Author(s): K. Fowler; R. Morden; M. Stewardson; K. Williams; L. Lowe; R. Nathan; L. Walpole
Linked Author(s):
Keywords: Farm dam; River health; Flow stress; Murray Darling Basin
Abstract: Flow stress refers to threats to river health based on changes in the hydrological regime. Indices characterising flow stress have been adopted by the Murray Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) as one of five indicators of river health in its Sustainable Rivers Audit (SRA). This paper describes a process for characterising flow stress due to farm dams across the Murray Darling Basin (MDB). The water balance model STEDI is used to characterise the farm dam impact at 162 different points in the basin's stream network, and flow stress indices are derived. In order to extend results, the stress indices are related to catchment characteristics using regression. This allows farm dam impacts to be calculated at all points in a spatially continuous manner across the MDB, so that the MDBA can tailor their management actions to areas of high or low flow stress.
Year: 2011