Basin-scale evaluation
Evaluating the contribution of Commonwealth environmental water
The Flow-MER Basin-scale evaluation assesses the contributions of Commonwealth environmental water to meeting the environmental objectives in Section 8 of the Commonwealth’s Basin Plan 2012 and the Basin-wide environmental watering strategy (the Strategy). The Basin-scale evaluation uses the approach, methods and data developed for the Long-Term Intervention Monitoring (LTIM), 2015–2019.
The Basin-scale evaluation reports on the environmental outcomes of delivering Commonwealth water each water year against 4 Basin Plan objectives: biodiversity, ecological function, water quality, and resilience. The evaluation is reported at the whole-of-Basin scale, including, in some cases, valleys where environmental outcomes from delivering Commonwealth environmental water are not actively monitored.
The Basin-scale evaluation is undertaken for 6 Basin Themes (Figure 1) based on ecological indicators developed for the LTIM and described in the Environmental Water Outcomes Framework (the Framework). While there is a line of sight to the Strategy, there is no explicit link between objectives in the Strategy and evaluation questions, as the Framework was developed before the Strategy was finalised.
![](https://i0.wp.com/research.csiro.au/flow-mer/wp-content/uploads/sites/514/2024/04/theme2.png?resize=840%2C287&ssl=1)
Figure 1. Basin-scale Project evaluation reports on Commonwealth environmental water outcomes for the 6 Basin Themes as well as a high-level Basin-scale synthesis
The findings of the Basin-scale evaluation are summarised in an annual Synthesis report and complement findings from targeted intervention monitoring (for specific watering events) and evaluations undertaken for each of the 7 Selected Areas. A detailed evaluation of the environmental outcomes from the delivery of Commonwealth environmental water is presented in 6 thematic evaluation reports.
Our evaluation reports
2021
Basin-scale evaluation of 2019–20 Commonwealth environmental water: Synthesis (DOCX 3.1MB)
Basin-scale evaluation of 2019–20 Commonwealth environmental water: Synthesis (PDF 5.2MB)
Basin-scale evaluation of 2019–20 Commonwealth environmental water: Hydrology (PDF 9.3MB)
Basin-scale evaluation of 2019–20 Commonwealth environmental water: Hydrology (DOCX 6.6MB)
Basin-scale evaluation of 2019–20 Commonwealth environmental water: Ecosystem Diversity (PDF 10.7MB)
Basin-scale evaluation of 2019–20 Commonwealth environmental water: Ecosystem Diversity (DOCX 8.7MB)
Basin-scale evaluation of 2019–20 Commonwealth environmental water: Vegetation (DOCX 3.7MB)
Basin-scale evaluation of 2019–20 Commonwealth environmental water: Vegetation (PDF 8MB)
Basin-scale evaluation of 2019-20 Commonwealth environmental water: Fish (DOCX 7.3MB)
Basin-scale evaluation of 2019-20 Commonwealth environmental water: Fish (PDF 18.5MB)
Basin-scale evaluation of 2019–20 Commonwealth environmental water: Species Diversity (PDF 8.2MB)
Basin-scale evaluation of 2019–20 Commonwealth environmental water: Species Diversity (DOCX 2.8MB)
2022
Basin-scale evaluation of 2020–21 Commonwealth environmental water: Synthesis (PDF 4.8MB)
Basin-scale evaluation of 2020–21 Commonwealth environmental water: Synthesis (DOCX 15MB)
Basin-scale evaluation of 2020–21 Commonwealth environmental water: Ecosystem Diversity (PDF 15.6MB)
Basin-scale evaluation of 2020–21 Commonwealth environmental water: Fish (PDF 20.5MB)
Basin-scale evaluation of 2020–21 Commonwealth environmental water: Fish (DOCX 19.7MB)
Basin-scale evaluation of 2020–21 Commonwealth environmental water: Hydrology (PDF 10.2MB)
basin-scale-evaluation-2020-21-cew-hydrology.docx (DOCX 23MB)
Basin-scale evaluation of 2020–21 Commonwealth environmental water: Species Diversity (PDF 7.8MB)
basin-scale-evaluation-2020-21-cew-species-diversity.docx (DOCX 18.6KB)
Basin-scale evaluation of 2020–21 Commonwealth environmental water: Vegetation (PDF 6.5MB)
Basin-scale evaluation of 2020–21 Commonwealth environmental water: Vegetation (DOCX 13.3MB)
Basin-scale evaluation of 2020–21 Commonwealth environmental water: Dashboards (PDF 1.2MB)
Basin-scale evaluation of 2020–21 Commonwealth environmental water: Dashboards (DOCX 2.2MB)
Basin-scale evaluation of 2020–21 Commonwealth environmental water: Key metrics (PDF 195KB)
Basin-scale evaluation of 2020–21 Commonwealth environmental water: Key metrics (DOCX 74.7KB)
2023
Flow-MER: 2021-22 Basin-scale Evaluation – Synthesis Report (PDF 16.1MB)
Flow-MER: 2021-22 Basin-scale Evaluation – Synthesis Report (DOCX 15.1MB)
Flow-MER: 2021-22 Basin-scale Evaluation – Ecosystem Diversity (PDF 11.4MB)
Flow-MER: 2021-22 Basin-scale Evaluation – Ecosystem Diversity (DOCX 80.1MB)
Flow-MER: 2021-22 Basin-scale Evaluation – Fish (DOCX 32.7MB)
Flow-MER: 2021-22 Basin-scale Evaluation – Fish (PDF 29.5MB)
Flow-MER: 2021-22 Basin-scale Evaluation – Food Webs and Water Quality (DOCX 17.8MB)
Flow-MER: 2021-22 Basin-scale Evaluation – Food Webs and Water Quality (PDF 6MB)
Flow-MER: 2021-22 Basin-scale Evaluation – Hydrology (DOCX 20.4MB)
Flow-MER: 2021-22 Basin-scale Evaluation – Hydrology (PDF 7.9MB)
Flow-MER: 2021-22 Basin-scale Evaluation – Species Diversity (DOCX 20.3MB)
Flow-MER: 2021-22 Basin-scale Evaluation – Species Diversity (PDF 4.2MB)
Flow-MER: 2021-22 Basin-scale Evaluation – Vegetation (PDF 4.6MB)
Flow-MER: 2021-22 Basin-scale Evaluation – Vegetation (DOCX 11.4MB)
Flow-MER: 2021-22 Basin-scale Evaluation – Report Summary Dashboards (PDF 10.3MB)