222Rn activities due to 222Rn emanations from the alluvial sediments. The riffle sections of the Avon River commonly have steep longitudinal gradients and may transition from losing at their upstream end to gaining at the downstream end and parafluvial flow through the sediment banks on meanders and point bars may also occur. Parafluvial flow is likely to be important in rivers with coarse-grained alluvial sediments on their floodplains and failure to quantify the input of 222Rn from parafluvial flow will result in overestimating groundwater inflows to rivers.
19
Moran, Nicholas P., George G. Ganf, Todd A. Wallace, and Justin D. Brookes. "Flow variability and longitudinal characteristics of organic carbon in the Lachlan River, Australia." Marine and Freshwater Research 65, no. 1 (2014): 50. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf12297.
Full textAbstract:
Heterotrophic organic-carbon cycling is a major source of energy to aquatic food webs, yet there are few studies into patterns of heterotrophic productivity in large lowland rivers. The Lachlan River experienced a period of extreme flow variability from September 2010 to February 2011; for example, daily discharge (ML day–1) at one site reached >22 times its 10-year average. Heterotrophic cycling of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and particulate organic carbon (POC) were assessed over this period at six sites on the Lachlan River. Concentrations of total organic carbon (TOC) ranged from 7 to 30 mg L–1, of which the majority was in dissolved form. Concentration of DOC was positively correlated with daily discharge. Biochemical oxygen demand of TOC over 5 days (BOD5) showed significant variability, ranging from 0.6 to 6.6 mg O2 L–1. BOD5 did not appear related to discharge, but instead to a range of other factors, including regulation via weirs, lateral and longitudinal factors. Partitioning of DOC and POC showed that POC had an influence on BOD5 comparable to DOC. This is relevant to environmental-flow management in the Lachlan River, the Murray–Darling Basin and rivers generally, by showing that flow variability influences a fundamental ecosystem characteristic, namely organic carbon.
20
Stein, J. L., M. F. Hutchinson, and J. A. Stein. "A new stream and nested catchment framework for Australia." Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Discussions 10, no. 12 (December 17, 2013): 15433–74. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/hessd-10-15433-2013.
Full textAbstract:
Abstract. Nationally framed assessment and planning assists coordination of resource management activities across jurisdictional boundaries and provides context for assessing the cumulative effects of impacts that can be underestimated by local or regional studies. However, there were significant shortcomings in the existing spatial frameworks supporting national assessment and planning for Australia's rivers and streams. We describe the development of a new national stream and nested catchment framework for Australia that includes a fully connected and directed stream network and a nested catchment hierarchy derived using a modified Pfafstetter scheme. The directed stream network with associated catchment boundaries and Pfafstetter coding respect all distributary junctions and topographically driven surface flow pathways including across the areas of low relief and internal drainage that make up over half of the Australian continent. The Pfafstetter coding facilitates multi-scale analyses and easy tracing and query of upstream/downstream attributes and tributary/main stem relationships. Accompanying the spatial layers are 13 lookup tables containing nearly 400 attributes describing the natural and anthropogenic environment of each of the 1.4M stream segments across the Australian continent at multiple spatial scales (segment, sub-catchment and catchment). The database supplies key spatial layers to support national water information and accounting needs and assists a wide range of research, planning and assessment tasks at regional and continental scales. These include the delineation of reporting units for the Australian Water Resources Assessment, the development of an ecohydrological environment classification for Australian streams and the identification of high conservation value aquatic ecosystems for northern Australia.
21
Lawrence, Susan, James Grove, Peter Davies, Jodi Turnbull, Ian Rutherfurd, and Mark Macklin. "Historical dredge mining as a significant anthropomorphic agent in river systems: A case study from south-eastern Australia." Holocene 31, no. 7 (March 25, 2021): 1158–74. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/09596836211003272.
Full textAbstract:
Bucket dredging to mine and extract gold and tin from rivers is a global industry that has had a range of negative effects on physical environments. These include the destruction of riparian soil profiles and structures, artificial channel straightening and loss of in-stream biodiversity. In this paper we evaluate the immediate effects and long-term consequences of bucket dredging on rivers in Victoria and New South Wales during the period 1900–1950. High quality historical sources on dredge mining are integrated with geospatial datasets, aerial imagery and geomorphological data to analyse the scale of the dredging industry, evidence for disturbance to river channels and floodplains and current land use in dredged areas. The study demonstrates that the environmental impact of dredging was altered but not reduced by anti-pollution regulations intended to control dredging. An assessment of river condition 70–100 years after dredge mining ceased indicates that floodplains and river channels continue to show the effects of dredging, including bank erosion, sediment slugs, compromised habitat and reduced agricultural productivity. These findings have significant implications for river and floodplain management.
22
Stein, J. L., M. F. Hutchinson, and J. A. Stein. "A new stream and nested catchment framework for Australia." Hydrology and Earth System Sciences 18, no. 5 (May 22, 2014): 1917–33. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/hess-18-1917-2014.
