'Near to final' draft for independent review - 2 May 2016 Geomorphic Riparian zone (and Mid Outer Inner Channel setting near channel) floodplain floodplain floodplain Snags River red grasslands Coolibah or black Features / and gums Flood box woodlands communities plain benches forests Floodplain In-channel freshes Overbank flows are provided Bankfull and overbank the larger flow events longitudinal flows fill the river channel that provide lateral connectivity down and inundate the riparian Bankfull flows connectivity with the the channel. This is zone, anabranches, flood- reshape the Freshes replenish floodplain. They important for and runners, wetlands and the channel creating soil water/bank provide water and maintaining, and floodplain. These flows or maintaining nutrients to floodplain storage for No flows and base flows providing access to, in-stream habitats. It maintain aquatic habitat provide vegetation riparian habitats such as opportunities Base flows are vegetation for providing drought and inundate frogs, turtles and that reach these is also important for maintained by refuge during dry benches, invertebrates to move areas are also very cycling sediment seepage from pools, bars and periods and diluting anabranches and from the river to the wider important for the and nutrients groundwater or benches. nutrients and other snags which are floodplain next to the dispersal of seeds between different bank storage; material following flood important for fish river, and back again. and aquatic animals. parts of the river. and also by low some birds to events. migration and surface flows. breed and for fish, plants and spawning. communities. Flows allow fish, invertebrates, generally Figure 3. Key components of the flow regime of rivers like the Barwon-Darling river system, and their connection with ecological functions and processes
'Near to final' draft for independent review - 2 May 2016 Geomorphic setting Channel Riparian zone (and near channel) Inner floodplain Mid floodplain Outer floodplain Features / communities Snags and benches River red gums forests Coolibah or black box woodlands Floodplain grasslands In-channel freshes provided longitudinal connectivity down the channel. This is important for and maintaining, and providing access to, No flows and base flows Freshes replenish soil water/bank storage for Bankfull flows reshape the channel creating or maintaining Bankfull and overbank flows fill the river channel and inundate the riparian zone, anabranches, flood- runners, wetlands and the floodplain. These flows Overbank flows are the larger flow events that provide lateral connectivity with the floodplain. They provide water and nutrients to floodplain in-stream habitats. It maintain aquatic habitat Base flows are riparian vegetation habitats such as provide opportunities for vegetation is also important for cycling sediment and nutrients between different parts of the river. for fish, plants and invertebrates, providing drought refuge during dry periods and diluting nutrients and other material following flood events. generally maintained by seepage from groundwater or bank storage; and also by low surface flows. and inundate benches, anabranches and snags which are important for fish migration and spawning. pools, bars and benches. some birds to breed and allow fish, frogs, turtles and invertebrates to move from the river to the wider floodplain next to the river, and back again. communities. Flows that reach these areas are also very important for the dispersal of seeds and aquatic animals. Figure 3. Key components of the flow regime of rivers like the Barwon-Darling river system, and their connection with ecological functions and processes Flood plain
EWR-Barwon-Darling-draft.docx