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
Robust strategies for restoring aquatic and riparian biodiversity. Effective restoration of Australia's degraded river ecosystems requires a diverse range of spatial data, models and a structured decision-making framework to predict ecological responses to alternative management interventions. This collaboration of universities and National Resource Management agencies will create the necessary tools to make and validate such predictions.
Untangling the mechanisms of nutrient export from agricultural catchments. This projects aims to better understand the factors controlling nutrient retention and removal within agricultural catchments and how climate and land use change will affect this. This project will combine novel approaches to investigate nutrient sources, removal and bioavailability with geochemical tracers to better understand nutrient flow and removal pathways. This new knowledge will be captured in state of the art m ....Untangling the mechanisms of nutrient export from agricultural catchments. This projects aims to better understand the factors controlling nutrient retention and removal within agricultural catchments and how climate and land use change will affect this. This project will combine novel approaches to investigate nutrient sources, removal and bioavailability with geochemical tracers to better understand nutrient flow and removal pathways. This new knowledge will be captured in state of the art modelling approaches that will help improve land management practices, leading to reduced nutrient loads and improved water quality in receiving waters such as the Gippsland Lakes.Read moreRead less
Lost Mines: The Troubled Legacies of Former Mining Landscapes. This project aims to investigate how historical mining activities in Victoria have left a toxic legacy of heavy metals in soil and water. By integrating approaches from historical archaeology, environmental humanities, and the physical sciences the project seeks to generate novel datasets that document the spatial distribution of contaminants and novel ways of understanding mining heritage. Anticipated outcomes include new knowledge ....Lost Mines: The Troubled Legacies of Former Mining Landscapes. This project aims to investigate how historical mining activities in Victoria have left a toxic legacy of heavy metals in soil and water. By integrating approaches from historical archaeology, environmental humanities, and the physical sciences the project seeks to generate novel datasets that document the spatial distribution of contaminants and novel ways of understanding mining heritage. Anticipated outcomes include new knowledge about pre-industrial background levels of heavy metals in the environment, more efficient and targeted remediation of former mine sites, and improved dialogue between heritage and environmental managers. This promises significant benefits for future land and water management and approaches to mining heritage.Read moreRead less
Can real-time control deliver environmental flows to protect urban streams? Increased frequency and severity of both droughts and floods in a changing climate accentuate the already-severe global impacts on urban streams. This project aims to test a world-first approach to tackling this problem, using advances in real-time control technology. The approach facilitates a public-private co-management of water resources, offering simultaneous benefits in water supply, flood mitigation and provision ....Can real-time control deliver environmental flows to protect urban streams? Increased frequency and severity of both droughts and floods in a changing climate accentuate the already-severe global impacts on urban streams. This project aims to test a world-first approach to tackling this problem, using advances in real-time control technology. The approach facilitates a public-private co-management of water resources, offering simultaneous benefits in water supply, flood mitigation and provision of environmental flows to maintain healthy urban streams. It has the potential to revolutionise the way we manage water in cities, providing a model for the water industry around the world in adapting to a changing climate, turning excess and damaging urban runoff into a dual resource of water supply and environmental flows.Read moreRead less
Designing effective fish-friendly waterway culverts: integration of hydrodynamics and swimming performance. Man-made in-stream structures (for example, dams and road crossings) have contributed to major declines in native fish numbers, with more than 6,000 barriers to fish migration occurring in New South Wales alone. Recognising this, Fisheries New South Wales led the development of national guidelines for the design and construction of fish friendly road crossings. Unfortunately, these guideli ....Designing effective fish-friendly waterway culverts: integration of hydrodynamics and swimming performance. Man-made in-stream structures (for example, dams and road crossings) have contributed to major declines in native fish numbers, with more than 6,000 barriers to fish migration occurring in New South Wales alone. Recognising this, Fisheries New South Wales led the development of national guidelines for the design and construction of fish friendly road crossings. Unfortunately, these guidelines have little empirical backing. This project will integrate data on the swimming ability of Australian fish species with culvert hydrodynamic modelling to better understand fish requirements in and around road crossings. These data will strengthen national design guidelines and provide the tools engineers and planners need to balance fish migration with effective water management.Read moreRead less