Full textAbstract:
Abstract. Nationally framed assessment and planning assists coordination of resource management activities across jurisdictional boundaries and provides context for assessing the cumulative effects of impacts that can be underestimated by local or regional studies. However, there have been significant shortcomings in the existing spatial frameworks supporting national assessment and planning for Australia's rivers and streams. We describe the development of a new national stream and nested catchment framework for Australia that includes a fully connected and directed stream network and a nested catchment hierarchy derived using a modified Pfafstetter scheme. The directed stream network with associated catchment boundaries and Pfafstetter coding respect all distributary junctions and topographically driven surface flow pathways, including those in the areas of low relief and internal drainage that make up over half of the Australian continent. The Pfafstetter coding facilitates multi-scale analyses and easy tracing and query of upstream/downstream attributes and tributary/main stem relationships. Accompanying the spatial layers are 13 lookup tables containing nearly 400 attributes describing the natural and anthropogenic environment of each of the 1.4 M stream segments at multiple spatial scales (segment, sub-catchment and catchment). The database supplies key spatial layers to support national water information and accounting needs and assists a wide range of research, planning and assessment tasks at regional and continental scales. These include the delineation of reporting units for the Australian Water Resources Assessment, the development of an ecohydrological environment classification for Australian streams and the identification of high conservation value aquatic ecosystems for northern Australia.
23
Macumber, Phillip G. "Hydraulically Disconnected Rivers in the Highlands and Southern Riverine Plain of S.E Australia." Sustainability 15, no. 1 (January 3, 2023): 865. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su15010865.
Full textAbstract:
The rivers of south-eastern Australia flow within a complex meander tract (Coonambidgal Formation) formed by phases of Quaternary stream activity. Pumping tests, hydrochemistry and groundwater monitoring of the Campaspe, Loddon and Murray River Valleys show that for significant parts of their courses, the rivers and their associated strip aquifers form a single integrated hydraulic unit perched above and disconnected from the regional water table by an underlying aquitard developed at the top of a varyingly thick and temporally dynamic vadose zone. Loss to the regional aquifer is not restricted to the riverbed but covers the entire width of the Coonambidgal Formation aquifer, which is one or two orders of magnitude greater. River-bed flux is not a measure of net river loss. Through diffusion and dispersion from the overlying saturated zone, aquitard enhancement or development is augmented by chemical processes active towards the top of the vadose zone. Unlike river-bed clogging, chemical clogging of aquifers is progressive and permanent. Post-European instability in the studied groundwater systems has seen catchment wide groundwater rises of up to 0.25 m/y. or 25 metre over the last century. Under the pre-existing norm of deeper water tables, disconnected streams would have been more numerous with the present aquitards being a legacy of that regime.
24
Harris, J. H., R. T. Kingsford, W. Peirson, and L. J. Baumgartner. "Mitigating the effects of barriers to freshwater fish migrations: the Australian experience." Marine and Freshwater Research 68, no. 4 (2017): 614. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf15284.
Full textAbstract:
Declining fish communities characterise global freshwater environments, including those in Australia. Lost river connectivity through water resource development is a key cause of decline, disrupting fish migrations and threatening species productivity, viability and fisheries. Millions of dams, weirs and lesser barriers arising from water resources projects, road and rail transport and hydro-electricity schemes obstruct fish passage in rivers worldwide. Fishways are in place at few sites in Australia and globally relative to the numbers of barriers, and few mitigate the effects of barriers adequately. Most constrain the passage of fish communities and few have performed effectively when assessed against appropriate biological standards. Herein we focus on Australian experience within the global context of obstructed fish migrations, declining fish biodiversity and inadequate fishway performance. We review the migratory characteristics of Australian freshwater fish, identify the effects of different in-stream barriers and other habitat changes on the four classes of migratory behaviour and note how Australia’s highly variable hydrology presents particular challenges in mitigating fish passage barriers. Mitigation options include: basin-scale approaches; improved management of barriers, environmental flows and water quality; barrier removal; and development of improved fishway designs. Mitigation of fish-passage problems can aid in adapting to climate change effects, reversing fisheries declines and rehabilitating fish communities.
25
Barmuta, Leon A. "Imperilled Rivers of Australia: Challenges for Assessment and Conservation." Aquatic Ecosystem Health & Management 6, no. 1 (January 2003): 55–68. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14634980301476.
Full text
26
Cartwright, Ian, and Harald Hofmann. "Using radon to understand parafluvial flows and the changing locations of groundwater inflows in the Avon River, southeast Australia." Hydrology and Earth System Sciences 20, no. 9 (September 6, 2016): 3581–600. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/hess-20-3581-2016.
Full textAbstract:
Abstract. Understanding the location and magnitude of groundwater inflows to rivers is important for the protection of riverine ecosystems and the management of connected groundwater and surface water systems. This study utilizes 222Rn activities and Cl concentrations in the Avon River, southeast Australia, to determine the distribution of groundwater inflows and to understand the importance of parafluvial flow on the 222Rn budget. The distribution of 222Rn activities and Cl concentrations implies that the Avon River contains alternating gaining and losing reaches. The location of groundwater inflows changed as a result of major floods in 2011–2013 that caused significant movement of the floodplain sediments. The floodplain of the Avon River comprises unconsolidated coarse-grained sediments with numerous point bars and sediment banks through which significant parafluvial flow is likely. The 222Rn activities in the Avon River, which are locally up to 3690 Bq m−3, result from a combination of groundwater inflows and the input of water from the parafluvial zone that has high 222Rn activities due to 222Rn emanation from the alluvial sediments. If the high 222Rn activities were ascribed solely to groundwater inflows, the calculated net groundwater inflows would exceed the measured increase in streamflow along the river by up to 490 % at low streamflows. Uncertainties in the 222Rn activities of groundwater, the gas transfer coefficient, and the degree of hyporheic exchange cannot explain a discrepancy of this magnitude. The proposed model of parafluvial flow envisages that water enters the alluvial sediments in reaches where the river is losing and subsequently re-enters the river in the gaining reaches with flow paths of tens to hundreds of metres. Parafluvial flow is likely to be important in rivers with coarse-grained alluvial sediments on their floodplains and failure to quantify the input of 222Rn from parafluvial flow will result in overestimating groundwater inflows to rivers.
