The proposed "environmentally sustainable level of take" for surface water of the Murray–Darling Basin: Method and Outcomes
Sustainable Diversion Limits will replace the existing cap on water use and are set at both a catchment and Basin-wide scale. The Water Act 2007 requires that these new limits are determined based on an assessment of the environmentally sustainable level of take – the Authority has to assess how much water can be taken from the Basin without compromising the environment. This report outlines the methods and modelled outcomes of the Environmentally Sustainable Level of Take process.
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Table of contents
- Copyright
- Foreword
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Executive summary
- The need for change
- History of water reform
- Requirements of the Water Act
- Changes since the Guide
- Method to determine the ESLT
- ESLT and environmental outcomes expected
- Adaptive management approach
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1 Introduction
- 1.1 Background
- 1.2 Description of the Basin’s landscape and its ecosystems
- 1.3 The importance of flow
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2 Framework for determining an ESLT
- 2.1 Overview
- 2.2 Use of hydrologic modelling in the framework
- 2.3 Implementation within an adaptive management process
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3 Basin-wide environmental objectives and ecological targets
- 3.1 Environmental objectives
- 3.2 Ecological targets
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4 Identifying key environmental assets, key ecosystem functions, the productive base and key environmental outcomes
- 4.1 Key environmental assets
- 4.2 Key ecosystem functions
- 4.3 The productive base
- 4.4 Key environmental outcomes
- 4.5 Key issues and way forward
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5 Determining environmental water requirements
- 5.1 The hydrologic indicator site method
- 5.2 Developing location specific objectives and targets
- 5.3 Determining environmental water requirements for hydrologic indicator sites
- 5.4 Flow delivery constraints
- 5.5 Section summary
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6 Range finding – selecting ESLT options for further assessment
- 6.1 Environmental assessments
- 6.2 Social and economic considerations
- 6.3 Integration, judgement and selection of ESLT options
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7 Modelling and assessing ESLT options
- 7.1 Introduction
- 7.2 Regulated regions
- 7.3 Unregulated regions
- 7.4 Model results analysis techniques
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8 Modelling results of ESLT option assessment (2800 ± 400 GL/y)
- 8.1 Context and approach to assessing ESLT options
- 8.2 Relative outcomes for the River Murray downstream of the Murrumbidgee junction
- 8.3 Relative outcomes for the Coorong, Lower Lakes and Murray Mouth
- 8.4 Section summary
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9 Environmental outcomes
- 9.1 Basin scale outcomes
- 9.2 Condamine-Balonne region
- 9.3 Border Rivers region
- 9.4 Gwydir region
- 9.5 Namoi region
- 9.6 Macquarie-Castlereagh region
- 9.7 Barwon Darling region
- 9.8 Lachlan region
- 9.9 Murrumbidgee region
- 9.10 Goulburn region
- 9.11 Campaspe region
- 9.12 Loddon region
- 9.13 Wimmera-Avoca region
- 9.14 Lower Darling region
- 9.15 Murray region
- 9.16 Paroo, Warrego, Moonie, Nebine, Ovens, Kiewa and Eastern Mt Lofty Ranges regions
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10 Uncertainties and opportunities for future work
- 10.1 Identifying key environmental assets and key ecosystem functions
- 10.2 Environmental watering requirements
- 10.3 Hydrological modelling
- 10.4 Assessing environmental outcomes
- 10.5 Section summary
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11 Conclusion and the way forward
- 11.1 Where to from here?
- 12 References
- Glossary and abbreviations
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Appendix A: Identifying key environmental assets, key ecosystem functions, productive base and key environmental outcomes
- Key environmental assets
- Key ecosystem functions
- Productive base and key environmental outcomes
- Appendix B: Estimated environmental water recovery 2004 to 2009
- Appendix C: Hydrologic indicator sites
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Appendix D: Objectives, targets and flow indicators
- Environmental objectives
- Ecological targets
