Cooperative Research Centre for Freshwater Ecology · 2015-05-26 · Annual Report 2004–2005 CRC for Freshwater Ecology 3 Foreword It is exciting to be writing the last Foreword

1Annual Report 2004–2005 CRC for Freshwater Ecology

ContentsVision, mission, objectives .................................................................................................... 2

Foreword by Dr John Langford, Board Chairman ................................................................ 3

Chief Executive’s overview ..................................................................................................... 4

1. Structure and management ............................................................................................... 8Transitional arrangements ......................................................................................... 9

2. Research ........................................................................................................................ 11A: Flow related ecosystem processes ..................................................................... 11B: Restoration ecology .............................................................................................13C: Conservation ecology ..........................................................................................14D: Water quality and ecological assessment .........................................................16Core and associated projects, 2003–2004 ............................................................17Research outcomes, A–D ........................................................................... 17, 18–24

3. Education and training .....................................................................................................25Postgraduate students .............................................................................................25Water industry professionals ...................................................................................27Undergraduate education ........................................................................................28Community, Schools ................................................................................................28Listing of postgraduate students ................................................................ 28, 29–31

4. Collaboration and Knowledge exchange .......................................................................32Collaborative linkages between CRCFE partners ..................................................32External collaborative linkages ................................................................................32

International linkages ....................................................................................32Knowledge exchange ...............................................................................................33

Scientific and public communication ............................................................33Highlights of the knowledge exchange program ....................................................34Table of knowledge exchange with end-users 2004–2005 ....................... 36, 37–40

5. Operations and Staff matters ..........................................................................................41Awards .......................................................................................................................41

6. Performance indicators ...................................................................................................43

7. Publications and presentations ......................................................................................50Books, chapters in books .........................................................................................50Refereed journal articles ..........................................................................................51Non-refereed publications .......................................................................................54Consultancy and technical reports ..........................................................................55Software ....................................................................................................................56Papers in conference proceedings .........................................................................57Presentations, public and conference .....................................................................58

Established and supported underthe Australian Government’s

Cooperative Research CentresProgramme

Annual Report2004–2005

Cooperative Research Centre forFreshwater Ecology


Vision

The Cooperative Research Centre forFreshwater Ecology exists to improve thecondition of Australia’s inland waters.

Mission

The Cooperative Research Centre forFreshwater Ecology provides ecologicalunderstanding to improve and protectAustralia’s inland waters by collaborativeresearch, education, resource manage-ment, policy advice and communityliaison.

Objectives

8 To deliver high quality scientificresearch that contributes to theunderstanding of the ecology ofaquatic ecosystems. With in-depthunderstanding, it is possible to predicthow aquatic ecosystems react todifferent scenarios.

8 To develop and test ecological theory,through our research program.

8 To provide knowledge of the principlesof ecology, so they can underpin

management decisions and actionsand address key management issuesfacing Australia’s water industry.·

8 To increase the capacity of Australia’swater industry to predict the ecologicalconsequences of managementactions.

8 To produce methods and tools forassessing ecological conditions, toassist water managers to measure theeffects of their actions.

8 To contribute an ecological perspectiveto policy debates within the waterindustry.·

8 To maintain international linkages soour work is known internationally andto ensure our science is at the bestpossible standard.

8 To provide ongoing professionaleducation to build up a capacity withinthe water industry to understandecological issues.

8 To provide high quality postgraduateeducation and experiences that equipgraduates with skills and knowledgeappropriate to industry needs.

Cooperative Research Centrefor Freshwater Ecology The Cooperative Research Centre

for Freshwater Ecology isa collaborative venture between:

ACTEW Corporation

CSIRO Land and Water

Department of Infrastructure, Planningand Natural Resources, NSW

Department of Natural Resourcesand Mines, Queensland

Department of Sustainabilityand Environment, Victoria

Department of Water, Land and BiodiversityConservation, South Australia

Environment ACT

Environment Protection Authority, NSW

Environmental Protection Authority, Victoria

Goulburn-Murray Rural Water Authority

Griffith University

La Trobe University

Lower Murray Urban & Rural Water Authority

Melbourne Water

Monash University

Murray-Darling Basin Commission

Sydney Catchment Authority

The University of Adelaide

University of Canberra


Foreword

It is exciting to be writing the lastForeword for an annual report for theCRC for Freshwater Ecology (CRCFE).The excitement comes from knowingthat the work of the CRCFE is not over,even though the CRC ceased operationsas at 30 June. Instead, the ecologicalknow-how that has been accumulated isnow part of the strong foundation fromwhich the eWater CRC is emerging.

Water is a Z to A issue: if there is plentyof water about nobody worries about it.When there’s no water about, or it isflooding through houses, or it does notappear when the tap is turned on, waterdoes not just go up the alphabet ofissues incrementally, it shoots from Z to Abecause people realise how fundamentalit is to their lives. If you are thinkingahead when water is a non-issue (‘Z’),you can be ready to act and take theopportunities that arise when waterissues become ‘A’. So, the CRCFE,being in the right place at the right time,and ably led first by Professor PeterCullen and latterly by Professor GaryJones, has been able to capture interestand attract funding to support its visionof improving the condition of Australia’sinland waters.

Having Victoria, New South Wales,Queensland and the ACT as earlypartners in the CRCFE allowed it topresent a wide view, augmented in lateryears when South Australia joined aswell. The CRCFE and the CRC forCatchment Hydrology have together

been the most effective forums I haveseen for interstate collaboration onwater. They achieved a consensusamong professionals across rivermanagement bodies of the states andthe Murray-Darling Basin Commission insupport of good science being done well.

The CRCFE has been able to connect arange of science-streams to build apicture of the ecology and ecologicalcondition of river systems — the river,floodplains and wetlands. We have learntan enormous amount about thebehaviour of river systems and thefactors that potentially make themhealthy or unhealthy. That is a reallygood platform for the eWater CRC as itmoves into predictive work.

There have also been almost 100 PhDgraduates coming out of the two periodsof the CRCFE. Those bright individualshave received an education, done someresearch on a river system and beenconnected with industry or rivermanagers. They have been working onproblems that are really going to make adifference to the water industry. Comingfrom a multi-university and amultidisciplinary environment of rivermanagers and academics, these PhDgraduates are a cohort for the future andI see them as a very, very importantoutput of this CRC.

Putting knowledge brokers — peoplewho understood research — into theoperating agencies so you could getpractical two-way communicationbetween CRC scientists and the peoplein the water management agencies, wasvery effective. This was a very strong

innovation that Peter Cullen personallydrove, and it has been expanded in recentyears by Gary Jones. There is little pointin doing good science and leaving itunpublished, or in publishing it only inscientific journals that few managers read.The knowledge brokers have been veryimportant in establishing dynamic two-waycommunication between river managersand researchers, to get the science to themanagers and provide input to planning ofresearch portfolios.

The CRC for Freshwater Ecology has beenremarkably successful in stimulatingcollaborative research in ecology andmaking good use of it. The collaborativeculture has extended right from the Boardmembers to the teams on the floodplainsand in the labs, and a major result hasbeen that the whole collective researcheffort has been greater than the sum of theparts by quite a degree.

The vision for the CRCFE was to reallymake a difference to the condition of rivers.There’s now a far greater awareness of theenvironmental consequences of humanactivities in rivers, and the potentialharmful effects and the potential solutions,than there ever was before. If the CRC forFreshwater Ecology had not existed I thinkthere’d be a very different water debategoing on.

Having chaired the Boards of both theCRCs for Freshwater Ecology andCatchment Hydrology from start to finish, Ifigure, like many politicians and cricketers,that it is better to get out while you are stillhitting the ball in the middle of the bat. TheeWater CRC, though derived from boththose CRCs, is a very different-looking

organisation, with a new team taking it intothe future, and a new Chairman — DonBlackmore.

My thanks go to Gary Jones and PeterCullen, the senior management team, myfellow members of the Board, our industrypersonnel, and all the staff who have beenpart of the CRC for Freshwater Ecologysince it began in July 1993, for theseproductive and memorable years.

I wish the new CRC and its teams thehighest success.