27
Davis, Jennifer, Juliet Bird, Brian Finlayson, and Ross Scott. "THE MANAGEMENT OF GRAVEL EXTRACTION IN ALLUVIAL RIVERS: A CASE STUDY FROM THE AVON RIVER, SOUTHEASTERN AUSTRALIA." Physical Geography 21, no. 2 (March 2000): 133–54. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02723646.2000.10642703.
Full text
28
Davies, P. E., J. H. Harris, T. J. Hillman, and K. F. Walker. "The Sustainable Rivers Audit: assessing river ecosystem health in the Murray - Darling Basin, Australia." Marine and Freshwater Research 61, no. 7 (2010): 764. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf09043.
Full textAbstract:
The Sustainable Rivers Audit (SRA) is a systematic assessment of the health of river ecosystems in the Murray–Darling Basin (MDB), Australia. It has similarities to the United States’ Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program, the European Water Framework Directive and the South African River Health Program, but is designed expressly to represent functional and structural links between ecosystem components, biophysical condition and human interventions in the MDB. Environmental metrics derived from field samples and/or modelling are combined as indicators of condition in five themes (Hydrology, Fish, Macroinvertebrates, Vegetation and Physical Form). Condition indicator ratings are combined using expert-system rules to indicate ecosystem health, underpinned by conceptual models. Reference condition, an estimate of condition had there been no significant human intervention in the landscape, provides a benchmark for comparisons. To illustrate, a synopsis is included of health assessments in 2004–2007. This first audit completed assessments of condition and ecosystem health at the valley scale and in altitudinal zones, and future reports will include trend assessments. SRA river-health assessments are expected to play a key role in future water and catchment management through integration in a Basin Plan being developed by the Murray–Darling Basin Authority for implementation after 2011. For example, there could be links to facilitate monitoring against environmental targets.
29
T. Kingsford, Richard, Rachael F. Thomas, and Alison L. Curtin. "Conservation of wetlands in the Paroo and Warrego River catchments in arid Australia." Pacific Conservation Biology 7, no. 1 (2001): 21. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/pc010021.
Full textAbstract:
Irrigation proposals to divert water from the Paroo and Warrego Rivers in arid Australia will affect their aquatic ecosystems. These two are the last of 26 major rivers in the Murray-Darling Basin without large dams and diversions. Knowledge of the extent of their biodiversity value is critical to assessing likely impacts. During the 1990 flood, 1.73 million ha of wetlands, or 12.5% of the land surface of the Paroo and Warrego River catchments, were flooded. Flooded wetland area in the respective catchments was 781 330 ha and 890 534 ha. Most of the wetland area (97%) was floodplain, with 37 freshwater lakes (>50 ha) occupying 2.5% of the wetland area and 177 salt lakes covering 0.8%. A high diversity and abundance of biota depend on these wetlands. Only 7% of the wetland area, all in the Paroo catchment, is in conservation reserves. New South Wales has a high proportion of the wetland area on the Paroo (60%) and a substantial proportion of the wetland area on the Warrego River (23%). Queensland, the upstream state, will influence the ecology of the entire catchment areas of both river systems through its proposed water management plan. Any resulting extraction practices will have detrimental ecological consequences within a decade. Conservation of wetlands is usually site-focused and reflects a paradigm of conservation based on reservation of parcels of land. However, wetlands are dependent on water that is seldom adequately protected. Intergovernment co-operation should protect the entire catchment of the Paroo River from major diversions and stop further development on the Warrego River. This would do more for the conservation of wetlands than the formal reservation of small parts of their catchments.
30
Nichols, Susan J., Leon A. Barmuta, Bruce C. Chessman, Peter E. Davies, Fiona J. Dyer, Evan T. Harrison, Charles P. Hawkins, et al. "The imperative need for nationally coordinated bioassessment of rivers and streams." Marine and Freshwater Research 68, no. 4 (2017): 599. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf15329.
Full textAbstract:
Declining water quality and ecological condition is a typical trend for rivers and streams worldwide as human demands for water resources increase. Managing these natural resources sustainably is a key responsibility of governments. Effective water management policies require information derived from long-term monitoring and evaluation. Biological monitoring and assessment are critical for management because bioassessment integrates the biological, physical and chemical features of a waterbody. Investment in nationally coordinated riverine bioassessment in Australia has almost ceased and the foci of management questions are on more localised assessments. However, rivers often span political and administrative boundaries, and their condition may be best protected and managed under national policies, supported by a coordinated national bioassessment framework. We argue that a nationally coordinated program for the bioassessment of riverine health is an essential element of sustainable management of a nation’s water resources. We outline new techniques and research needed to streamline current arrangements to meet present-day and emerging challenges for coordinating and integrating local, regional and national bioassessment activities. This paper draws on international experience in riverine bioassessment to identify attributes of successful broad-scale bioassessment programs and strategies needed to modernise freshwater bioassessment in Australia and re-establish national broad-scale focus.
