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Assessment of Environmental Flows for
the Murrumbidgee River
Research Staff:
Dr Robyn Watts, Ms Laurie Chisholm, Mr Darren Ryder, Ms Bronwyn Lowe
Funding:
$350,000 with Dr Robyn Watts (DLWC)
Duration:
1997-2000
Project Summary:
The health of the Murrumbidgee River and its
flora and fauna, and the health of the economies that
rely on the river are directly linked to water quality
and quantity. There has been a general decline in
the health of the river over the past few decades as
a result of river regulation and catchment clearing.
This has been seen by an increase in algal
blooms, increased turbidity of the river water and loss
of wetlands. The NSW Water Reform Package has implemented Environmental Flow regimes for
the Murrumbidgee River designed to mimic a more natural flow regime by increasing the flows down
the river during winter/spring. The aim is to increase
the health of the river to achieve a more sustainable
water resource both for the environment and water users.
The CSU Environmental Flows Research Team has been funded by the Water Management Fund
as independent researchers to assess the impacts
of changed flow regimes on the ecology of
the Murrumbidgee River. A range of indicators has
been selected to monitor changes in river health.
These indicators cover a wide range of plants and
animals that will be affected by changes to flow and a
wide variety of habitats from the river channel and
its banks to the floodplain. Indicators include:
algae, bacteria and organic matter; invertebrate
grazers; river bank vegetation; and river red gums. |