Professor John Langford AMChairman of the BoardCRC for Freshwater Ecology


Chief Executive’soverview

The CRC for Freshwater Ecology (CRCFE)set out in 1993, under the leadership of itsChairman John Langford and mypredecessor Professor Peter Cullen, tohelp improve the health of Australia’sinland rivers and wetlands. As we closethe doors of CRCFE and open those of thenew eWater CRC, I am confident in sayingthat in its 12-year history the CRCFE hashelped make a real difference to theeffective management of the Australianwater environment.

The CRCFE’s research activities in fourstates and the ACT have produced robustscientific knowledge and advice to helppave the road towards numerous andwidespread policy developments andchanged attitudes in river management. Inparticular, we have helped to elucidate andcommunicate the fundamental importanceof ecological health in ensuring the long-term sustainable use of Australian rivers.

We have identified measures andindicators of river ‘health’, developedmonitoring and assessment programs, andexplored the factors causing a loss of‘health’ in rivers, as well as ways ofrehabilitating them. We have deepened thegeneral understanding of freshwaterecosystems and their functionalcomponents, as well as contributing to theconcept of the ‘healthy working river’ — ariver that is providing adequately for botheconomic and ecological needs eventhough it is not in the same condition as

the ‘natural’ river it was before Europeansettlement.

Environmental flows are now a centralfacet of the management of healthyworking rivers, and we can trace CRCFE‘footsteps’ through a progression ofenvironmental flow initiatives over the lastdecade. Working with and through ourstate government partners, we havedefined the ways in which riverecosystems respond to altered flowregimes. Consequently, we now have clearevidence that flow is a key driver ofecological condition and water quality inrivers and floodplain wetlands. Mind you,there is still much to learn, as it was notpossible, even in 12 years, to study indetail the responses to flow of more than acomparatively small group of fish, plantsand invertebrates as well as key waterquality parameters.

Freshwater ecology must become a truly‘predictive’ science if it is to continue toprovide useful information for waterwaymanagers and for the community in thenew century. One of the central objectivesof the new eWater CRC is to ensure thatthe individual ecological relationshipsquantified by CRCFE scientists areintegrated into user-friendly, whole-of-river-system predictive models. We have muchto learn from our CRC for CatchmentHydrology colleagues in this respect, and Iam very optimistic that we will achieve thisend, working together in the eWater CRCover the next seven years.

Biological methods for measuring waterquality have become a practical tool forscientists and managers alike during thelife of CRCFE. We have developed and

applied biological assessment methodsbased on fish, algae, macroinvertebratesand rates of key ecological processes. Ofthese, macroinvertebrate methods havebeen the most widely applied so far, viathe ‘AUSRIVAS’ method for riverassessment, which the CRCFE helpeddevelop as part of the National River HealthProgram.

The CRCFE’s work in Australia mirrored aworld-wide trend throughout the 1990smoving from a reliance on chemicalmeasurements to define river condition, toa broader approach that includes thehealth and condition of plants and animalsthat live in rivers and wetlands, and directmeasurements of important ecosystemprocesses such as photosynthesis andrespiration.

CRCFE staff have also been integral to thewriting of the revised national water qualityand water-quality monitoring guidelines.And the Murray-Darling BasinCommission’s Sustainable Rivers Audit isbased on conceptual frameworks theCRCFE helped develop.

Throughout its life, the CRCFE has studiedthe ecology of all kinds of rivers andwaterbodies across a wide range ofgeographic and climatic zones — from thecool, temperate rivers of southern Victoriato the tropical and arid zone rivers ofQueensland and the Northern Territory.Especially in the highly flow-variable riversof the arid zone we now know that it isvery important to protect not only habitatsthat organisms use under normalconditions, but also refuge habitats —such as billabongs, waterholes and river-bed pools — that can outlast long dry


periods. Without these refuge habitats,freshwater biodiversity is less likely to bemaintained throughout climatic extremes,especially during prolonged drought.

Our scientists have also shown that inhelping to rehabilitate degraded rivers, it isnot enough just to restore habitats andrefuges. Organisms will not necessarilyreoccupy their former habitats if factorsundermining ecological condition, fromupstream or elsewhere in the catchment(such as poor flow regime or water quality)are still active.

Measuring biodiversity has been just asimportant for us as protecting it. Via theMurray-Darling Freshwater ResearchCentre (MDFRC), the CRCFE hasdeveloped around 50 taxonomicidentification (ID) guides to numerousinvertebrates and larval fish. At the sametime, researchers at Griffith University haveadopted molecular genetic approaches intheir taxonomic studies and already thatresearch is providing valuable advice forthe management of waterways and inparticular for projects where inter-basinwater transfers or re-colonisation by rareand endangered species are beingcontemplated.

Fish researchers in the CRCFE havedemonstrated the valuable outcomesobtained from the construction of properfishways in rivers of the Murray-DarlingBasin and along the east coast, monitoredand reported on threatened fish species,and developed habitat rehabilitationstrategies for those and other fish species.Also there is now far better understandingof carp control, factors affecting thenumbers of fish in a river and their

migrations (or not), predator–preyrelationships in fish refuges, and thefactors such as salinity and cold waterpollution affecting the recruitment processin native fish species.

CRCFE Mk I (1993–1998) had a majorresearch program on the ecology andcontrol of toxic algal (cyanobacterial)blooms. The Chaffey Dam study led byCSIRO and MDFRC was one of the firstvery detailed studies of the efficacy ofartificial mixing to control algal blooms inAustralia. Similar work on theMurrumbidgee River found that flow couldpotentially be manipulated to minimisetemperature stratification in weir poolsand, hence, reduce the frequency andseverity of blooms.

Understanding of the ecology and path-ways to restoration in urban waterwayshas been greatly advanced during the lifeof CRCFE. Rigorous studies inMelbourne’s streams have clarified thefactors that lead to ecological decline ofurban streams, showing that it is run-offfrom impermeable surfaces that aredirectly connected to the streams bydrainage pipes or channels that causesthe ecological damage, largely via thefrequent inputs of stormwater, coming evenfrom small rain events. A quantitativerelationship has been developed betweenthis ‘effective imperviousness’ of the urbancatchment and the waterway ecologicalhealth. This is proving to be a powerful toolfor urban planners and managers. Itprovides clear direction on the way urbansub-divisions and drainage networks canbe designed to meet their intended task(flood control) while improving the health ofurban streams, previously considered

‘basket cases’ by many, ecologistsincluded!

This pioneering work by staff of both theCRCFE and the CRC for CatchmentHydrology at Monash University, followsthe strong leadership already given inurban water rehabilitation by the CRCFE inACT; for example, guidelines for integratedland and water management, andstormwater pollution control via wetlandsand ponds.

We have been fortunate to have a numberof high-profile freshwater ecologists leadingteams within the CRCFE, and they havealso played important roles on influentialadvisory committees and expert panelsacross the water industry. Their influenceon the industry has been supported by theCRC structure, through which ourscientists have been able to exchangeinformation directly with partner agenciesand authorities who are the day-to-daymanagers and controllers of inlandwaterways across eastern Australia.

We have also at all times encouraged ourresearchers to communicate our scienceand learnings to members of the publicand to regional communities potentiallyaffected by changes to river operations andmanagement. The CRCFE’s KnowledgeExchange program has boosted theeffectiveness of that interaction evenfurther. Since Peter Cullen initiated theprogram, knowledge brokers have beenstationed in Albury-Wodonga, Mildura,Goondiwindi, Adelaide, Sydney, Melbourneand Canberra, where they have been on-the-spot contacts, collecting informationfrom their local scientists as an input tomanagement solutions being developed


locally and elsewhere. Knowledge brokersare scientists with a penchant forcommunications and for seeing theadoption of scientific knowledge by thewater industry and the public. In taking onthe role, they leave the day to day life of ascientific researcher behind, but can bringthose skills and experiences to a broadercommunications and outreach job.Importantly we have ensured they learnand acquire the skills needed to have theright conversation with both industrypractitioners and scientific researchers,brokering productive interaction betweenpeople in previously separate fields ofwork. Without doubt, significantmanagement outcomes have followed, andother organisations in Australia have takenup the knowledge broker concept initiatedby the CRCFE.