31
Garrick, Dustin, Lucia De Stefano, Fai Fung, Jamie Pittock, Edella Schlager, Mark New, and Daniel Connell. "Managing hydroclimatic risks in federal rivers: a diagnostic assessment." Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences 371, no. 2002 (November 13, 2013): 20120415. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2012.0415.
Full textAbstract:
Hydroclimatic risks and adaptive capacity are not distributed evenly in large river basins of federal countries, where authority is divided across national and territorial governments. Transboundary river basins are a major test of federal systems of governance because key management roles exist at all levels. This paper examines the evolution and design of interstate water allocation institutions in semi-arid federal rivers prone to drought extremes, climatic variability and intensified competition for scarce water. We conceptualize, categorize and compare federal rivers as social–ecological systems to analyse the relationship between governance arrangements and hydroclimatic risks. A diagnostic approach is used to map over 300 federal rivers and classify the hydroclimatic risks of three semi-arid federal rivers with a long history of interstate allocation tensions: the Colorado River (USA/Mexico), Ebro River (Spain) and Murray–Darling River (Australia). Case studies review the evolution and design of water allocation institutions. Three institutional design trends have emerged: adoption of proportional interstate allocation rules; emergence of multi-layered river basin governance arrangements for planning, conflict resolution and joint monitoring; and new flexibility to adjust historic allocation patterns. Proportional allocation rules apportion water between states based on a share of available water, not a fixed volume or priority. Interstate allocation reform efforts in the Colorado and Murray–Darling rivers indicate that proportional allocation rules are prevalent for upstream states, while downstream states seek reliable deliveries of fixed volumes to increase water security. River basin governance arrangements establish new venues for multilayered planning, monitoring and conflict resolution to balance self governance by users and states with basin-wide coordination. Flexibility to adjust historic allocation agreements, without risk of defection or costly court action, also provides adaptive capacity to manage climatic variability and shifting values. Future research should develop evidence about pathways to adaptive capacity in different classes of federal rivers, while acknowledging limits to transferability and the need for context-sensitive design.
32
Letnic, Mike, and Greg Connors. "Changes in the distribution and abundance of saltwater crocodiles (Crocodylus porosus) in the upstream, freshwater reaches of rivers in the Northern Territory, Australia." Wildlife Research 33, no. 7 (2006): 529. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr05090.
Full textAbstract:
Since they were declared a protected species in 1971, populations of saltwater crocodiles (Crocodylus porosus) have increased in the tidal rivers, freshwater swamps and marine waters of the Northern Territory. The recovery of the C. porosus population has been accompanied by an increase in the incidence of ‘problem crocodiles’ that represent a threat to people in freshwater and marine habitats. Despite the implications for human safety, little is known about C. porosus populations in the freshwater reaches of rivers, well upstream of tidal influence. In this study, we examined the density and body-size structure of C. porosus populations in three freshwater rivers using a combination of data from spotlight and helicopter surveys conducted between the 1980s and 2005, and the inland extent of C. porosus using distribution records in the Northern Territory. Since the 1980s, the density of C. porosus in upstream, freshwater reaches of the Daly and Roper rivers has increased, as has the inland extent of C. porosus on the Daly River. Although C. porosus was not detected in spotlight surveys of the Victoria River, helicopter survey and anecdotal records indicate that C. porosus was present after 1989. In all, 52.1% of the crocodiles sighted in spotlight surveys were 2.1–3.4 m long. Distribution records show that C. porosus occurs up to 235 km inland and at elevations of up to 126 m above sea level. The potential distribution of C. porosus is likely to be similar to that of barramundi (Lates calcarifer), a readily identifiable diadromous fish that must spawn in estuarine waters and occurs at elevations of up to 178 m above sea level. Because the density and inland extent of C. porosus in freshwater rivers is likely to increase, it is recommended that: (1) programs communicating crocodile awareness use the linkage between the presence of barramundi and the potential presence of C. porosus; (2) that crocodile warning signs be erected in upstream areas within the potential range of C. porosus; (3) that research be conducted on developing techniques to detect and exclude C. porosus from swimming areas; and (4) that widespread systematic surveys be undertaken to document the inland extent of C. porosus.
33
Palmer, Carol, Guido J. Parra, Tracey Rogers, and John Woinarski. "Collation and review of sightings and distribution of three coastal dolphin species in waters of the Northern Territory, Australia." Pacific Conservation Biology 20, no. 1 (2014): 116. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/pc140116.