Rivers of Gold: The Legacy of Historical Gold Mining for Victoria's Rivers. By considering rivers as cultural artefacts, this project aims to evaluate how historical gold mining has shaped river systems in Victoria. Victoria’s historic mining industry led to extensive and long-lasting change to waterways across the state. The project plans to integrate approaches from landscape archaeology, physical geography, geomorphology and environmental chemistry to identify and map the extent of changes, i ....Rivers of Gold: The Legacy of Historical Gold Mining for Victoria's Rivers. By considering rivers as cultural artefacts, this project aims to evaluate how historical gold mining has shaped river systems in Victoria. Victoria’s historic mining industry led to extensive and long-lasting change to waterways across the state. The project plans to integrate approaches from landscape archaeology, physical geography, geomorphology and environmental chemistry to identify and map the extent of changes, including increased sedimentation, erosion, and chemical contamination. The project plans to demonstrate how historical mining continues to influence chemical and physical processes in Victorian streams and to develop understanding of the landscapes experienced by Victorians at the height of the mining boom. Project outcomes may provide improved context for catchment and reservoir management and counter prevailing impressions about causes of observed damage to rivers.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE220100752
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$453,582.00
Summary
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions from Australian farm dams. There is an untapped potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from millions of Australian farm dams. This project aims to quantify the nation-wide carbon footprint of farm dams and develop low-cost strategies for “greener” practices. Contributing to Australia’s commitment to tackle climate change, this project aspires to empower farmers to significantly reduce the carbon footprint of their farm dams. It will also inform on the econ ....Reducing greenhouse gas emissions from Australian farm dams. There is an untapped potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from millions of Australian farm dams. This project aims to quantify the nation-wide carbon footprint of farm dams and develop low-cost strategies for “greener” practices. Contributing to Australia’s commitment to tackle climate change, this project aspires to empower farmers to significantly reduce the carbon footprint of their farm dams. It will also inform on the economic viability of alternative management strategies for mitigating farm dam emissions and provide recommendations for financial incentives. This project should enhance the capacity of Australia to meet its carbon reduction targets and mitigate anthropogenic climate change.Read moreRead less
Dynamics and management of riverine freshwater lenses. Rivers are the main source of freshwater for many ecosystems in semi-arid zones. River water may seep into the floodplain aquifer, providing an accessible store of low-salinity water within freshwater lenses. The project aims to investigate lens dynamics using numerical groundwater models supported by extensive field data from the lower River Murray, where freshwater lenses are declining. The project aims to model lens extent, growth and dec ....Dynamics and management of riverine freshwater lenses. Rivers are the main source of freshwater for many ecosystems in semi-arid zones. River water may seep into the floodplain aquifer, providing an accessible store of low-salinity water within freshwater lenses. The project aims to investigate lens dynamics using numerical groundwater models supported by extensive field data from the lower River Murray, where freshwater lenses are declining. The project aims to model lens extent, growth and decline in response to natural variations in climate and to changes in land use, river regulation and groundwater pumping. Project results intend to evaluate management options to promote freshwater lenses, with the aim of improving river salinity and floodplain vegetation health.Read moreRead less
The role of vegetated foreshores in stabilising Australia's shorelines. This project aims to improve Australia's capacity to predict shoreline position with sea level rise, identify the role of vegetation in foreshore stabilisation and determine thresholds for shoreline retreat by quantifying the links between biological, geomorphological and sedimentary processes and shoreline position. Sea level rise and potential increases in storminess are predicted to lead to severe impacts and there is an ....The role of vegetated foreshores in stabilising Australia's shorelines. This project aims to improve Australia's capacity to predict shoreline position with sea level rise, identify the role of vegetation in foreshore stabilisation and determine thresholds for shoreline retreat by quantifying the links between biological, geomorphological and sedimentary processes and shoreline position. Sea level rise and potential increases in storminess are predicted to lead to severe impacts and there is an immediate and critical need to understand and accurately predict the functioning, dynamics, and distribution of Australia's coastal zones. Expected outcomes of this interdisciplinary project include an integrated modelling framework crucial for planning and management of sea level rise responses in Australia.Read moreRead less