Sustaining intensive agriculture through droughts and floods. This project aims to develop state-of-the-art conceptual and numerical models of river-soil-groundwater interactions to address complex and persistent questions on water sustainability in the Lower Burdekin Delta, Queensland, where groundwater pumping to irrigate sugarcane has been supplemented by artificial recharge for over 50 years. This project expects to deliver new knowledge of critical aquifer processes to inform the scheme ope ....Sustaining intensive agriculture through droughts and floods. This project aims to develop state-of-the-art conceptual and numerical models of river-soil-groundwater interactions to address complex and persistent questions on water sustainability in the Lower Burdekin Delta, Queensland, where groundwater pumping to irrigate sugarcane has been supplemented by artificial recharge for over 50 years. This project expects to deliver new knowledge of critical aquifer processes to inform the scheme operation, the largest in the country. Expected outcomes include ground-breaking management plans for the aquifer-replenishment scheme. Anticipated benefits involve balancing the needs of agriculture and the protection of pristine environments, including groundwater discharge to the Great Barrier Reef.
Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE150100139
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$160,000.00
Summary
Isotope analyser with delta17O capability to examine water fluxes. Isotope analyser with delta-17-O capability to examine water fluxes: This project aims to investigate a range of processes, including quantifying evaporative losses, moisture recycling, groundwater-surface water interactions, and records of past climate in ice cores using novel capabilities for continuous measurement of triple oxygen isotopes (16-O, 17-O, 18-O) in water vapour. Enhanced understanding of water cycles is critical f ....Isotope analyser with delta17O capability to examine water fluxes. Isotope analyser with delta-17-O capability to examine water fluxes: This project aims to investigate a range of processes, including quantifying evaporative losses, moisture recycling, groundwater-surface water interactions, and records of past climate in ice cores using novel capabilities for continuous measurement of triple oxygen isotopes (16-O, 17-O, 18-O) in water vapour. Enhanced understanding of water cycles is critical for understanding the discrete changes occurring in water regimes under changing climates and land use to efficiently manage our limited freshwater resources. The instrumentation is intended to put Australia at the forefront of new and emerging research in d17O analysis of water, an area that has potential to greatly improve our understanding of the water cycle within arid climates including Antarctica.Read moreRead less
Hydrogeological drivers and fate of spring flow in a semi-arid setting. In arid and semi-arid climates, aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems often rely on groundwater springs. Spring hydrology depends on complex relationships between underlying aquifers and surface conditions, leading to high uncertainties in understanding aquifer-spring-wetland hydrology, which is critical for spring ecosystem protection and to inform management of relevant groundwater-affecting activities. This project will appl ....Hydrogeological drivers and fate of spring flow in a semi-arid setting. In arid and semi-arid climates, aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems often rely on groundwater springs. Spring hydrology depends on complex relationships between underlying aquifers and surface conditions, leading to high uncertainties in understanding aquifer-spring-wetland hydrology, which is critical for spring ecosystem protection and to inform management of relevant groundwater-affecting activities. This project will apply novel hydrogeophysical and hydrochemical methods, and computer modelling, to investigate the source aquifer of, and fate of discharge from the Doongmabulla Springs Complex (DSC), located in an area of future development. Project results will inform spring vulnerability to development pressures and climate effects.Read moreRead less
A new method for identifying actual groundwater contributions to base flow using both stream flow and groundwater head data. Estimating the groundwater contribution to river flow is difficult but critical for managing water resources and protecting stream environments. This project will deliver better methods for estimating these contributions using existing stream flow and groundwater data.
Automated groundwater level mapping: a tool for catchment scale estimation of aquifer storage changes, fluxes and hydrogeological properties. Cutting-edge groundwater mapping tools will be developed by this project and made freely available. Water table maps will be derived for Victoria and used to quantify aquifer properties, recharge and the groundwater balance. Fundamental limitations to quantitative groundwater management will be overcome and the Bureau of Meteorology intend to adopt the fin ....Automated groundwater level mapping: a tool for catchment scale estimation of aquifer storage changes, fluxes and hydrogeological properties. Cutting-edge groundwater mapping tools will be developed by this project and made freely available. Water table maps will be derived for Victoria and used to quantify aquifer properties, recharge and the groundwater balance. Fundamental limitations to quantitative groundwater management will be overcome and the Bureau of Meteorology intend to adopt the findings.Read moreRead less