Catchment Science Informing Decisions Evaluating Outcomes Protecting Water Quality.
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Transcript of Catchment Science Informing Decisions Evaluating Outcomes Protecting Water Quality.
Catchment Science
Informing DecisionsEvaluating Outcomes
Protecting Water Quality
Why Science?
• Sound science underpins credible decisions (eg will a rectification action be effective?)
• Testing assumptions and preconceived ideas (eg are kangaroos a health threat/water quality issue?)
Scope of Science at the Sydney Catchment
Authority• Small, dedicated science
unit• Research and development
outsourced to universities, CSIRO and CRCs– Collaborative Research
Program– CRC for Water Quality
and Treatment, and Freshwater Ecology
– AWWA Research Foundation
Collaborative Research Projects• 3 year research and development
projects focussed on specific needs• Partner with leading university or
research agency• SCA provides
– Knowledge of catchment issues– Funding, support and field access
• Researcher provides– World-class research and
development expertise in specific science areas
• SCA and researcher– Transfer knowledge into the
organisation to meet its strategic and tactical needs
Sydney Catchment Authority
Research Themes 2003-06• Climates and rainfall variability• Nutrients and sediments• Pathogens in animals• Pathogen budgets• Fire and catastrophic events• Water quality planning
Climate and Rainfall Variability
Probabilistic Forecasting (Uni of NSW)
• Why? Scenario planning for inflow variability to SCA reservoirs
• How? Multi-site statistical modelling to rainfall variability
Climate and Rainfall Variability
Forecasting streamflows – seasons to decades (Uni of Newcastle)
• Why? Want to predict changes in streamflow into reservoirs several years ahead
• How? Correlate streamflow with changes in ocean circulation and develop prediction techniques
Nutrients and SedimentsIdentify major sources of sediments
and nutrients in Burragorang reservoir (CSIRO)
Why? Understand source areas and erosion processes for targeted rectification
How? Field mapping, nutrient and sediment tracing, geochemistry, catchment scale modelling
Nutrient source tracing (Uni of Western Sydney)
Why? Understand impacts of types of land use
How? Evaluate models that incorporate sediment and nutrient data
Nutrients and Sediments
Sediment budgeting in Metropolitan catchments (Uni of Wollongong)
Why? Estimate sources and rate of sedimentation into reservoirs
How? Detailed modelling of specific catchments, field coring, age dating
Pathogens in AnimalsNative animals as potential
pathogen sources (Uni of NSW)
Why? Map location, number and faecal deposition of kangaroos in the catchment
How? Field observation, tagging, satellite tracking (over months/years)
Native animals as risks to health (Macquarie Uni)
Why? Investigate whether kangaroos carry Cryptosporidium
How? Collect droppings – analyse quantity, distribution and genotype for variability
Pathogens in Animals
Cryptosporidium genotypes in kangaroos (Macquarie Uni)
Why? Are there several types of Cryptosporidium? Which ones infect humans? Do kangaroos carry them?
How? Genotyping and infectivity studies in cell cultures in laboratory
Pathogen BudgetsPathogen budgets for SCA
subcatchments (Uni of NSW)Why? Prioritise land use and rectification
actions to minimise human health riskHow? Study relative quantities of
Cryptosporidium, Giardia and E-coli in streams as a function of land use. Initial focus on Wingecarribee
Molecular methods for tracing faecal bacteria (Uni of NSW)
Why? Develop tools to trace (and ‘fingerprint’) sources of bacterial pathogens
How? Molecular genotyping of different hosts (eg cattle, sheep, pigs, kangaroos)
Pathogen Budgets
Molecular methods for tracing faecal viruses (Uni of NSW)
Why? Develop tools to trace (and ‘fingerprint’) sources of viruses that cause gastroenteritis
How? Molecular identification of genomes
Fire and Catastrophic Events
Catastrophic events and sedimentation in the Holocene (last 10,000 years) (Uni of NSW)
Why? What does the geological record show about the effects of wildfire, climate and landslides on sedimentation?
Impact of post-wildfire erosion on sedimentation and nutrient release (CSIRO)
Why? To understand the importance of wildfires on sedimentation and nutrients
How? Detailed study of Nattai catchment, coring, age dating and reconstruction
Water Quality Planning
Integrated water quality planning (Uni of Technology, Sydney)
Why? Need a framework to inform the Rectification Action Planning process
How? Decision support system to choose the option that provides maximum benefit at least cost
$-
$200
$400
$600
$800
0% 25% 50% 75% 100% 125%
Percentage of target value
$/kg/yr RAPs –how far?
Offsets
In Summary
Why research?Inform Decisions
Evaluate OutcomesProtect Water Quality
Photography Credits
The photographs used in this presentation are reproduced with kind permission of the copyright owners:
University of NSW, University of Newcastle, CSIRO, University of Wollongong, Macquarie University, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney Catchment Authority.