Adaptive management of environmental flows in the regulated Macquarie River
| Project Code | UNS28 | Principal Investigator | Dr Richard Kingsford |
| Research Organisation |
| University of New South Wales |
| Project Summary |
This project will develop a decision support framework (to assist government, catchment management authorities and The Environmental Flows Reference Group) for management of the Macquarie River and Macquarie Marshes in short and long-term decision making for environmental flows.
It will use empirical data about inundation, waterbird diversity, abundance and breeding, floodplain eucalypt distribution and native fish species in the Macquarie Marshes to develop predictive models of effects of river flows in the Macquarie River.
The project will provide a method for updating the decision support system with further data collection so that predictions and models can be improved. The project will also identify what parts of the Macquarie Marshes cannot be serviced by environmental flows.
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| Project Objectives |
- To develop goals and objectives for the management of environmental flows with Government, CMAs and the Environmental Flows Reference Group focusing on inundation, waterbirds, floodplain eucalyptus and native fish
- To develop an empirical model that uses river flows to predict area of inundation of the Macquarie Marshes
- To develop an empirical model that uses river flows to predict distribution and diversity of waterbirds in the Macquarie Marshes
- To develop an empirical model that uses river flows to predict waterbird breeding within the Macquarie Marshes
- To investigate relationships between River flows and distribution and abundance of native fish species within the Macquarie Marshes
- To investigate relationships between river flows and the distribution of floodplain eucalypts within the Macquarie Marshes
- To develop a decision-support system that integrates different empirical models so that analysis of the entire ecosystem can occur
- To provide the Environmental Flows Reference Group and other key managers (State and Commonwealth Governments, Central West Catchment Management Authority) with access to individual and integrated models to assist with annual and long-term decision-making for environmental flow management within the Macquarie River
- To provide a method for updating the decision support system with further data collection so that predictions and models can be improved
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| Reports and Resources |
Expected project completion date: May 2009 See publications by Richard Kingsford to access other resources related to the Macquarie Marshes. |