Full textAbstract:
On a global scale, the coastal waters of the Northern Territory (NT), Australia, are relatively undisturbed, but the pace and extent of coastal development is increasing. Three species of dolphin occur in these waters: the Australian snubfin Orcaella heinsohni, Indo-Pacific humpback Sousa chinensis and bottlenose Tursiops sp., but their distribution is poorly documented. To provide a broader distributional context and complement recent local-scale population studies (Palmer in press), we review the broader distribution of these coastal dolphins, via the collation of historic and contemporary data from sighting surveys, stranding and museum records, and a community sighting programme. Records spanned 1948 to 2010, with Sousa (44%) the most frequently recorded followed by Orcaella and Tursiops (both 28%). The compiled records indicate that the three species are widely distributed along the NT coast but with some apparent differences in habitat use. All species were recorded within 20 km of a major tidal river; but fewer than 3% of Tursiops records were from within tidal rivers, whereas nearly a quarter of Orcaella and Sousa records were as far as 20 to 50 km upstream. Differences in environmental settings between Orcaella and Sousa were less pronounced, but a lower proportion of Orcaella were recorded within 20 km of a river mouth. There are probable but unquantifiable biases in the record sources, but most records of dolphins were from estuaries, tidal rivers and coastal areas within 20 km of river mouths, and these sites probably represent important habitat for these species. The NT’s remote and relatively pristine waters likely hold significant subpopulations of all three species. The information provided here should aid future research efforts, however; further information on the dolphins’ population size, trend and structure are needed to resolve their conservation status at state and national jurisdictions, inform environmental impact assessments and species management.
34
Garrick, Dustin, Rosalind Bark, Jeff Connor, and Onil Banerjee. "Environmental water governance in federal rivers: opportunities and limits for subsidiarity in Australia's Murray–Darling River." Water Policy 14, no. 6 (August 14, 2012): 915–36. http://dx.doi.org/10.2166/wp.2012.120.
Full textAbstract:
A reform process is underway in the Murray–Darling Basin (Australia) to reallocate water from irrigated agriculture to the environment. The scale, complexity and politics of the recovery process have prompted interest in the role of local environmental water managers within state and federal governance arrangements. This paper examines prospects for a local role in environmental water management through the lens of the subsidiarity principle: the notion that effective governance devolves tasks to the lowest level with the political authority and capacity to perform them. The article defines and applies the subsidiarity principle to assess evolving federal–state–local interactions in environmental water policy, planning and practice in Australia's Murray–Darling River. In this context, subsidiarity is useful to clarify institutional roles and their coordination at a whole-of-river level. This analysis demonstrates opportunities for a local role in information gathering, innovation and operational flexibility to respond to opportunities in real time. It identifies significant limits to local action in upstream–downstream tradeoffs, economies of scale, capacity building and cost sharing for basin-wide or national interests, and accountability mechanisms to balance local, state and national rights and responsibilities. Lessons are relevant internationally for regions confronting complex allocation tradeoffs between human and environmental needs within multi-jurisdictional federal systems.
35
Beesley, L. S., and J. Prince. "Fish community structure in an intermittent river: the importance of environmental stability, landscape factors and within-pool habitat descriptors." Marine and Freshwater Research 61, no. 5 (2010): 605. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf09137.
Full textAbstract:
In rivers worldwide, hydrological persistence and variability (i.e. environmental stability) typically parallel longitudinal changes in habitat. This interaction complicates determination of the hierarchy of mechanisms that structure fish communities along rivers. In this study, we examined fish species richness and presence–absence in pools of an intermittent river system containing underground water storages (Fortescue River, north-west Australia), a system that was predicted to uncouple this relationship. Stability, measured by pool persistence, was unrelated to a pool's maximum depth or its position in the catchment, indicating partial decoupling. However, pool stability remained correlated with habitat diversity and log-transformed surface area. Model selection indicated that species richness was better described by pool stability and the landscape factor stream order than by within-pool habitat descriptors. Permanent pools low in the catchment contained more species than unstable pools in headwater streams. We conclude that the distribution of fish in the Fortescue River is shaped predominantly by processes of extirpation and re-colonisation. Management efforts in this river and similar intermittent systems should focus on the preservation of refuge pools, and limit the construction of barriers that limit dispersal.
36
Moore, B. R., D. J. Welch, and C. A. Simpfendorfer. "Spatial patterns in the demography of a large estuarine teleost: king threadfin, Polydactylus macrochir." Marine and Freshwater Research 62, no. 8 (2011): 937. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf11034.
Full textAbstract:
Understanding spatial patterns in demographic parameters of exploited fish species is of critical importance to effective fisheries management. In the present study, patterns in demography of a large, protandrous, estuarine teleost, king threadfin, Polydactylus macrochir, were compared among three estuaries on the eastern coast of Queensland, Australia. Significant variation in age and growth was observed between fish from the Fitzroy River and those from the Mary and Brisbane Rivers, with Fitzroy River fish living longer (22 years v. 10 and 14 years, respectively), reaching a greater asymptotic length (1222-mm fork length (FL) v. 975- and 1047-mm FL, respectively), and attaining greater length-at-ages of 6 years and beyond. No difference in growth was detected between Mary and Brisbane River fish, or in total mortality among any of the sites. Fitzroy River fish were generally found to mature and change sex at greater lengths and ages than those from the Mary and Brisbane Rivers. The observed variability suggests that spatially segregated populations of P. macrochir may respond differently to fishing pressure and highlights the importance of understanding the spatial patterns in demography of exploited estuarine fish populations.