Additionally, we have, in recent years,adopted a policy of ‘advice not advocacy’in matters relating to the input of scienceto public debates on water resourcesmanagement. It is my strong view that, asa taxpayer-funded organisation, we mustfairly undertake and represent science inthe interests of the entire Australiancommunity, not just sub-sections of it.

The CRCFE’s education, training andcommunity-based activities havecontributed to increasing awareness of thetrade-offs required for healthy workingrivers. Freshwater schools, trainingcourses — both face-to-face and online —and workshops for management personnelhave helped to spread the messagesarising from our research. We have alsohelped to train almost 100 post-graduatestudents in freshwater ecology, and many

of them are now in water managementagencies around the country andoverseas. We have augmented traditionalacademic training, provided to students byour university partners, with short coursesin project management, public speaking,and media communications. We have alsoencouraged students to work in multi-disciplinary, cross-agency research teamsso they are exposed to the practicalrealities of river and waterwaymanagement from early in their careers.Consequently, our students have remainedin high demand by water industryemployers throughout the life of the CRCand many are now working with waterresources management agencies acrossAustralia. I can say that this is a big andimportant change from my days as ayoung postgraduate where the thought oftaking up a job in a governmentmanagement authority was the last thingon my mind!

Since news of the success of the eWaterCRC bid in Christmas 2004, the CRCFEhas focused solidly on completing itsproject responsibilities within six yearsrather than seven (it is the nature of CRCtransitions that year-7 funding of the oldCRC gets rolled into year-1 of the new).2004 has therefore been a transitional yearfor our staff, firstly being required to finishCRCFE projects by June 2005. I am verypleased to say that all project teams tookto this task without complaint and havecompleted the required work on time. Mostof CRCFE’s researchers are by now part ofnew multi-disciplinary teams and well intothe planning of new projects that fit intothe eWater CRC vision for integrated water

management. As well as undertakingproject planning, the second half of 2005— officially the first six months of eWaterCRC — has provided our staff with time topublish results from their CRCFE researchprojects, and also for them to work withour industry partners on the application oftheir CRCFE findings in real-worldmanagement situations.

2005 has also been a time to celebrate thecontributions of key members of staff tothe success of the CRC. At the finalAnnual Meeting of the CRC for FreshwaterEcology in June 2005, I was pleased topresent special CRC awards to:· David Crook, Alistar Robertson and

Alison King (also a student) for BestPublished Paper with a CRCFEPostgraduate Student as Lead Author;

· Paul Humphries, Alison King and JohnKoehn for Best Published Paper with aCRCFE Scientist as Lead Author;

· Chris Walsh and colleagues for BestMultidisciplinary Team ResearchProject;

· Rhonda Sinclair for Best SupportPerson; and

· Richard Norris and Ian Prosser forBest Knowledge Exchange Activity orProject

All these awards covered achievementsover the 12-year life of the CRC and all theawardees should be very proud of the workfor which they have been recognised.(Indeed, over its life the CRCFE’s staffhave published approximately 610 refereedjournal papers, 180 books and bookchapters, and 420 technical andconsultancy reports.)

Special ‘Life-time’ Achievement Awardswere also presented to Peter Cullen, BarryHart, Ben Gawne and John Langford, inrecognition of their outstandingcontributions to the CRCFE.

As always, our staff and associates havereceived a number of external awards andhonours this year. Our congratulations goto John Langford who was made aMember of the Order of Australia (AM) inthe Queen’s Birthday Honours, ‘for serviceto water resource management,particularly through organisations thatregulate and research water supply, qualityand usage’. We also proudly congratulatePeter Cullen on being awarded theprestigious ‘Einar Naumann–AugustThienemann’ Medal by the SocietasInternationalis Limnologiae (SIL), forexemplary scientific leadership andextraordinary efforts to communicatecomplex limnological and water resourcesissues to colleagues and decision-makers.

In December, Professor Sam Lake(Monash University) was awarded one ofthree inaugural Senior ResearchFellowships by Land and Water Australia.The award allows Sam to concentrate on areview of ways in which drought affectsfreshwater ecosystems. I thank him for allhis wise words to us as a leadingresearcher and then as Chief Ecologist ofCRCFE since 1993. Professor RichardNorris (University of Canberra) and hisresearch team were awarded one of twoVice-Chancellor’s Distinction Awards forCreativity and Innovation in Research andEnterprise, at the University of Canberra.Their innovative studies on the Cotter River,ACT, before and since the 2003 bushfires,


have supported active adaptive manage-ment by Canberra’s water managers, tothe benefit of the environment and theCanberra community. Craig Boys(University of Canberra) has won the JohnHolliday Student Conservation Award,presented annually by NSW Fisheries,part of the NSW Department of PrimaryIndustries. We have just heard that MarkKennard and Angela Arthington have, withBrad Pusey, all of Griffith University, wonthe much-sought-after Whitley Award forzoological publishing, from the RoyalZoological Society of NSW, for theirrecently published book Freshwater Fishesof North-eastern Australia.

Also, Mark Carey (MDFRC summerscholarship student) was awarded theNorth-east CMA Prize at the AnnualPresentation of Awards and PrizesCeremony at La Trobe University in July2004. Tim Page (Griffith University) wonBest Student paper at the AustralianSociety for Limnology’s 43rd AnnualCongress, Adelaide, in November–December 2004. Ben Smith (University ofAdelaide) was awarded the AustralianSociety for Fish Biology’s 2004International Travel Scholarship (worth$5000), on the basis of his technicalpublications.

It has also been a year of significantappointments for several staff. Dr SabineSchreiber (Arthur Rylah Institute, Victoria)and Professor Stuart Bunn (GriffithUniversity) have been elected Presidentand Vice-President respectively of theAustralian Society for Limnology.Professor Richard Norris became Chair ofthe Executive Committee of the NorthAmerican Benthological Society, in May.

Professor Stuart Bunn was invited to jointhe inaugural Scientific SteeringCommittee of the Global Water SystemsProject (a joint project of DIVERSITAS, theInternational Geosphere-BiosphereProgram, the International HumanDimensions Program and the WorldClimate Research Program under theauspices of the Earth System SciencePartnership), and Dr Will Osborne(University of Canberra) has beenappointed as Chair of the ACT Flora andFauna Committee.

Congratulations to you all for youroutstanding achievements! We arefortunate that nearly all of you are now partof the eWater CRC.

We were sorry, early in 2005, to see thedeparture of Associate Professor GerryQuinn, who had been with CRCFE since1993. However, we all congratulated himon being appointed the Professor of MarineScience at Deakin University. And, afteralmost 10 years with the MDFRC (Albury)and the CRCFE, one of our keyresearchers, Paul Humphries, left at theend of 2004 to move to Charles SturtUniversity. He has spent the first part of2005 using a Harold White Fellowship atthe National Library of Australia, collatinghistorical accounts of fish distributions inrivers in the Murray-Darling Basin. Thankyou both for your very significant inputs tothe success of the CRCFE over the years.

A cooperative research centre could not bea success without the expertise,knowledge, cooperative spirit and drive thatare found in all its staff. I would like tothank all our current researchers, ourvalued industry personnel, our team

leaders, our knowledge brokers, our vitalsupport staff, and the members of theBoard for all their contributions over notjust the last 12 months but also the last12 years. And special thanks to theUniversity of Canberra for its financial andpractical support for the CRC headquartersand office of the Chief Executivethroughout the CRC’s life.

Finally, in closing this last ChiefExecutive’s report, I would like topersonally thank two people who have notonly been central to the success of theCRCFE but have supported me inbecoming Chief Executive and functioningin that role: former Chief Executive, PeterCullen, for his leadership, mentoring andfriendship; and John Langford, theCRCFE’s one and only Chairman, for hiswise and patient leadership and counsel.

Forward — to the eWater CRC!

Professor Gary Jones

Chief ExecutiveCRC for Freshwater Ecology


1. Structure andmanagement

The Cooperative Research Centre forFreshwater Ecology (CRCFE) was formallyestablished on 1 July 1993 as part of theCommonwealth Government’s CRCProgramme.

In 1998, the CRC successfully applied fora further seven years of funding. CRCFE IIcame into being on 1 July 1999.

