'Near to final' draft for independent review - 2 May 2016 selecting flow indicator gauges (section 2.2.6) using site-specific flow indicators in hydrological modelling (section 2.2.7). These steps of the approach are discussed below. Selecting Umbrella Environmental Assets within a valley Within each valley chosen for assessment, the following five principles were used to guide the selection of UEAs: The Basin Plan lists five criteria for identifying environmental assets, High ecological value. and four criteria for identifying ecosystem functions, which indicate a site has high ecological value. These criteria are listed in Box 4. Representative of water requirements. The water requirements of a UEA are assumed to represent the water needs of a broader reach of river or an entire river valley. This principle tends to focus the selection of UEAs on large, water-dependent ecosystems, typically at the downstream end of a river reach or valley. Flows at these downstream sites are associated with a broad extent of floodplain inundation upstream. Spatially representative. The hydrology and geomorphic character of UEAs is to be representative of river valleys or large reaches, rather than sites of unusual hydrology and geomorphic character. Significant flow alteration. UEAs experience significant departures from without development flows (i.e. simulated conditions without water resource development) in parts of the flow regime. Availability of data. The quality and quantity of hydrological and ecological information associated with a UEA needs to be sufficient to allow a detailed assessment of environmental water requirements. Applying these selection principles to the Barwon-Darling system has resulted in one UEA being selected. This is the Barwon-Darling River upstream of Menindee Lakes to Mungindi on the NSW/Queensland border, as shown in Figure 2. This is the same UEA that was used in the original analysis of the Barwon-Darling river system (MDBA 2012a). A description of this UEA is provided in chapter 3. Page 14
'Near to final' draft for independent review - 2 May 2016 selecting flow indicator gauges (section 2.2.6) using site-specific flow indicators in hydrological modelling (section 2.2.7). These steps of the approach are discussed below. Selecting Umbrella Environmental Assets within a valley Within each valley chosen for assessment, the following five principles were used to guide the selection of UEAs: High ecological value. The Basin Plan lists five criteria for identifying environmental assets, and four criteria for identifying ecosystem functions, which indicate a site has high ecological value. These criteria are listed in Box 4. Representative of water requirements. The water requirements of a UEA are assumed to represent the water needs of a broader reach of river or an entire river valley. This principle tends to focus the selection of UEAs on large, water-dependent ecosystems, typically at the downstream end of a river reach or valley. Flows at these downstream sites are associated with a broad extent of floodplain inundation upstream. Spatially representative. The hydrology and geomorphic character of UEAs is to be representative of river valleys or large reaches, rather than sites of unusual hydrology and geomorphic character. Significant flow alteration. UEAs experience significant departures from without development flows (i.e. simulated conditions without water resource development) in parts of the flow regime. Availability of data. The quality and quantity of hydrological and ecological information associated with a UEA needs to be sufficient to allow a detailed assessment of environmental water requirements. Applying these selection principles to the Barwon-Darling system has resulted in one UEA being selected. This is the Barwon-Darling River upstream of Menindee Lakes to Mungindi on the NSW/Queensland border, as shown in Figure 2. This is the same UEA that was used in the original analysis of the Barwon-Darling river system (MDBA 2012a). A description of this UEA is provided in chapter 3. Page 14
EWR-Barwon-Darling-draft.docx