37
Lawrence, Susan, Peter Davies, and Jodi Turnbull. "The archaeology of Anthropocene rivers: water management and landscape change in ‘Gold Rush’ Australia." Antiquity 90, no. 353 (September 15, 2016): 1348–62. http://dx.doi.org/10.15184/aqy.2016.105.
Full text
38
Dawson, D. R., and W. M. Koster. "Habitat use and movements of Australian grayling (Prototroctes maraena) in a Victorian coastal stream." Marine and Freshwater Research 69, no. 8 (2018): 1259. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf17198.
Full textAbstract:
Riverine fishes are among the most imperilled fauna in the world; however, for many species, there is little or no understanding of their ecological requirements. The Australian grayling (Prototroctes maraena) is a small diadromous fish endemic to rivers in south-eastern Australia that has declined considerably in range and abundance and is listed as threatened nationally. To improve understanding of the species’ movement ecology and to inform the development of conservation management actions, we examined the day-to-day movements and habitat use of Australian grayling (n=7) over 8 weeks by using radio-telemetry. Tagged individuals of Australian grayling typically occupied restricted (i.e. tens to hundreds of metres) reaches of stream, and were mostly located in moderate- to fast-flowing habitats (i.e. glide or run), although, at night, use of slower-flowing habitats (i.e. pools) increased. They also undertook longer-distance downstream movements during a period of increased streamflow. Incorporation of such information into management strategies has the potential to improve our capacity to maintain or re-instate the conditions required to conserve and restore Australian grayling populations.
39
Kingsford, Richard T., Keith F. Walker, Rebecca E. Lester, William J. Young, Peter G. Fairweather, Jesmond Sammut, and Michael C. Geddes. "A Ramsar wetland in crisis - the Coorong, Lower Lakes and Murray Mouth, Australia." Marine and Freshwater Research 62, no. 3 (2011): 255. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf09315.
Full textAbstract:
The state of global freshwater ecosystems is increasingly parlous with water resource development degrading high-conservation wetlands. Rehabilitation is challenging because necessary increases in environmental flows have concomitant social impacts, complicated because many rivers flow between jurisdictions or countries. Australia’s Murray–Darling Basin is a large river basin with such problems encapsulated in the crisis of its Ramsar-listed terminal wetland, the Coorong, Lower Lakes and Murray Mouth. Prolonged drought and upstream diversion of water dropped water levels in the Lakes below sea level (2009–2010), exposing hazardous acid sulfate soils. Salinities increased dramatically (e.g. South Lagoon of Coorong >200 g L–1, cf. modelled natural 80 g L–1), reducing populations of waterbirds, fish, macroinvertebrates and littoral plants. Calcareous masses of estuarine tubeworms (Ficopomatus enigmaticus) killed freshwater turtles (Chelidae) and other fauna. Management primarily focussed on treating symptoms (e.g. acidification), rather than reduced flows, at considerable expense (>AU$2 billion). We modelled a scenario that increased annual flows during low-flow periods from current levels up to one-third of what the natural flow would have been, potentially delivering substantial environmental benefits and avoiding future crises. Realisation of this outcome depends on increasing environmental flows and implementing sophisticated river management during dry periods, both highly contentious options.
40
Parsons, Melissa, and Mark Southwell. "Flooding and geomorphology influence the persistence of the invasive annual herb Noogoora burr (Xanthium occidentale Bertol.) in the riparian zone of the dryland Darling River, Australia." Rangeland Journal 37, no. 5 (2015): 433. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/rj14116.
Full textAbstract:
The relationship between flooding, and the establishment and persistence of exotic species, is not well understood in highly variable dryland rivers. Increased moisture associated with floods is likely to stimulate establishment and growth of exotic plants, but floods may also act as a stress to exotic plants if floods last for weeks to months. This study examined how physical drivers of dryland rivers – flood inundation and geomorphology – influence the persistence of Xanthium occidentale Bertol. in the dryland Darling River, Australia. The distribution of X. occidentale was associated with flood-related moisture subsidy, moderated by channel geomorphology. Dead stalks and burrs on the ground occurred above the 8-m height of the previous flood. Adult and juvenile plants occurred below 8 m corresponding to smaller flood events. Flatter geomorphic units (floodplains and benches) contained more plants and burrs, whereas steeper geomorphic units (banks) did not retain burrs, limiting plant abundance. Flooding is not a stress to X. occidentale. A glasshouse experiment showed that flood durations of up to 40 days had minimal effect on the germination, survival and growth of X. occidentale burrs, seeds or seedlings. Weed management strategies for X. occidentale in dryland rivers could be enhanced by targeting periods following flooding when moisture availability is increased on the flatter geomorphic units in the river channel.
41
Finlayson, C. Max. "Wetland research and management in the Kakadu region of northern Australia." Marine and Freshwater Research 69, no. 7 (2018): 1007. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf18158.
