NLWRA

Contaminants

Test for water toxins wins Peter Cullen Eureka Prize

A researcher whose work has revolutionised management of water supplies through enabling early, rapid and accurate tests for toxicity has won the Land & Water Australia, Professor Peter Cullen Eureka Prize for Water Research and Innovation.

Modelling Microbial Utilisation of Macrophyte Organic Matter Inputs to Rivers under Different Flow Conditions

The timing and composition of organic matter (OM) inputs to rivers are important as carbon plays a major role in river functioning. Management of Australian rivers since European settlement has altered inputs of organic matter to these systems. Heterotrophic microbes play a critical role in the transformation of OM in rivers, allowing transfer of carbon to other biota. Alteration to the proportions of OM from different (more)...

Innovative techniques for managing multiple threats to high value aquatic systems

This four-year multidisciplinary R&D project, supported by a range of agencies and organisations leveraged off core funding by Land & Water Australia, aimed to rehabilitate Dowd Morass, a 1,500 ha Ramsar-listed wetland fringing Lake Wellington (Gippsland Lakes, south-eastern Victoria).  A substantial component of the R&D project involved the landscape-scale manipulation of water regimes using as BACI-type experimental design.  (more)...

Modelling Microbial Utilisation of Macrophyte Organic Matter Inputs to Rivers under Different Flow Conditions

This thesis by Patricia Bowen, University of Canberra investigates the timing and composition of organic matter (OM) inputs to rivers. These are important as carbon plays a major role in river functioning.

Development of a Catchment Contaminant Cycle for Stakeholder Use

The aims of this project were: To develop a catchment modelling framework to integrate and link component models developed by various researchers, including those contributing to other projects under the Contaminants Program. To conduct initial stakeholder workshops in two regions to articulate broad focus of the project and solicit input viz-a-viz modelling needs. To Conduct technical workshops with modelling specialists (including other (more)...

Risk-based Approaches for Managing Contaminants in Catchments

The project, undertaken through a research collaboration between Monash University, the University of Melbourne and CSIRO, and in partnership with regional natural resource management agencies, aimed to:

Integrated Impacts of Contaminants and Flow on Riverine Ecosystem Production

This project  identified key sources and sinks of nutrients, sediment and salts; their interactions with in-stream primary production and flow regime to effect ecosystem production in the Murrumbidgee river.

Catchment Nutrients and Sediment budgets: identification of knowledge gaps

This project aimed to: To compile a database on nutrients (N, P and possibly C) and sediment movement for the following rivers: the Murrumbidgee River (NSW), the Brisbane River (Qld), the Latrobe River (West Gippsland, Vic), and the Johnstone River (Qld). To develop a nitrogen, phosphorus, (carbon where possible) and sediment budget for each of the selected catchments using a combination of empirical and modelled data. The modelled data will be (more)...

Identifying sources of sediment in river basins to help develop revegetation priorities

Scott Wilkinson and Chris Kennedy from CSIRO Land & Water developed a modelling tool to assess spatial patterns in the sediment sources and sediment transport at the river basin regional scale. SedNet has enabled Catchment Management Authorities to target areas for riparian restoration, measures to reduce bank erosion or general catchment management activities to reduce soil erosion in order to address the source of erosion and (more)...

Better Fertiliser Decisions

The aims of the project were to provide regionally specific and scientifically validated fertiliser production responses for various seasonal, climatic and soil conditions identify landscape, soils and fertiliser management practices that impact on the environment to integrate the production and environmental information for key fertiliser stakeholders. Dairy Australia was the project manager for this project, with Ken Peverill and (more)...