WEBINAR RECORDINGS
The Flow-MER Friday webinar series is an opportunity to hear firsthand the activities and outcomes taking place in the Flow-MER Program. The Autumn 2024 series looked at:
Monitoring, evaluation and research (MER) are critical to ensure that the use of Commonwealth environmental water achieves the best outcomes for our rivers, wetlands and floodplains, as well as the animals, plants and people that depend upon them. The Flow-MER Program continues the work undertaken through the Long-Term Intervention Monitoring (LTIM) Project and Environmental Water Knowledge and Research (EWKR) Project, which have provided us with a strong base from which to continue our investigations.
Flow-MER is the primary means by which the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder (CEWH) monitors and evaluates the delivery of Commonwealth environmental water in the Murray–Darling Basin. Flow-MER supports environmental water managers, demonstrates outcomes, informs adaptive management, and fulfils the legislative requirements associated with managing Commonwealth environmental water.
Flow-MER is a Basin-wide project that has two components:
The Hydrology Theme evaluates the extent to which Commonwealth environmental water contributes to improved connectivity (lateral and longitudinal) of watercourses in the Basin. It also produces the foundational annual datasets of flows with and without Commonwealth environmental water use at more than 100 sites in the Basin, and the maximum extent of annual inundation, used by other themes in their evaluations.
The Biodiversity Theme evaluates the extent to which Commonwealth environmental water benefits waterbirds and selected animals (e.g. frogs, turtles) at different sites in the Basin.
The Ecosystem Diversity Theme evaluates the contribution of Commonwealth environmental water to protecting and restoring the vast array of rivers, lakes, wetlands and floodplain ecosystems.
The Fish Theme is working closely with Selected Areas to understand, and evaluate, the extent to which Commonwealth environmental water contributes to population and movement dynamics of different native fish species in the Basin.
The Vegetation Theme evaluates the extent to which Commonwealth environmental water contributes to plant species diversity and vegetation community diversity in the Basin.
The Food Webs and Water Quality Theme evaluates the extent to which Commonwealth environmental water contributes to stream metabolism through the lens of ecosystem respiration, primary productivity, dissolved oxygen levels and salinity regimes.
Cross-cutting Themes provide a cohesive approach across the Evaluation and Research components of Flow-MER and include data visualisation, reporting, modelling, and stakeholder engagement and communications.
Image: Charles Sturt University team processing fish. Photo credit: Charles Sturt University
Until 30 June 2024, Flow-MER worked across seven Selected Areas which chosen to provide geographic coverage of the Basin and include a range of key ecosystems and biota. These areas provide the monitoring data for the Basin-scale evaluations and have conducted research and engagement with their local communities. Many of their stories are available through this website. From 1 July 2024, Flow-MER increased the number of Selected Areas from seven to ten.
To find out more about each Selected Area, click on the boxes below:
Led by the University of Canberra
The Lachlan River is one of three rivers of the Wiradjuri people, forming part of Songlines and Dreaming tracks. It has provided food, shelter and resources to the Wiradjuri people for between 40,000 and 65,000 years. It supports a diverse range of landscapes and species that vary enormously through extremes of weather conditions. Our work here focusses on monitoring the outcomes of environmental water in the lower Lachlan River system, from Lake Brewster to the Cumbung swamp.
Led by Charles Sturt University
The Murrumbidgee is a lowland river system with large meandering channels, wetlands, lakes, swamps and creek lines. Our work here focuses on understanding how native fish, waterbirds, reptiles and amphibians, as well as wetland vegetation communities, benefit from these targeted environmental watering actions.
Led by the South Australian Research and Development Institute
The Lower Murray River is a complex system with diverse habitats supporting important water-dependent plants and animals. Our work here includes monitoring and evaluating the ecological responses to Commonwealth environmental water delivery.
Led by the University of New England
The Gwydir is a special place with significant environmental, cultural and economic values. Our work focuses on monitoring and evaluating the outcomes water for the environment enables in some of the largest waterbird breeding colonies in Australia. We also work in the rivers and floodplains to assess water quality, fish breeding and food webs.
Led by the 2rog Consulting
The Warrego–Darling is a unique and diverse system that supports a rich diversity of plants and animals in a constantly changing environment. Our work here focuses on monitoring ecosystem interactions and evaluating our findings to provide accurate and reliable information to the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder for the effective management of environmental water.
Led by the Melbourne University
The Goulburn River is one of the hardest working rivers in the Murray–Darling Basin, providing water to support agriculture and rural communities, as well meeting growing downstream Murray River demands. At the same time, it is home to diverse flora and fauna. Our work focusses on assessing how environmental and consumptive (irrigation) flows affect the ecosystem of the Lower Goulburn River, and to help waterway managers to protect and enhance this vital water source into the future.
Led by Charles Sturt University
The Edward/Kolety–Wakool River system is a large anabranch of the Murray River in the southern Murray–Darling Basin. The system is a complex network of interconnected streams in a productive agricultural landscape. Our work in this system focuses on understanding how native fish, vegetation, water quality and processes that support and sustain aquatic food webs are influenced by targeted environmental watering actions.
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This website contains information specific to the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder (CEWH) Flow Monitoring, Evaluation and Research Program. For information on all other CEWH business including water management and trade, please visit the CEWH website.
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The Flow-MER program team acknowledge and respect the Traditional Owners as the First Peoples of the lands and waters of the Murray Darling Basin.
We recognise their unique ability to care for Country and their deep spiritual connection to it. We honour Elders past and present whose knowledge and wisdom has ensured the continuation of culture and traditional practices.
We are committed to genuinely partner, and meaningfully engage, with Traditional Owners and Aboriginal communities to support the protection of Country, the maintenance of spiritual and cultural practices and their broader aspirations in the 21st century and beyond. In particular we acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the seven Selected Areas where Flow-MER research is focussed.
Artwork credit: Wiradjuri Artist Rebecca Salcole
Artwork credit: Wiradjuri Artist Rebecca Salcole
The Goulburn River is known by several names as it travels first through Taungurung country in the hilly upper and middle reaches. Here, the river is called Waring.
As the river meanders downstream of Murchison and into the northern flatlands, the river winds through Yorta Yorta country and is called Kaiela, meaning ‘father of waters’. Eventually, the river flows to a confluence with the River Murray near Echuca. This confluence of rivers is known as Koninner.
We acknowledge and respect the Traditional Owners of the country this story has been written about, Taungurung and Yorta Yorta, and all the countries through which the Goulburn river flows. This story was written on Ngunnawal country. Sovereignty was never ceded, and we pay our respects to elders past, present and emerging.
