National Water Commission assists in sustaining wetland health

The National Water Commission has released three products to help environmental water managers achieve sustainable wetland and floodplain health.

The book ‘Water Regime for Wetland and Floodplain Plants: a source book for the Murray-Darling Basin’ was written by Dr Jane Roberts and Mrs Frances Marston. The book is an update of an earlier publication and captures the wealth of research knowledge generated over the past decade about effective flow regimes for vegetation management in our inland wetland and floodplain systems.

The book will be an invaluable resource for everyone involved in wetland and floodplain management in the Murray-Darling Basin. It will provide planners and practitioners with access to the most up-to-date, evidence-based knowledge and methods to assist with the sustainable management of Australia’s wetlands.

Fish are an important component of water-dependent ecosystems. Many threatened and significant fish species live in the Murray–Darling floodplain wetlands. Until now, investigation of the impacts of environmental watering has mainly focused on the needs of waterbirds and forests.

A new report ‘Watering floodplain wetlands in the Murray-Darling Basin for native fish’ deepens our understanding of the flooding requirements for native fish. The report is the result of three years of scientific study and is supported by a specifically crafted decision support tool and a demonstration wetland.

Sulfidic sediments in Australia’s inland waterways are a recently discovered and potentially serious environmental problem. They can cause considerable ecological damage and can significantly detract from aesthetic values and impact on human health.

The report ‘Sulfidic sediments in inland waterways’ recommends methods for environmental water managers to manage and remediate this destructive condition. The report is supported by an action support tool and is the result of leading-edge research.