Integrated Catchment Assessment and Management Centre

Development of a Catchment Contaminant Cycle Model End-User Survey: Preliminary Results Lachlan Newham 28 October 2003

Integrated Catchment Assessment and Management Centre Presentation Outline LWA project description Survey format and delivery Preliminary results Implications for model development

Integrated Catchment Assessment and Management Centre LWA Project Description Models required to assist end-users identify sources, pathways, interactions and impacts of contaminants Project aim - development of a contaminant cycle model, readily accessible to, and understandable by, end-users for application in large catchments Collaborative project - CSIRO Land and Water, CRC Catchment Hydrology and iCAM, Australian National University Builds on existing modelling approaches e.g. EMSS, CatchMODS and SedNet

Integrated Catchment Assessment and Management Centre

Project Description Case studies in Murrumbidgee and Brisbane River catchments Involvement of end-users in the model development process is key to its success and subsequent adoption End-user consultation activities –Build on previous experience in development of associated water quality models –Catchment manager workshops in case study catchments –End-user survey

Integrated Catchment Assessment and Management Centre End-User Survey Attempt to gain end-user input from large audience On-line survey –Ease of collection and data analysis Questions such as: –How models are used by decision makers –Which pollutants should be modelled –Which types of management interventions should be included –Which ecological and habitat values indicators are of interest –How results are communicated

Integrated Catchment Assessment and Management Centre

Preliminary Results: Background 175 fully completed responses 200 substantially complete responses 67% primarily use models in their work 49% for water quality improvement

Integrated Catchment Assessment and Management Centre Preliminary Results: Contaminants Low relative importance for bedload sediment (16%) and thermal pollution (13%) Heavy metals suggested by many respondents as important

Integrated Catchment Assessment and Management Centre Preliminary Results: Management Interventions Evaporation basins (6%) and groundwater pumping (15%) considered or little importance for inclusion in contaminant cycle models

Integrated Catchment Assessment and Management Centre Preliminary Results: Ecological Indicators Water birds (13%)

Integrated Catchment Assessment and Management Centre Preliminary Results: Technical Detail Preference for models running at daily or greater time intervals Preference for representative climate driving sequences, little interest in stochastic sequences

Integrated Catchment Assessment and Management Centre Preliminary Results: Communicating Results Preference for results to be expressed in lumped measures e.g. annual total loads Preference for results to be available for subcatchment and stream reach units

Integrated Catchment Assessment and Management Centre Implications Important additional information has been captured in the survey… Important to include as much knowledge gained from survey results into contaminant cycle model Fundamental structure of proposed model is supported by results of survey

Integrated Catchment Assessment and Management Centre Future Contaminant Cycle Model Features of resulting contaminant cycle model –Simulation of suspended sediment, nutrients and salt –Node-link structure –Operate at daily time intervals to incorporate qualitative ecological response –Scenario based incorporating land use change, flow regulation, point source loading and riparian zone management options

Integrated Catchment Assessment and Management Centre