CRCFE has just been involved in anothersuccessful rebid, this time to become partof a larger new CRC (eWater CRC). HenceCRCFE has ceased operations as at30 June 2005, the end of the sixth year ofits second term.

In January 2004 a new partner, theDepartment of Water, Land andBiodiversity Conservation, South Australia,joined the CRCFE, taking its number ofpartners to 20. Then on 1 July 2004 twopartners (Lower Murray Water andSunraysia Rural Water Authority) mergedto form Lower Murray Urban and RuralWater Authority. Therefore, at its close theCentre was an unincorporated joint venturebetween 19 partners:8 ACT Government (Environment ACT)8 ACTEW Corporation8 CSIRO Land and Water8 Department of Environment and

Conservation, NSW (DEC)8 Department of Infrastructure, Planning

and Natural Resources, NSW (DIPNR)8 Department of Natural Resources and

Mines, Queensland (QNRM)

8 Department of Sustainability andEnvironment, Victoria (DSE)

8 Department of Water, Land andBiodiversity Conservation, SouthAustralia (DWLBC)

8 Environmental Protection Authority,Victoria (EPAV)

8 Goulburn-Murray RuralWater Authority

8 Griffith University8 La Trobe University8 Lower Murray Urban and Rural Water

Authority8 Melbourne Water8 Monash University8 Murray-Darling Basin Commission

(MDBC)8 Sydney Catchment Authority (SCA)8 The University of Adelaide8 University of Canberra.

CRCFE Board and committeesThe CRCFE has been governed by a Boardcomprising the following members at30 June 2005:

Chair: Prof. John Langford (University ofMelbourne)Dr Jane Doolan (DSE, VIC)Dr Colin Chartres (CSIRO Land & Water)Dr Maxine Cooper (Environment ACT)Dr Ruth Foxwell (University of Canberra)Mr Brian Spies (SCA)Mr Bruce Cooper (DIPNR, NSW)Mr Scott Keyworth (MDBC)Mr Grant Wilson (Melbourne Water)Mr Lamond Graham (DNRM, QLD)

Prof. Nancy Millis (Independent)Prof. Robert Norris (Monash University)Prof. Roger Braddock (Griffith University).

The Board has met four times per year,as a rule.

The Finance Committee and the ResearchCommittee continued to operate during2004–2005. The Finance Committee’s roleis to oversee the CRCFE’s finances andmake recommendations to the Board. Itmet once per quarter. The ResearchCommittee has overseen the researchundertaken and provided input intoresearch program development.

Finance CommitteeChair: Prof. John LangfordMr Grant WilsonDr Ruth FoxwellMr Charles Robinson (CRCFE ChiefAdministrative Officer)Prof. Gary Jones (Chief Executive)

Research CommitteeChair: Prof. Nancy MillisMr Tom Vanderbyl (QNRM)Dr Jane DoolanMr Bruce CooperProf. Sam Lake (CRCFE Chief Ecologist)Prof. Gary Jones (Chief Executive)

Organisational structureThe Chief Executive, Professor Gary Jones(University of Canberra), has carriedexecutive responsibility for managing theCRCFE within the policy frameworkestablished by the Board. He has been


CRCFE Board Chairman:Prof. John Langford

Chief Executive,Prof. Gary Jones

supported by the Senior ManagementTeam, consisting of ten people:8 Chief Ecologist, Professor Sam Lake

(Monash University)8 Director of Research, Professor Stuart

Bunn (Griffith University)8 Director of Murray-Darling Freshwater

Research Centre, Dr Ben Gawne(MDFRC, CSIRO Land & Water)

8 Leaders of the four research programsand the education program

8 Director of Knowledge Exchange,Associate Professor Ralph Ogden(University of Canberra)

8 Chief Administrative Officer, Mr CharlesRobinson.

The research staff of the CRCFE havebeen almost all provided by the fiveuniversity partners (Adelaide, Canberra,Griffith, La Trobe, Monash) at labs inAdelaide, Canberra, Brisbane, Albury andMelbourne. Other researchers have beenstaff of CSIRO Land & Water through theMurray-Darling Freshwater ResearchCentre laboratories at Albury and Mildura,and state water agencies at Armidale andGoondiwindi. Staff and students at theselaboratories have worked within any orseveral of the four research programs,according to expertise. See Chapter 2 fordetails of the research programs.

Research Program A — Ecologicalprocesses that are influenced by riverflows — led by Assoc. Professor GerryQuinn (Monash University, Melbourne).When Assoc. Professor Quinn moved toDeakin University early in 2005, Assoc.Professor Martin Thoms became programleader, taking the program through until theend of June 2005.

Research Program B — Ecology of river(and wetland) restoration — led by Dr NickBond (Monash University) during 2004–2005.

Research Program C — Conservationecology and aquatic biodiversity — led byDr Margaret Brock (DIPNR, Armidale).

Research Program D — Assessment ofwater quality and river condition — led byProfessor Richard Norris (University ofCanberra).

Program E — Education and training —led by Professor Jane Hughes (GriffithUniversity).

Knowledge Exchange, led by its Director,Assoc. Professor Ralph Ogden, hasinvolved researchers as well as a team ofknowledge brokers and communityscientists.

The Program Advisory Committees(PACs), through which representatives ofpublic industry partners oversaw theplanning of new research programs inCRCFE in the last few years, did not meetin 2004–2005 because the researchprojects were coming to an end.

Chief Ecologist,Prof. Sam Lake

Chief Administra-tive Officer, CharlesRobinson

Leaders ofPrograms A–E,Quinn/Thoms,Bond, Brock,Norris, Hughes

Director ofKnowledgeexchange, A/Prof.Ralph Ogden

Director ofResearch,Prof. Stuart Bunn

Director ofMDFRC,Dr Ben Gawne

IT teamKnowledgebrokers andcommunityscientists

Regionallaboratories:Albury, MilduraGoondiwindi

Communicationsteam

Accounting andadministration

Research teamsand Educationteam

CRCFE structure

Transitional arrangements for closeof CRCFE and start of eWater CRC

All CRCFE research projects were formallyconcluded on 30 June 2005. From 1 July,transitioning staff have been involved inplanning for the new eWater CRC researchand product projects. The second half of2005 has also provided staff with time topublish results from their CRCFE researchprojects, and for them to work with ourtransitioning industry partners on theapplication of their CRCFE findings in real-world management situations through aseries of interim adoption projects.

All scholarship funds for remainingpostgraduate students have been paid outto the CRC’s University partners.Arrangements have been made withuniversities regarding mutual obligationsfor completion of the postgraduate student


training program. All final completionreporting will be to the eWater CRC.

Transitional funding has been provided fora small number of CRCFE post-doctoralfellows to allow them to participate ineWater planning, and to ensure they arenot forced to find new jobs in the 6 monthperiod before eWater projects commenceon January 1, 2006.

Termination of the CRCFE will occur inJanuary 2006 following completion ofresidual administrative activities, andcompletion of the final financial audit andits authorisation by the CRCFE Board.

All CRCFE outputs are being madeavailable at an ‘archive’ web site(http://freshwater.canberra.edu.au), to bemaintained and linked to the eWater CRCweb site for the foreseeable future.


2. Research

Research in the CRCFE’s portfolio hasaddressed five of the national ecologicalissues facing Australia’s river and catch-ment managers:4 over-regulation of river systems, and

the pressure for development ofunregulated water resources

4 ecological degradation of many urbanand rural aquatic systems and the lackof knowledge about how to rehabilitatethem

4 loss of biodiversity and ecosystemfunction

4 the need for detailed information aboutthe condition (or health) of Australia’saquatic ecosystems

4 the need to understand Australianinland aquatic systems — theirbiological communities, ecosystemprocesses and ecological function, andhow human actions affect them.

Ten new core projects began in July 2003,taking over from the nine projects that hadbeen the focus of core research during2000–2003. Each core project integratedexpertise from several of the CRCFE’sresearch and management partners inseveral states. They tackled problems at arange of geographic and time scales, andcombined field, laboratory and ‘desk-top’research and development. Also, theNarran project, equivalent to a core projectin size and integration of expertise, plusaround 20 other ('associated') researchprojects, examined immediate managementproblems and related scientific knowledge-gaps. All core and ‘associated’ projects

are listed at the end of this chapter.Student research projects are listed inChapter 3.

