Program Aims

The Environmental Water Allocation Program has researchers working with water managers and regional communities to build upon the knowledge required for managing our rivers and waterways in a healthy state.

More effective use of water resources is required in Australia to achieve the multiple aims of viable agriculture, industries, communities and environment. Improved outcomes from limited water drives the focus of environmental water allocation as well as other water uses. This requires a depth of biophysical, technical and institutional understanding.

The Program aims to achieve this understanding with a two-pronged approach.

Better managing developed systems

In developed systems, where there is pressure to balance environmental and consumptive uses, such as in the River Murray, we need to demonstrate and improve the ecological outcomes produced from environmental allocations.

Understanding undeveloped ecosystems

In relatively undeveloped systems, there are ecosystems which could come under threat from increasingly altered flow regimes.  Currently there is little knowledge of the flow needs of these ecosystems, and thus little capability to design effective environmental allocations. The ecosystems of concern include ephemeral and monsoonal rivers, groundwater dependent ecosystems and estuaries.

For more details on the Program view the Environmental Water Allocation Program Prospectus and Program Plan.  Individual project objectives and results for completed projects can be accessed from the research page.