Oral Presentation Australian Freshwater Sciences Society Conference 2018

Measuring ecological responses to the restoration of optimal water regimes in wetlands for biodiversity outcomes (#86)

Phil Papas 1 , Jacqui Brooks 2
  1. Arthur Rylah Institue for Environmental Research, Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia
  2. Water and Catchments, Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, East Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Many wetlands in south-east Australia have endured protracted periods with severely altered water regimes, mostly because of waterway regulation and more recently, a drying climate. Many seasonal wetlands – those that typically wet and dry annually – have undergone prolonged periods of permanent inundation from irrigation inflows, whilst others have experienced significant drying, filling rarely and for shorter durations. In Victoria, use of the environmental water reserve to restore wetland water regimes has provided a relatively recent management response to reinstating optimal water regimes for biodiversity outcomes. To assess the effectiveness of this approach, the Victorian Government developed WetMAP - the Wetland Monitoring and Assessment Program for environmental flows. Commencing in 2017, WetMAP is monitoring watered and unwatered wetlands over several years to assess ecological responses to environmental water delivery in wetlands across Victoria. A key feature of WetMAP is consideration of the influence of all aspects of the water regime, in addition to legacy effects from historic water regimes, water quality and livestock grazing. Responses at individual wetlands and broader scales are being addressed, and the methods – including quantitative in-situ assessments, sensors and imagery capture and analysis – are tailored to these scales. In its first year, data collected through WetMAP has enabled wetland managers to make better water management decisions at several individual wetlands. Over time, WetMAP will help managers identify priority watering locations and the water regimes needed to support wetland biodiversity.