Program A — Flow-relatedecosystem processes

Leaders: Assoc. Prof. Gerry Quinn (to early2005) and Assoc. Prof. Martin ThomsThis program has investigated how flowaffects ecological processes in rivers andtheir floodplains. It has examinedfundamental ecological issues andmanagement needs.

PROGRAM OBJECTIVES

4 Determine the sensitivity of aquaticecosystems to flow regulation andwater abstraction.

4 Determine how options for flowmanagement will affect Australianaquatic ecosystems.

4 Develop tools for assessing the successof environmental flow allocations.

Theme A1 — Role of flow in determiningnatural ecological processes in rivers andstreamsProjects in Theme A1 have examinedselected ecological processes in riverchannels and their floodplains and wetlands,and the transfer of materials betweenthese parts of the landscape. The aim hasbeen to understand how key componentsof flow (including flood and drought)interact with representative biota andecological processes in rivers and theirfloodplains. Ultimately, the aim has beento predict what will happen to the ecologyof rivers when flow regimes change.

Theme A2 — Flow manipulation in regu-lated lowland riversProjects within Theme A2 have studied thelong-term effects of manipulating flow, bothin winter-rainfall rivers in south-easternAustralia and in summer-rainfall rivers innorthern NSW and southern Queensland.The team has measured the effects ofdifferent water-release regimes on variousspecies, communities and processes,chosen to represent ecologically important‘response’ groups. Fish, invertebrates,riparian- and floodplain-vegetation havebeen studied, as well as ecologicalprocesses such as fluxes of carbon andnutrients, nutrient spiralling and food-webdynamics.

PROGRAM SUMMARY

Program A has significantly improved ourunderstanding of the way biota andecological processes in rivers, floodplainsand wetlands respond to changes andvariability in flow.

Largely resulting from the CRC’s researchactivities, significant variation in fishspecies richness, assemblage structure,and to some extent, fish abundance, canbe explained by interactions between flowand other drivers (especially habitatstructure, itself a function of flowinteracting with geology, geomorphology,channel and floodplain morphology, woodymaterial and aquatic vegetation). Theseinteractions are demonstrably important atspatial scales ranging from small patches(e.g. logs and root masses, undercutbanks, scour holes) to individual hydraulicunits (e.g. riffles, pools, backwaters), toriver reaches, and at whole of catchmentscale. We have shown that flow–habitat


relationships are best viewed as operatingin nested hierarchies of landscapepatches, and that connectivity amongpatches (e.g. floodplains and riverchannels; waterholes and pools inintermittent streams) is vital for streamsand rivers to be able to recover fromdrought or dry spells. Flows ranging fromnearbed-flow to very large floods all play apart in maintaining habitat structure,heterogeneity and connectivity in theriverine landscape, and, hence, theintegrity of fish assemblages in rivers withhighly variable flow regimes. The findingsof CRCFE research in minimally disturbedstreams (SE Queensland) and floodplainrivers (Cooper Creek) are consistent withthe principle that flow is a majordeterminant of physical habitat in streams,which in turn is a major determinant ofbiotic composition.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

A240: Quantifying flow–habitat–biotarelationships in riverine ecosystemsWe hypothesised that rivers have particularzones that play important roles in themovement of carbon and organic matterthrough river food-webs and, therefore, overallecological condition. Examples of suchzones, which we term Functional Patches,have been identified in three river settings:4 surface flow type, in the Cotter (a high-

energy, upland river);4 slackwaters (manipulated with

sandbags) in the Broken (a medium-energy tributary of River Murray);

4 littoral zones in the Murray weir pools(a low-energy, highly regulated lowlandriver system), compared to free-flowingriver bends.

The results of this study suggest thatrates of respiration and, to a lesser extent,productivity are highest in those patchesassociated with lower flow velocities andturbulence. The effect of high flow eventson metabolism appears to be affected byantecedent conditions at a range ofscales. At the scale of individual events,the length of the period of steady low flowprior to the event (the inter-pulse period) islikely to dictate the magnitude of theresponse in metabolism, as is themagnitude of the event itself. At longertimescales, the sequences of flow eventsappear to be linked to the river’s existingresponses to any major catchmentdisturbances. Some data are showing thatflow releases shift the system towardsautotrophy (i.e. producing energy fromcarbon via photosynthesis); however, thisis counter to predictions based onoverseas studies which suggest high flowevents should lead to shifts toheterotrophy (obtaining energy byconsuming carbon).

If flow releases are to be used to improveecosystem health, our limited datasuggest that both the character of the flowevent itself and the flow history during themonths prior to release, in particular theduration of the inter-pulse period, need tobe considered. Given the limited amountsof water available for environmentalreleases, our results suggest that flowsare likely to have more effect if fewer,higher magnitude flow releases are madeinstead of more closely spaced, lowermagnitude releases. In addition, some flowevents appear to produce a greaterenvironmental diversity of patches thanothers and this may lead to enhancingbiodiversity at the reach scale.

Benthic processes and structure varywidely between different flow types, andthe links between them need to beunderstood further to help us predict theecological consequences of flowmanagement practices.

A250: Development of flow–ecological-response modelsIn project A250, in collaboration with CRCfor Catchment Hydrology, we examinedexisting datasets to develop predictiverelationships between flow change and theresponses of particular biota, especiallyfish and macroinvertebrates.

We addressed the five management andfive research questions below, particularlyfor fish in Queensland rivers.

Management:1. How important is the natural flow regimeas a major ‘driver’ of ecological structureand processes in eastern Australianrivers?2. Which are the most and least importantelements of the patterns of flows andfloods in driving river ecology?3. How are freshwater biota and ecologicalprocesses affected by water resourcedevelopment (i.e. flow regulation) and riverflow restoration?4. In theory, given particular flow–ecological response models (e.g. for fish),how is an environmental flow allocation(e.g. a contingency volume stored in adam) best used to achieve ecologicaloutcomes for fish?5. What biological responses should bemeasured when we attempt to assess theecological benefits of environmental flows?

Research:1. Are there any quantitative relationshipsbetween instantaneous and antecedentflow conditions, and ecological responsesof fish and invertebrates, in easternAustralian rivers?2. Can most of the variation in ecologicalresponses of fish and/or invertebrates toflow be related to a few hydrologicalcharacteristics, or are many facets of theflow regime important?3. At what spatial scale (e.g. hydraulichabitat unit, reach, basin, or bioregion) andtemporal scale (e.g. daily to decadal) dothese relationships become evident?4. Can stronger relationships beestablished in rivers with relativelypredictable flow regimes (e.g. wet tropics)compared to rivers with more variable flowregimes (e.g. south-east Queensland)?5. How are production and decompositionin lowland rivers influenced by flowconditions?

From this project we have greater insightinto the role of flow variability as a mainfactor driving ecological processes instreams and rivers. The project has testedvarious types of hydro-ecologicalmodelling, assessing flow in comparisonto other potential driving factors. Numerouspublications have resulted from the project.


Program B — Restoration ecology

Leader: Dr Nick Bond

Many of Australia’s streams, rivers andwetlands are in a degraded state andmillions of dollars are being spent onrestoration. To return value for money andbe successful in the long term, restorationwork needs a strong scientific base, andsome measurement of the environmentalbenefits resulting from the restoration.Research by the CRC for FreshwaterEcology, particularly Program B, hashelped provide the ecological knowledgethat is essential to support and guidepractical restoration measures.

PROGRAM OBJECTIVES

4 Understand the processes that willmake ecological recovery possible indisturbed river systems; determine theresilience of restored systems tosubsequent disturbances.

4 Develop innovative approaches forwaterway restoration, integratingacross conventional disciplines tomaximise environmental outcomes.

4 Establish case studies with relevantmanagement groups as adaptivestream rehabilitation experiments.

4 Facilitate the integration of riverrestoration practice into total catch-ment management.

Theme B1 — Physical habitat restorationA key assumption of most river andriparian restoration activities is that if yourebuild or recreate habitat then organisms

will return and ecological condition willimprove. This implies that recovery ofdegraded streams and rivers is largelyconstrained by the availability of suitablehabitat.

