To mark National Science Week 2024, we wanted to share insights on what role Australia’s National Hydrological Modelling Platform, eWater Source, plays in the Murray Darling Basin
As the driest continent on Earth, Australia has developed sophisticated systems to manage our precious but limited water supplies.
Purposeful maintenance and improvement of water flows is often required in areas to maintain their health and functions to support vegetation, waterbirds and native fish. This is especially the case in Australia’s Murray-Darling Basin, where a complex network of dams, weirs, agreements and legislation are in place to provide water security for towns, industry, the environment and irrigated agriculture.
This water security had historically come at a cost to the health of the rivers of the Murray Darling Basin, and that’s where eWater Group and eWater Source™ plays a critical role in improving the representation and management of ‘environmental water’, in both water planning and delivery applications.
Since its initial introduction in 2017, much has been learned about how to best manage environmental water. Working with our partners, we have made several changes to eWater Source™ to reflect much of this learning. This work will help to ensure that water models, such as those used to support the review of the Basin Plan, accurately reflect how environmental water is used.
Modelling supports the detailed examination of questions such as how water for the environment interacts with other water uses, the best way to achieve environmental objectives, such as the flow regimes required to trigger fish breeding and how to protect water for the environment in planning frameworks.
While water modelling often sits quietly in the background, it plays a critical role in ensuring the best use of our precious water supplies. This National Science Week, eWater is proud to acknowledge the role of our tools in protecting the plants and animals of our riverine environments.
To learn more about the work in the Murray Darling Basin head to the MDBA website to find out how they are working to achieve a healthy working Basin for the benefit of all Australians > https://www.mdba.gov.au/
If you want to learn more about eWater Source™ > https://ewater.org.au/ewater-solutions/tools/source/ or reach out to our team today.
Address
Support and Training
