Oral Presentation Freshwater Sciences 2023

Moving towards a more collaborative approach to planning, monitoring and adaptive management of environmental flows: case study from a regulated river system in Australia (#264)

Robyn J Watts 1 , Catherine Allan 1 , Nicole McCasker 1 , Xiaoying Liu 1 , John Trethewie 1 , Nick Bond 2 , Andre Siebers 2 , Sascha Healy 3 , Jason Thiem 4 , David Crew 5 , Tracy Hamilton 5 , Liticia Ross 5 , Dan Hutton 6 , Troy Bright 6 , Anthony Jones 6 , Katherine Reid 7 , Bruce Campbell 7 , Anthony Wilson 7 , James Dyer 8 , Paul Childs 8
  1. Charles Sturt University, Albury, NSW, Australia
  2. La Trobe University, Wodonga, Victoria, Australia
  3. Murray Darling Wetlands Working Group, Albury, NSW, Australia
  4. NSW Department of Primary Industries, Narrandera, NSW, Australia
  5. Yarkuwa Indigenous Knowledge Centre, Deniliquin, NSW, Australia
  6. Edward Wakool Angling Association, Deniliquin, NSW, Australia
  7. Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, Canberra, ACT, Australia
  8. NSW Department of Planning and Environment, Albury, NSW, Australia

Environmental flows are increasingly part of many river restoration programs. In Australia, the Murray-Darling Basin (MDB) Plan aims to protect and restore water dependent ecosystems that have been altered by river regulation. It includes the voluntary purchase of water entitlements from irrigators, with this water allocated to the environment. Monitoring and evaluation of the outcomes of environmental watering in the MDB has been undertaken since 2010, initially through annual monitoring projects, then by the Long-Term Intervention Monitoring program (LTIM, 2014-2019) that has been succeeded by the current Monitoring, Evaluation and Research project (Flow-MER, 2019-2023). In this presentation we describe the integrated monitoring and research program in one of the areas of the MDB; the Edward/Kolety-Wakool river system. This system has considerable biophysical and social/institutional complexity, high species diversity, a rich and diverse Indigenous history, and supports a productive agricultural community. The rivers are also central to many recreational and cultural activities. Local community members provide input to environmental water planning through a stakeholder Reference Group. Over time the monitoring and research program has shifted from being undertaken entirely by biophysical scientific experts, to increasing engagement and involvement of a broad range of local stakeholders, including First Nations peoples and local community organisations. The processes that have facilitated collaboration are helping to create and mature a shared understanding of the river system. The wisdom of Indigenous and other local community members, combined with rigorous biophysical and social research, reflect a rich and complex social ecological system in which learning and positive change is possible. Through this collaboration a broad range of organisations and individuals are contributing to social learning, informed decision making, the adaptive management of environmental water, and improved environmental outcomes in this river system.