Theme B2 — Mechanisms ofrecolonisation and recruitmentSuccessful stream and river restoration willnot only depend on the availability ofsuitable habitat for aquatic organisms tosurvive, but also on the ability of organ-isms to reach the new habitat viadispersal. Physical restoration of streamhabitats will be pointless if ecologicalrecovery is constrained by the ability ofaquatic plants and animals to recolonisedisturbed sites. To be able to predict howquickly disturbed systems will recover, weneed to know how aquatic organismsdisperse (i.e. what mechanisms they use)and how far they can move.

Theme B3 — Indicators of success ofrestoration strategiesMuch of the work aimed at developing andtesting new methods for ecologicalassessment of the success of restorationis being undertaken in Program D.However, an important question beingaddressed in the Restoration EcologyProgram is whether it is possible torestore key ecosystem processes (suchas primary production, and nutrientcycling) without completely restoring allelements of the biological communities.

PROGRAM SUMMARY

Experimental projects in Program B haveshown that restoring ‘residential’ habitat isnot enough to ensure the long-termpersistence of populations. Refugehabitats are also needed, for use in‘extreme’ events. For example,populations of biota such as fish needdeep permanent pools to survive in duringdrought. Further, simply returning a rangeof physical habitats to a stream does notguarantee improved ecological conditionsin that stream. It is evident that catchmentfactors leading to the poor ecologicalconditions also have to be managed beforerehabilitation can be successful, in urbanand rural areas. Recent studies havebegun to examine the effects of retrofittingelements of water-sensitive urban designin urban catchments. And an extensivesurvey of completed river-restorationprojects in the USA and Victoria hasgenerated a list of factors that need to beattended to before a rehabilitation projectcan be confirmed as a success or not,generating return to its investors.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

B240: Ecological responses and adaptivestream rehabilitation: Application todegraded rural streamsAfter installing large woody structures insand-slugged stream reaches of theGranite Creeks (Victoria), the teamassessed the degree of ecologicalrehabilitation that resulted. Fish,macroinvertebrates and streammetabolism (food webs and benthicprimary production) were studied forseveral years. Overall the restorationproject was successful. The structuressurvived floods and drought, resulting inorganic matter being retained and stored inthe stream reaches. Fish and micro-organisms responded positively to therestoration, but macroinvertebrate speciesrichness and total abundance did not.

B250: Managing fragmentation andconnectivity in river systemsThis project team first assessed thedistribution of species and populations offish and macroinvertebrates among riverreaches, tributaries and streams, undernatural conditions. Then they used geneticanalysis and analysis of ear-bones in fish(otoliths) to identify the species mostlikely to be disadvantaged whenwaterbodies become separated from eachother by human activities. The teamsampled the Sydney catchment area, theupper Darling, Warrego and Cooper rivers,and the Goulburn, Ovens and Campasperivers. High concordance has been foundbetween the otolith and genetic data,making for a very strong analysis offragmentation between fish populations ata range of time-scales.


B260: Rivers in landscapes: linking riverecosystems to catchment land-useProject B260 aimed to link stressors andecological responses across a range ofecologically relevant spatial scales with aparticular focus on catchment-scaleeffects. Most other studies that haveexamined stressor-response relationshipshave worked at smaller scales.

We first distinguished between (a) drivingfactors, typically large-scale processesemanating from human actions, (b)stressors, which are consequences ofdriving factors, and (c) ecologicalresponses, which result from the effects ofthe stressors. We classified landscapes inthe entire Murray-Darling Basin (MDB) intosets of similar types based on structuraland climatic variables and land-usevariables. Classifications, which were doneat stream orders 2 to 6, were scale-dependent, with the MDB “looking” verydifferent depending upon the catchmentlevel used. At many scales, there weresignificant mismatches between theclassifications based on land-use, withsimilar land-uses regularly spanningphysiographically distinct landscapes.Such interactions may help explain whyapparently similar land-uses often lead tovery different levels of stream degradation.

B270: Stream restoration through retrofitof catchment urban land useThe project examined options to reducethe area of impervious surfaces directlyconnected to waterways. These optionsincluded: rainwater tanks where thecaptured water is used to replace a portionof the mains supply; permeable pavements

that reduce runoff from roads; and swaledrains and bioretention systems alongroads. The traditional option is piped orchannelled drainage direct to streams.Modelling showed that it is technicallyachievable to reduce drainage connectionin an existing urban area, to a levelpredicted to improve the condition of thearea’s creek. Pre-retrofit monitoring datashows that the main ecological indicatorsin the creek are stable relative to those incontrol and reference creeks, suggestingthat changes post-retrofit will bedetectable with confidence.

Program C — Conservation ecology

Leader: Dr Margaret BrockDeputy Leader: Professor Jane Hughes

Degradation of habitat is considered to bethe major cause of biodiversity loss, infreshwaters and estuaries as well asterrestrial ecosystems. This program hasresearched threats to biodiversity as astep towards conserving freshwater biotaand ecosystems. The research aimed toguide decisions for restoring habitats andabating threats in a range of freshwaterecosystems.

PROGRAM OBJECTIVES

4 Assess biodiversity and its distributionin freshwater ecosystems; gaininsights into processes that regulatelevels of biodiversity at various scales inspace and time.

4 Identify threats to biodiversity,measure their impacts on biodiversity,and research the mechanisms bywhich they act.

4 Develop responses to these human-induced pressures, and monitor theeffectiveness and outcomes of thoseresponses.

PROGRAM SUMMARY

The Conservation Ecology program hasaddressed conservation concerns relatedto all inland aquatic ecosystems, withparticular relevance to issues in the riversand wetlands of eastern Australia. Theagendas identified as highest priority fornational-scale action were:

(a) working towards the establishment of anational heritage system of rivers,

(b) increasing and coordinating inventoryeffort and taxonomic work (includinggenetic) to support this,

(c) protection and rehabilitation of nation-ally significant sites such as Ramsarsites, and

(d) the need for national action on invasivespecies.

We now know more about threats tobiodiversity and the mechanisms by whichthey act (second objective at left), andresponses to human pressures (thirdobjective), particularly where suchpressures include alteration of ecologicalflows and habitat.

Specific work in the Conservation Ecologyprogram has addressed the major threatsof invasive species and salinity. Thesewere identified in 2003 as being of highpriority for partners.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

C240: The effects of increasing salinity onecosystem function, resilience anddiversityThis project examined the relationshipsbetween biological diversity and ecosys-tem process in freshwaters over a range ofsalinities. What are the effects ofincreasing salinity on aspects of primaryand secondary production, nutrientdynamics, food web structure, andbiodiversity, for microbes, algae, macro-invertebrates and freshwater plants?Sediments from sites in the MacquarieMarshes, NSW, were tested in mesocosmtanks.


The overall microbial community in thesediments was relatively resilient to saltadditions — that is, an acute salt additionwould take several months to have a majoreffect on the overall community. Wherethere is a prevalence of sulfate-reducingbacteria, there are implications for the waynutrients, particularly iron and phosphorus,are moved through the system, and for thepotential for acid to be produced if thesediments undergo a cycle of wetting anddrying. Phytoplankton biomass was largerat the higher salinities. There was also achange in phytoplankton communitycomposition at the higher salinities butwhether this was driven by the salinitydifferences or by resource availability orgrazing pressure requires further analyses.Following an initial period of re-adjustment,all treatments ended up with quite similarrespiration rates and primary-production(GPP) rates, except at 15,000 mg/L atwhich the GPP rate was substantiallyhigher, driven largely by phytoplankton.The mesocosms went through an initialperiod of high respiration rates requiring asource of organic carbon that may havecome from the sediments or beengenerated through photosynthesis. Thecapacity for this organic carbon to be useddepended on salinity, with far lowerrespiration rates observed in the highsalinity treatments. As salinity increasesthere is a corresponding decrease in thenumbers and richness of wetland plantsand zooplankton, as the team has foundpreviously. The biotic communityassociated with the salinity of 15,000 mg/Lwas depauperate in numbers and specieswhen compared with the less salinetreatments.

