Using disaster to prevent catastrophe: referencing the impacts of flow changes in large dryland rivers

Abstract

This paper outlines the hydrological change associated with water resources development for six rivers within the Murray-Darling Basin. Hydrological change was assessed using simulated data from the Integrated Quantity and Quality Model (IQQM) and a range of relatively simple flow statistics: the annual proportional flow deviation; the frequencies of medium or high flow events; and the durations of low or no-flow events. The changes in physical properties, water quality and biological characteristics within the six river systems were assessed from the literature and summarized. This information was used to construct a series of hypothetical curves (reference curves) summarizing ecological response to hydrological change. The suitability of these response curves was then checked using data from a seventh river, Cooper Creek, a relatively major pristine endorheic system in central Australia. Reference curves appear to be an effective tool for assessing the likely ecological responses of river systems to increased hydrological change. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.