Full Title
Drought Monitoring
Contact Person
Daryl Nielsen (Albury-Wodonga) or Todd Wallace (Mildura)
Project Team
most of MDFRC staff
Funding Body
Murray Darling Freshwater Research Centre
Duration
November 2006 to ongoing
Outcomes
Details
Summary
The drought poses a number of significant risks for the natural environment including poor water quality (e.g. high temperatures, low dissolved oxygen and high salinity); fish kills; blue-green algal blooms; wetland acidification; loss of vegetation; and increased erosion when drought breaks.
The drought also provides a number of opportunities to examine the response of the system to a rare but significant disturbance. There may be opportunities to observe both the effects of the drought but also the systems recovery which may help inform restoration planning.
After reviewing its current externally funded sampling activities (Water quality in Broken Creek; Fish and water quality in the Broken River; Water quality and blue-green algae in Lake Hume; Fish and water quality sampling at Lindsay Walpolla; and Wetland monitoring at Hattah Lakes, it became apparent that the parameters common to many of these sampling programs were Fish; Zooplankton; and Water Quality.
In terms of management interest and opportunities to gain significant insights, it was decided to add three sites to our sampling regime. These sites are: The Ovens River (unregulated and likely to cease flowing); The Lower Darling (already very low with potential for significant deteriorations in water quality and fish kills); and The Murray River at Barmah (a Significant Ecological Asset in The Living Murray for which we have existing data).
It is proposed MDFRC will conduct monthly sampling trips to these sites with the potential to increase sampling frequency if there are marked changes in flow or water quality at the sites. To undertake this additional sampling we have appointed two additional summer scholarship students (1 at Wodonga and 1 at Mildura) who will provide field assistance for MDFRC core staff.
The data gathered will provide an insight into the response of six rivers with very different flow regimes. This will help explore the effects of one of the more widespread effects of flow regulation which is anti-drought. The research is therefore consistent with the strategic objectives of developing an understanding of cause and effect and improving our understanding of Australia's highly variable rivers and wetlands.
The data gathered may also be relevant to The Living Murray, eWater CRC and Water for a Healthy Country. The data will also enable us to alert managers to risks around native fish communities and water quality issues.