C250: Role of refugia in maintainingbiodiversity in dryland riversThe flood early in 2004 enabled the teamto sample for water chemistry andinvertebrates and elements of the food webduring a wet phase in the Cooper Creek.The team also estimated the diversity andabundance of fish, and the presence andidentities of larval fish.The very large amount of data collectedhas been entered into databases, andpublications are being prepared. Thedatabases include: geographicdistributions of turtles, macroinvertebrates,fish and algae, and their changes throughtime; food webs, water chemistry, primaryproductivity; size structure and recruitmentpatterns for a number of taxa. Publicationsanalyse effects of carp on primaryproduction; the role of groundwater in drylandrivers; biodiversity patterns for fish, turtlesand macroinvertebrates; life history andrecruitment in mussels, fish and turtles; andpossible impacts of water resource develop-ment on biodiversity in dryland rivers.

C260: Predicting the spread of invasiveaquatic biotaThis study developed a modellingapproach which has the ability toincorporate the relative effects of the timingand frequency of floods and the size offounder populations — factors that may beof concern to managers. A range of plantor animal species can be modelled withthe approach.

The model allowed a set proportion of thepopulation to disperse passivelydownstream to the next river section eachyear. Environmental and demographic

stochasticity were built into the key lifehistory parameters. The paucity of relevantspecies data led to the construction of ahypothetical species characterized as aone-stage, asexual, perennial organism forwhich the model outcomes werecompared. Outputs from the model arestatistical summaries of population sizeand location and a series of annual mapsof the size, distribution and probability ofoccupancy in particular river sections. Thelatter can be animated.

The effects of the founder population sizeand flood frequency were seen in the timetaken to spread downriver and this wasrelated to the final population sizes. Asfloods were set to increase thereproductive rate, they had a major effecton population growth and hence number ofindividuals dispersing. The size of thefounder population was varied by twoorders of magnitude and this directlytranslated to larger populations and fasterspread, with a reduced effect as thecarrying capacity of a river section wasapproached. In order to model mostaquatic and riparian invasive species, themodel needs to be further developed toinclude a branched river system with thespecies having the capacity to disperseupstream and over long distances. Habitatsuitability also needs to be bettermodelled because of its known effects onspecies establishment and survival.

C300: The Narran Lakes ecosystemproject (continuing to 2006)The Narran Lakes project was initiated in2003 and postdoctoral staff commencedwork at the start of 2004, coinciding with

the first major flooding event for the NarranLakes in four years. Sampling trips duringJanuary–July focused on water chemistry,benthic productivity, zooplankton, phyto-plankton, macroinvertebrates, fish, andmapping the pattern of inundation acrossthe floodplain. Major surveys of vegetationhave described the vegetation patterns(including lignum and trees) and ground-cover on the floodplain near each of thelakes. From soil samples, the seedbankand egg banks in various habitats havebeen examined via watering trials inmesocosms. Hydrologic data, remotesensing images and topographic data(including via LiDAR) have been collectedand used in the hydrological model for theNarran Lakes ecosystem. The project hasbeen reviewed by an InternationalScientific Review Panel.


Program D — Water quality andecological assessment

Leader: Professor Richard NorrisDeputy Leader: Dr Chris WalshBiological assessment methods measurethe effectiveness of management pro-cesses in rivers.

Ideal methods should provide rapidcollection and analysis of data formanagement use, on a regional basis andin a timely manner. The methods shouldassess the degree of impact and presentthis in an easily interpretable form, usingstandardised methods of measurementand data presentation. Models underlyingthe assessment should respond in knownways to natural variability and beimplemented with designs that meetstatistical assumptions such as the needfor independence of treatments beingcompared. Furthermore, for researchmanagers to choose the most effectiverestoration and conservation strategies,ecological assessment should also assessdegrading processes and determine causallinks between the damaging agents andobserved ecological condition. Projectswithin Program D’s three themes haveaddressed these needs.

PROGRAM OBJECTIVES4 Determine how the ecology of rivers

and related wetlands responds tostress factors.

4 Develop and test ecological riskassessment (ERA) procedures forapplication to freshwater systems.

4 Develop ecologically sound referenceconditions for use as benchmarks

when measuring ecological damage orchange.

4 Determine the effectiveness of variousbioassessment approaches inproviding information on the conditionof aquatic communities andecosystem processes.

4 Determine the relationships betweenecological features and processes andoutputs from bioassessment methods.

Theme D1 — Ecological response todamaging agentsRivers and related wetlands generallydemonstrate an ecological response todamaging agents, both physical andchemical. Experiments have studiedresponses to nutrient cycles, particularlyof nitrogen and phosphorus, and to pesti-cides and herbicides, land-use, habitatdegradation and flow regulation, in winter-and summer-rainfall river systems.

Theme D2 — Innovative bioassessmentmethodsThe effectiveness and relative costs ofvarious bioasssessment methods havebeen compared, for robustness togeographic changes in environmentalvariables, and for particular situations.

Theme D3 — Ecological risk assessmentEcological risk assessment procedureshave been augmented and tested insituations where several human-induceddisturbances are operating in combination,focusing on defining damaging agents inthe Australian context and combining themin ERA models.

PROGRAM SUMMARY

The program has advanced knowledge onseveral separate fronts. Rapid biologicalassessment methods have been comparedand papers describing the outcomes arebeing published in a special issue ofHydrobiologia. In urban areas, effectiveimperviousness (EI: the proportion of acatchment covered by impermeablesurfaces that are directly connected to astream) is now recognised as a strongpredictor for the ecological condition ofurban streams (to a threshold of maximumdegradation above 5–10% EI). Mostrecently, trials of retrofitting urbancatchments to minimise EI have begun. Aninnovative framework has been developedfor assessing multiple lines and levels ofevidence feeding into research ormanagement projects. Also, EcologicalRisk Assessment (ERA) has beenexpanded as a technique and begun to bean accepted tool for waterwaymanagement.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

D240: Assessment methods:environmental flows and biological diversityThe pilot study assessing MLLE (MultipleLines and Levels of Evidence) wascompleted successfully, and presented at,and published in the proceedings of, theAustralian Stream ManagementConference in Launceston in October2004. A presentation was also invited for aspecial session of the North AmericanBenthological Society conference in NewOrleans in May 2005. The MLLE approachwas adopted as part of the CRCFE FlowsMonitoring Forum study design, and isincluded in the Environmental Flow

Monitoring and Assessment Framework(see report on CRCFE website). A full-scale trial involving the Queensland Dept ofNatural Resources & Mines at Goondiwindi,the Victorian Environmental ProtectionAuthority and University of Canberra hasalso been completed. The referencecondition component has used GeneralAdditive Models, with collaboration fromLester Yuan of the USEPA, who visitedAustralia as part of the project early in2005. Local versus regional speciesrichness (using the 26 catchments inVictoria as regions) has been analysedusing multiple regression, and strongconclusions can now be drawn aboutregional and local biodiversity.

D250 Predicting ecological condition ofstreams in response to stormwatermanagementMacroinvertebrate data and classificationsof imperviouness were collated forMelbourne, Canberra and Brisbane. Theyare information assets for partner agenciesin these cities, quite apart from their valueto this project. Macroinvertebrateassemblages in Brisbane and Melbournerespond to stormwater impacts inremarkably similar ways. This suggests


RESEARCH PROJECTS active or beingwritten-up during 2004–2005

Core and associated research projectsthat were active or being written-up duringthe financial year are listed below.

