Managing Water Ecosystems

bubbles in a river

CSIRO are assessing whether methane seeps in a river have any direct effect on the water quality and ecological status of the river. There is little or no literature that describes this issue in flowing systems.

Red Gums along a creek

In the past, estimates of water requirements of floodplain trees were based on past hydrology and inundation trends rather than quantitative measurements to understand how trees use water (when, where from in the soil profile) and the drivers of tree condition.

Water with trees

Water scarcity is a guarantee into the future especially in semi-arid and arid environments and in riparian systems flow alterations open up the way for invasion of weed species.

The Challenge River flows are important for driving the condition and persistence of biota, to support habitats, and to facilitate […]

sawns in lake

The Challenge The focus of water resource management in the Murray-Darling Basin over recent decades has been to achieve a […]

Issue 243 - Murray Darling Basin feature

River Murray cliffs near Renmark South Australia

CSIRO conducts research across four important areas in the Basin. In this report we look at the work CSIRO has delivered and what we are doing now in these four areas.

River Murray in South Australia

The land and water resources of the Murray-Darling Basin have been significantly modified for more than 100 years, and following years of declining environmental condition, more recent water reform processes have sought to re-balance water use across users within the Basin.

Water level variations from managed flow releases are known to influence both rates of biofilm productivity and structural attributes of biofilms that inhabit hard surfaces within rivers.

The Challenge A local population of native turtles may be negatively impacted by habitat changes (see Figure 1) associated with […]

The Challenge The Siamese Crocodile (Crocodylus siamensis) is a critically endangered medium‐size crocodile native to Southeast Asia. Now extinct from […]

water surrounding a balck box tree

The Future Ready Murray-Darling Basin Forum: Beyond 2030 held over 14th and 15th of March 2019 provided a unique opportunity for Australia’s leading thinkers to focus their attention on the long-term future of the Murray-Darling Basin.

CSIRO scientists are leading a team of collaborators across multiple research institutions to resolve challenges in the adaptive management of environmental flows in the Murray-Darling Basin.