Full textAbstract:
This paper provides an introduction to the ecological features that characterise the wetlands of the Kakadu region in northern Australia and places these in a wider context for other papers in a special issue that expands on these features. The special issue aims to (1) synthesise knowledge of the ecosystem process that underpins the management of the rivers and floodplains and (2) undertake an integrated assessment so as to evaluate alternative management responses in the face of an uncertain future. These aims are addressed in individual papers. The managerial and physical settings of the region are introduced before some of the previous wetland research is summarised and gaps in information considered. The gaps included an understanding of the relationship between the provision of ecosystem services and outcomes for water quality and biodiversity, and ecosystem and population dynamics of wetland biodiversity. In a conclusion, the occurrence and acceptance or management of invasive species is considered in terms of the emergence of novel ecosystems as a consequence of global change, in particular sea-level rise and anticipated transition of freshwater wetlands to saline conditions.
42
Law, B., and CA Urquhart. "Diet of the Large-footed Myotis Myotis Mcropus at A Forest Stream Roost in Northern New South Wales." Australian Mammalogy 22, no. 2 (2000): 121. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/am00121.
Full textAbstract:
RECENT evidence indicates that the large-footed myotis Myotis macropus (previously Myotis adversus) is the sole representative of its genus in Australia (Cooper et al. in press). These are small bats that forage over pools of water in small streams, rivers and lakes, using large feet to trawl for prey along water surfaces (Dwyer 1970; Thompson and Fenton 1982). Little is known about their diet. Fish have been confirmed in the diet of M. macropus at a population that forages over a large lake, near Brisbane (Robson 1984). Unidentified insect material formed the bulk of the species? diet in Robson?s study. A small number of scats were also examined from M. macropus caught on the Murray River in South Australia (Jansen 1987). These contained fish remains and insects, particularly Chironominae (midges) and Culicidae (mosquitoes). We studied the diet of M. macropus at a forest stream to determine the importance of aquatic prey and thus to help guide management strategies for the species.
43
Fryirs, Kirstie, Fergus Hancock, Michael Healey, Simon Mould, Lucy Dobbs, Marcus Riches, Allan Raine, and Gary Brierley. "Things we can do now that we could not do before: Developing and using a cross-scalar, state-wide database to support geomorphologically-informed river management." PLOS ONE 16, no. 1 (January 22, 2021): e0244719. http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0244719.
Full textAbstract:
A fundamental premise of river management is that practitioners understand the resource they are working with. In river management this requires that baseline information is available on the structure, function, health and trajectory of rivers. Such information provides the basis to contextualise, to plan, to be proactive, to prioritise, to set visions, to set goals and to undertake objective, pragmatic, transparent and evidence-based decision making. In this paper we present the State-wide NSW River Styles database, the largest and most comprehensive dataset of geomorphic river type, condition and recovery potential available in Australia. The database is an Open Access product covering over 216,600 km of stream length in an area of 802,000 km2. The availability of the database presents unprecedented opportunities to systematically consider river management issues at local, catchment, regional and state-wide scales, and appropriately contextualise applications in relation to programs at other scales (e.g. internationally)–something that cannot be achieved independent from, or without, such a database. We present summary findings from the database and demonstrate through use of examples how the database has been used in geomorphologically-informed river management. We also provide a cautionary note on the limitations of the database and expert advice on lessons learnt during its development to aid others who are undertaking similar analyses.
44
David Smith, J., John Bagg, and Ian Wrigley. "Extractable polycyclic hydrocarbons in waters from rivers in South-Eastern Australia." Water Research 25, no. 9 (September 1991): 1145–50. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0043-1354(91)90208-8.
Full text
45
Cockayne, B. J., D. Sternberg, D. W. Schmarr, A. W. Duguid, and R. Mathwin. "Lake Eyre golden perch (Macquaria sp.) spawning and recruitment is enhanced by flow events in the hydrologically variable rivers of Lake Eyre Basin, Australia." Marine and Freshwater Research 66, no. 9 (2015): 822. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf14242.
Full textAbstract:
Understanding the links between fish recruitment and riverine flows is integral for setting priorities for river-management strategies, particularly in hydrologically variable and unpredictable arid and semi-arid zone rivers. In the present study, we used daily and annual otolith age estimates to identify relationships between riverine flow and spawning and recruitment of Lake Eyre golden perch (Macquaria sp.); an endemic fish of the Lake Eyre Basin, central Australia. We found a close association between Lake Eyre golden perch spawning and periods of increased river flow, with most of spawning occurring 0–35 days after the start of these flow events. Spawning occurred throughout the year but was commonly observed during the first flow events proceeding consecutive months of no-flow when water temperatures exceeded 26°C. Spawning was not dependent on floodplain inundation, with most spawning occurring during within-channel flow events. Annual average year-class strength was related to the number of flow events per year, but not total annual discharge, or the number of low-flow days per year. These results highlight the importance of natural within-channel flow patterns to Lake Eyre golden perch spawning and recruitment and demonstrate the importance of maintaining the natural flow regime of Australia’s arid- and semi-arid-zone rivers.
46
Reid, J. "The Prime Minister's Pre-Election Promise of World Heritage Listing for the Lake Eyre Basin: Flight or Flight of Fancy?" Rangeland Journal 16, no. 2 (1994): 273. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/rj9940273.
