Step 2: Select management outcomes Determination of the Resource Availability Scenario informed the broad management outcomes which the Priorities would focus on (Table 2), taking into account differences between individual catchments. The Authority also sought the views of a group of scientists and practitioners with environmental water experience to help determine the strategic environmental watering needs at the Basin-scale. This served to provide an initial context for the Priorities and the management outcomes that were selected. These management outcomes are described under the heading Overview of the 2013-14 Basin Annual Environmental Watering Priorities. Table 2: Management outcomes for each Resource Availability Scenario Resource Resource Resource Resource availability availability scenario: availability availability scenario: Very Dry scenario: scenario: Wet Very wet – Dry Moderate Avoid irretrievable Ensure Maintain ecological Improve the health loss of or damage environmental health and and resilience of to, environmental assets maintain resilience: water-dependent assets: their basic ecosystems: functions and Enable growth, − Avoid critical loss of resilience: reproduction and Enable growth, − − species, communities, small-scale reproduction and and ecosystems. Support the recruitment for a scale recruitment for a − survival and viability diverse range of flora diverse range of flora of threatened and fauna. and fauna. Maintain critical − refuges. species and communities. Promote low-lying Promote higher outcomes − − Avoid irretrievable floodplain-river floodplain-river − Maintain connectivity. connectivity. damage or − environmental assets catastrophic events. and ecosystem Support Support high-flow − − functions, including Allow drying to river and river and floodplain Management − by allowing drying to floodplain functions. functions. occur, where occur consistent with appropriate, but natural relieve severe cycles. unnaturally prolonged dry periods. Maintain refuges. − Step 3: Determine provisional Priorities by applying the principles The principles to be applied to determine Priorities (Part 6, Division 1 of the Environmental Watering Plan) are:
Step 2: Select management outcomes Determination of the Resource Availability Scenario informed the broad management outcomes which the Priorities would focus on (Table 2), taking into account differences between individual catchments. The Authority also sought the views of a group of scientists and practitioners with environmental water experience to help determine the strategic environmental watering needs at the Basin-scale. This served to provide an initial context for the Priorities and the management outcomes that were selected. These management outcomes are described under the heading Overview of the 2013-14 Basin Annual Environmental Watering Priorities. Table 2: Management outcomes for each Resource Availability Scenario Resource availability scenario: Very Dry Resource availability scenario: Dry Resource availability scenario: Moderate Resource availability scenario: Wet – Very wet Management outcomes Avoid irretrievable loss of or damage to, environmental assets: − Avoid critical loss of species, communities, and ecosystems. − Maintain critical refuges. − Avoid irretrievable damage or catastrophic events. − Allow drying to occur, where appropriate, but relieve severe unnaturally prolonged dry periods. Ensure environmental assets maintain their basic functions and resilience: − Support the survival and viability of threatened species and communities. − Maintain environmental assets and ecosystem functions, including by allowing drying to occur consistent with natural cycles. − Maintain refuges. Maintain ecological health and resilience: − Enable growth, reproduction and small-scale recruitment for a diverse range of flora and fauna. − Promote low-lying floodplain-river connectivity. − Support river and floodplain functions. Improve the health and resilience of water-dependent ecosystems: − Enable growth, reproduction and recruitment for a diverse range of flora and fauna. − Promote higher floodplain-river connectivity. − Support high-flow river and floodplain functions. Step 3: Determine provisional Priorities by applying the principles The principles to be applied to determine Priorities (Part 6, Division 1 of the Environmental Watering Plan) are: scale
EWP-Basin-Annual-Environmental-Watering-Priorities_0.docx