Commonwealth Environmental Water Office Monitoring and Lessons - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Commonwealth Environmental Water Office Monitoring and Lessons Learnt in the Edward- Wakool

Bruce Campbell

Why are we here?

Two reasons:

• To recognise concerns expressed by the local community

around the Edward-Wakool monitoring and evaluation (M&E) arrangements.

• To address action items about M&E and the LTIM project

from the MLD CSC:

• Description of LTIM and accountabilities.
• Consideration of the range of outcomes (positive,

negative and neutral) from previous M&E activities.

Long term monitoring projects

Seven key representative areas:

• Gwydir,
• Lachlan,
• Edward-Wakool,
• Murrumbidgee,
• Goulburn,
• Lower Murray and
• The Junction of the Warrego and Darling

$30 million program over 5 years.

Long term monitoring projects

Who is accountable for monitoring and evaluation: Ultimately the CEWO/CEWH is responsible for the monitoring and evaluation of Commonwealth environmental water. The MDFRC has been engaged as the M&E Advisor. Providing advice on program design and basin scale evaluation. CSU is the lead M&E Provider in the Edward-Wakool, in a consortium which includes Murray LLS and NSW DPI (Fisheries). CEWO designed the program, and contracted the M&E Advisor/Providers

Long term monitoring projects

Who is accountable for monitoring and evaluation (Cont): The Edward-Wakool Stakeholder Committee is the primary body for community engagement with the LTIM project. Implementation of the LTIM project within the CEWO has recently been handed over to the Delivery Teams – Bruce, Damian, Thomas and Linda (Edward-Wakool). LTIM does not replace all past M&E for example:

• SAM – LLS & Fisheries
• Basin Plan – MDBA
• WSP – NSW – NOW/OEH
• Riverbank – OEH

Past Monitoring Sites in the Edward-Wakool

What Products will LTIM Produce/Contribute to?

The M&E Plan is being finalised by the CEWO for publication LTIM Reports include:

• Quarterly progress reports
• Annual area evaluation reports - results in the past year and overall
• Basin evaluation reports (cumulative annual and 5 year reports)

Other LTIM Products that may be developed:

• Factsheets
• Newsletters

Other CEWO documents:

• Annual Planning Documents
• Adaptive Management Reports (internal)

2012-13 and 2013-14 Short Term Monitoring Reports

• Are being finalised for publication in the coming weeks
• CEWO Website – publish in full
• How would EWSC like to be engaged on these reports?
• Adaptive Management
• Some learning already
• Workshop – Adaptive Management/Annual Planning. Late

summer/early autumn

Adaptive Management and Lessons Learnt

Preliminary: for discussion at a workshop with EWSC

• Recession flows benefit aquatic vegetation and fish
• Cod demonstrated a preference for the upper Wakool

unregulated flows over the Yallakool during e-flow delivery

• The refuge pool at the junction of the Wakool-Yallakool is a

critical area for large bodied native fish - implications

• Flows and slack-water habitat for shrimp, frogs and

invertebrates

• Constraints management and good neighbour policy
• Objective setting

Adaptive Management and Lessons Learnt (Cont.)

Preliminary Findings from 2012-13: for discussion at the EWSC Workshop.

• Water quality (salinity) improved in Tuppal Creek
• Improved condition of veg condition in JCGC
• Spring/summer Yallakool Creek flows improved aquatic veg
• No increased reproduction/recruitment for zooplankton, cod, perch or frogs in

Yallakool Creek & Colligen Creek

• Maintained movement conditions for native fish
• No water quality issues caused by use of e-water in 12-13
• No increased aquatic veg in Yallakool Creek or Colligen Creek due to late

summer/autumn flows

• Maintained longitudinal connectivity (along the Yallakool Creek channel)
• No increase in lateral connectivity (flood runners to Yallakool Creek channel)
• Lower shrimp numbers in Colligen Creek & Yallakool Creek compared to sites not

getting e-water

Managing the Commonwealth’s holdings

Joint effort, awareness and understanding will….

Localism is about meaningful

• engagement. It is not about delegating

statutory decision making

• responsibilities. Rather, it’s about...
• Informing decisions about how to

best use Commonwealth water, and

• Promoting shared knowledge and

understanding through monitoring - water quality, increased native fish and birds and healthier vegetation and wetlands.

What have we heard?

• SAM and LTIM Sites
• Some extra SAM sites included (some decreases in

frequency)

• Can’t afford do everything
• Can others step up?
• Data sharing and analysis
• Agree - must find a cost effect approach
• Timeframes have been too long
• Investigating and implementing solutions

What have we heard?

• Engaging on M&E activities
• Quarterly reports and updates on activities
• Concern that some landowners are not aware of activities on or

adjacent to their properties. What can be done?

• Adaptive management workshop.
• Socio-economic impacts
• Two issues: direct impacts of Commonwealth environmental water

use, and broader impacts of Basin Plan.

• CEWO focus must be on direct impacts of Commonwealth

environmental water use. For discussion with the EWSC.

What have we heard?

• Concerns about lack of real time water quality data
• DO data collection under LTIM is via non-telemetered

data loggers, downloaded periodically.

• For discussion with EWSC and LLS. Concern? Proposed

approach?

Discussion

How would you like us to engage on adaptive management?

• EWSC
• Broader Community e.g. WRA or EWAA AGM?

We welcome feedback

Contact: Bruce Campbell Bruce.Campbell@environment.gov.au

• r

Linda Duffy Linda.Duffy@environment.gov.au or 0419 188 430 www.environment.gov.au/water /cewo