Full textAbstract:
In March 1993 the Australian Prime Minister promised World Heritage listing of diverse wetlands in the South Australian Lake Eyre region. Recent developmental pressures within the region and in the catchment interstate led the environment movement to intensify the pro-listing campaign. Current theory on ecological functioning of arid Australia and unregulated rivers, and a rapid expansion of knowledge about the region's heritage, support the technical legitimacy of heritage significance and highlight the value of integrated regional planning and management structures as have been developed in the Murray- Darling Basin. The Lake Eyre Basin covers one sixth of Australia, and World Heritage proposals for even a small area have alarmed commercial interests and state governments, due to the implications of federal intervention and changes in existing management that could follow. This alliance has mounted an aggressive and effective media campaign and lobbied federally to stall any progress with the Commonwealth's continuing commitment to World Heritage assessment. As with other recent conflicts concerning specific areas of land, resources and established commercial interests, this dispute has become highly divisive leading to a stalemate. The two campaigns and the roles of government and media are analysed to show that the pastoral industry, some mining interests and the states will tend to remain opposed to World Heritage proposals over moderate to large areas in the rangelands. Broad (rhetorical) initiatives such as national strategies, policies and conceptual management models are less threatening and can be broadly embraced (and ignored). Lessons from the mining industry and socio-economic case studies are instructive.
47
Khan, Shahbaz, Muhammad Nadeem Asghar, Shahbaz Mushtaq, and Aftab Ahmad. "On-farm options for managing stream salinity in irrigation areas: an example from the Murray Darling Basin, Australia." Hydrology Research 39, no. 2 (April 1, 2008): 157–70. http://dx.doi.org/10.2166/nh.2008.036.
Full textAbstract:
Increasing salt concentration in tributaries from catchments and rising water tables are the prime contributor to environmental degradation of rivers, creeks, streams or other water bodies. This is especially true during periods of mid- and low stream flows in arid and semi-arid regions around the globe. Catchment scale studies suggest that management of stream salinity requires greater land use change than is economically viable. Therefore, rather than focusing on the opportunity cost of catchment scale interventions, exploring interventions that are potentially viable at farm scale could be an appropriate strategy for stream salinity management. This paper presents an analysis of alternative on-farm strategies, such as evaporation ponds and serial biological concentration of salts, aimed at developing an economically self-sustainable stream salinity management system for the Box Creek stormwater escape channel located in the Murray–Darling Basin (MDB), Australia. It is concluded that irrigation areas, with careful management of flows in tributary streams, may be able to play a role in safeguarding the Murray River against further salinisation from irrigation and dryland areas. The outcomes of this paper will be helpful, but not limited to, the MDB in addressing environmental, economic and social issues associated with management of salt concentration in tributaries.
48
Stein, J. L., J. A. Stein, and H. A. Nix. "Spatial analysis of anthropogenic river disturbance at regional and continental scales: identifying the wild rivers of Australia." Landscape and Urban Planning 60, no. 1 (June 2002): 1–25. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/s0169-2046(02)00048-8.
Full text
49
Gehrke, Peter C., and John H. Harris. "Large-scale patterns in species richness and composition of temperate riverine fish communities, south-eastern Australia." Marine and Freshwater Research 51, no. 2 (2000): 165. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf99061.
Full textAbstract:
Riverine fish in New South Wales were studied to examine longitudinal trends in species richness and to identify fish communities on a large spatial scale. Five replicate rivers of four types (montane, slopes, regulated lowland and unregulated lowland) were selected from North Coast, South Coast, Murray and Darling regions. Fishwere sampled during summer and winter in two consecutive years with standardized gear that maximized the range of species caught. The composition of fish communities varied among regions and river types, with little temporal variation. Distinct regional communities converged in montane reaches and diverged downstream. The fish fauna can be classified into North Coast, South Coast, Murray and Darling communities, with a distinct montane community at high elevations irrespective of the drainage division. Species richness increased downstream in both North Coast and South Coast regions by both replacement and the addition of new species. In contrast, species richness in the Darling and Murray regions reached a maximum in the slopes reaches and then declined, reflecting a loss of species in lowland reaches. The small number of species is typical of the freshwater fish faunas of similar climatic regions world-wide. Fish communities identified in this study form logical entities for fisheries management consistent with the ecosystem-focused, catchment-based approach to river management and water reform being adopted in Australia.
50
Kingsford, R. T., and R. F. Thomas. "Use of satellite image analysis to track wetland loss on the Murrumbidgee River floodplain in arid Australia, 1975-1998." Water Science and Technology 45, no. 11 (June 1, 2002): 45–53. http://dx.doi.org/10.2166/wst.2002.0378.
Full textAbstract:
Demonstrating the extent of wetland loss and its causes are essential for policy makers and managers. We used Landsat satellite imagery to show major wetland loss in the Lower Murrumbidgee floodplain on the Murrumbidgee River in arid Australia. Stratification of the floodplain according to hydrology, use of imagery from the same time of year and the separation of developed areas, using ancillary information were essential. There was considerable loss of floodplain area over a 23 year period (1975-1998), mainly in the Nimmie-Caira stratum (59% loss), as wetland areas were replaced by irrigation bays. There was also a significant increase in fragmentation. For floodplain areas distant from the river, flooding patterns were more difficult to identify because of infrequent flooding and primary reliance on rainfall. Landsat imagery provided a powerful tool for demonstrating long-term changes in wetland area, even in highly variable environments. Such information can demonstrate the ecological costs of water resource development on floodplains, forming a basis for policy and management of rivers.