Brewarrina fishway on the Barwon River 2015 this report This report summarises the findings for one key component of the Northern Basin Review. The report describes how different modelled water recovery scenarios may affect the flow regime of northern basin rivers, and in turn, how this may affect environmental outcomes. The report also describes what additional measures (referred to as toolkit measures) may be useful in securing and strengthening these environmental outcomes. The report should be read in conjunction with other reports from the review that address the social, cultural and economic impacts associated with the water recovery scenarios. The decision on whether or not to amend the current legislated sustainable diversion limit for the northern basin is based on finding a balance between social, cultural and economic impacts using a triple bottom line assessment. The findings presented here are the culmination of the environmental science element of the Northern Basin Review undertaken by the Murray-Darling Basin Authority. This report describes the assessment of how well different water recovery scenarios in the northern Murray–Darling Basin may potentially maintain or restore elements of the rivers' flow regime (i.e. base flows, channel freshes and overbank flows). How effectively elements of the flow regime are maintained or restored link to positive environmental outcomes, such as improved native fish numbers and distributions, more frequent opportunities for waterbird breeding and increased numbers, and healthier streamside and floodplain vegetation. The environmental science element of the Northern Review commenced with a range of scientific reviews and field studies that were undertaken on northern basin fish, birds and plants, in order to build upon the existing . This work was focused on the Barwon–Darling and Condamine–Balonne catchments and was used primarily to describe updated for the Lower Balonne and Narran Lakes catchments through description of a set of ecologically important flow indicators. The environmental science information was also used to support the environmental water requirements of the other northern basin catchments, although the 2012
Brewarrina fishway on the Barwon River 2015 this report This report summarises the findings for one key component of the Northern Basin Review. The report describes how different modelled water recovery scenarios may affect the flow regime of northern basin rivers, and in turn, how this may affect environmental outcomes. The report also describes what additional measures (referred to as toolkit measures) may be useful in securing and strengthening these environmental outcomes. The report should be read in conjunction with other reports from the review that address the social, cultural and economic impacts associated with the water recovery scenarios. The decision on whether or not to amend the current legislated sustainable diversion limit for the northern basin is based on finding a balance between social, cultural and economic impacts using a triple bottom line assessment. The findings presented here are the culmination of the environmental science element of the Northern Basin Review undertaken by the Murray-Darling Basin Authority. This report describes the assessment of how well different water recovery scenarios in the northern Murray–Darling Basin may potentially maintain or restore elements of the rivers' flow regime (i.e. base flows, freshes and overbank flows). How effectively elements of the flow regime are maintained or restored link to positive environmental outcomes, such as improved native fish numbers and distributions, more frequent opportunities for waterbird breeding and increased numbers, and healthier streamside and floodplain vegetation. The environmental science element of the Northern Review commenced with a range of scientific reviews and field studies that were undertaken on northern basin fish, birds and plants, in order to build upon the existing . This work was focused on the Barwon–Darling and Condamine–Balonne catchments and was used primarily to describe updated for the Lower Balonne and Narran Lakes catchments through description of a set of ecologically important flow indicators. The environmental science information was also used to support the environmental water requirements of the other northern basin catchments, although the 2012 channel
NBR-environmental-outcomes-Oct-16_2.docx