Project Project NameCoreA240 Quantifying flow–habitat–biota

relationships in riverineecosystems

A250 Development of flow–ecological-response models

B200 Restoration ecology indegraded rural streams

B240 Ecological responses andadaptive stream rehabilitation:application to degraded ruralstreams

B250 Managing fragmentation andconnectivity in river systems

B260 Rivers in landscapes: linking riverecosystems to catchment land use

B270 Stream restoration through retrofitof catchment urban land use

C220 Conservation ecology andsystematics of the mountaingalaxias

C240 The effects of increasing salinityon ecosystem function, resilienceand diversity

C250 Role of refugia in maintainingbiodiversity in dryland rivers

C260 Predicting the spread of invasiveaquatic biota

D200 Assessment and delivery ofmethods for determining river health

D220 Development of a catchment-based ecological risk assessmentframework for aquatic systems

D240 Assessment methods: environmentalflows and biological diversity

D250 Predicting ecological condition ofstreams in response to urbanstormwater management

C300 Narran Lakes integrated researchproject

Project Project NameNon-core projectsA708 The effect of water regime on wetland ecologyA716 Fish habitat protection in the Darling and Paroo RiversB704 River rehabilitation through re-snaggingB708 National Riparian Lands Program (II): In-stream ecological issuesB709 A synthetic analysis of the scientific basis of ecological restoration of stream

ecosystemsB710 Effectiveness of riparian zone restoration in the streams of the Murray-Darling BasinC702 Systematics of the Australian mayflies (Ephemeroptera) of the families Baetidae

and CaenidaeC710 Long-term monitoring of the littoral fauna of Lake PedderC711 Sustainable management of on-farm biodiversity in the rice growing industry:

vertebrate wildlife resourcesC712 The ecology, distribution and abundance of green and golden bell frogs on the

Molonglo River floodplainC713 Predicting ecological consequences of increasing salinity on wetland sustainabilityC714 An ecological approach to restablishing trout cod in the Murrumbidgee RiverC715 Biodiversity of riverine landscapes: the role of patches and connectivityD724 Tooma River studyD725 Robust procedures for measuring metal speciation and bioavailabilityD726 Ecological risk assessment of irrigation schemesD727 Development of ecosystem guidelines for sedimentation and suspended particulate

matter for rivers and streamsD728 Delivering sustainability through risk managementD730 Development of risk-based approaches for managing contaminants in catchments

that similar remedial actions may beapplicable, despite the cities’ differentclimates. Predictive models using thesedata have been completed. The patternsand thresholds shown by models forCanberra and Brisbane were similar tothose observed in east Melbourne. Theproject was enhanced by parallel workbeing conducted by the stormwater unit ofthe NSW Department of Environment andConservation, which developed threemodels for different areas of the Sydneyregion. This allowed a comparison of urbanimpacts in all major cities of S-E Australia.

Five journal papers are in preparation fromthis project.

TABLE OF RESEARCH OUTCOMES

Major outcomes from the four researchprograms during July 1999–June 2005 areshown in the table on the next pages. The

first column shows the outcomesprojected in the Centre’s Commonwealth

Agreement. The second column shows themilestones agreed in the CommonwealthAgreement. The third column shows the

situation at the end of year 6.

Annual Report 2004–2005 CRC for Freshwater Ecology 18

Outcomes (from Schedule) Milestones (from Schedule) Situation at end of CRCFE

PROGRAM A Better understanding of the links between flows, ecological processes and biodiversity in a range of river types

PROGRAM A 3-year Improved conceptual and empirical understanding of the role of flow (floods and droughts) as a disturbance affecting ecological processes in rivers and streams. 5–7 year Improved understanding of the links and exchange of biotic and abiotic materials, including organic matter and nutrients, between river channels and their floodplains.

PROGRAM A

• Low flows in rivers (with the correct timing, variability, frequency, etc.) are critical features that should be protected.

• Summer low flows are particularly important for native fish recruitment (low flow recruitment hypothesis; Humphries et al. 1999).

• Slackwater areas in lowland rivers (such as backwaters and macrophyte beds) are important as hot spots for productivity, macroinvertebrate diversity and abundance, and fish recruitment.

• Australian river function differs from that predicted by existing conceptual models developed overseas, such as the Flood Pulse Concept and the River Continuum Concept.

• Biota of floodplain wetlands are strongly affected by wetting and drying cycles (comparing permanent versus temporary wetlands) and there is strong evidence that these differences are driven by nutrient dynamics in wetland sediments responding to inundation after a dry phase.

• The connection between floodplain wetlands (billabongs) and the river channel serves two purposes — recharging of billabongs, and the transfer of beneficial material from the wetlands to the main river channel (A702).

• The CRCFE held a very successful international symposium on the ecological effects of drought (Albury, Feb 2001). Proceedings of this conference have been published in Freshwater Biology (Humphries & Baldwin 2003), and a synopsis is published on the CRCFE web site (http://freshwater.canberra.edu.au > publications > technical reports > 2003).

• The Narran Lakes Ecosystem Project (C300) continues to examine the responses of a large terminal wetland complex to flow variability in the Narran River.

• The Dryland River Refugia Project (C200) has also examined the role of connectivity between the river channel and floodplain waterholes in the Cooper Creek and the Warrego River in arid Australia (see Program C).

New tools that will lead to improved recommendations for, and evaluations of, environmental water allocations.

3-year Ecological characterisation of flow regimes in rivers in Eastern Australia including both winter and summer rainfall systems.

• FLOWS method now applied to stream flow management plans in Victoria. • Sustainable Diversion Limits process used to protect ungauged streams in Victoria from over-extraction.

• Numerous scientific panel studies of the water requirements for regulated rivers, such as those supporting environmental flow provisions in bulk water entitlements in Victoria.

• Murray Flow Assessment Tool developed with CSIRO, for determining flow requirements for key sites along River Murray.

• Implemented and refined Before-After-Control-Impact (BACI) designs for monitoring environmental water allocations to rivers (the Campaspe) and floodplain wetlands (Barmah-Millewa forest on the Murray).

• Robust and effective indicators of ecological response to environmental flows identified.

• Generic decision framework for monitoring environmental flows being devised, including using multiple lines and levels of evidence from project D240.

• Sensible characterisation of flow regimes depends on our ability to identify ecologically meaningful flow variables and relate these to changes in biota and ecological processes. The core CRCFE project A250, working with hydrologists from CRCCH, has analysed existing ecological and flow datasets to develop predictive models of ecological response to flow change. User-friendly software for calculating a range of flow parameters from flow gauge data has been developed as a joint project between CRCCH and CRCFE and is now available.



Program A continued Ability to predict the sensitivity of aquatic ecosystems to varying levels of flow regulation (or water abstraction) from models relating biotic patterns and ecological processes with flow attributes.

3-year Assessment and development of designs for: • monitoring the effects of environmental water allocations (environmental flows) to rivers, floodplains and wetlands, and • experimentally testing, at realistic spatial and temporal scales, the causal links between attributes of flow regimes and specific ecological processes. 5–7 year Implementation and analysis of (i) monitoring designs for assessing the effects of environmental water allocations to rivers, floodplains and wetlands, and (ii) multi-scale experiments testing the causal links between attributes of flow regimes and specific ecological processes.

• Review of refereed and grey literature, focusing on Australian studies, shows unequivocal evidence for ecological responses to altered flow regimes in 87% of ‘flow–ecology’ studies reviewed. Strengths of responses and nature of relationships were variable (Lloyd et al. 2003).

• International workshop held in conjunction with Ninth International Symposium on Regulated Streams in 2003 and collaboration is now on-going with Prof. LeRoy Poff from Colorado State.

• Project A250 is using existing detailed datasets and robust statistical techniques to develop predictive models relating flow change to both fish and macroinvertebrate diversity and composition.

• 'Measuring the Effectiveness of Environmental Water Allocations' (A703) showed that a BACI design could detect responses of wetland plants to targeted environmental flows in Barmah-Millewa forest.

• A240 (Quantifying Flow–Habitat–Biota Relationships In Riverine Ecosystems) has experimentally tested the hypotheses about ecological responses to flow change developed in projects A100, A200 and A210.

• A718 determined that BACI designs are not always appropriate for assessing environmental flows and recommended tracking trends through time as flows are gradually implemented.

• CRCFE hosted the Ninth International Symposium on Regulated Streams in 2003. Over 250 delegates from 18 different countries attend the meeting, which was held in Albury, NSW.

• Two special issues of River Research and Applications were published and Martin Thoms was guest editor of these. Manuscripts in the first special issue were essentially those presented at the Ninth International Symposium on Regulated Streams. These covered an array of topics dealing with the impact and management of regulated rivers. The second special issue contained manuscripts that dealt with variability in riverine environments.

Develop and promote the adoption of flow restoration recommendations that could lead to measurable ecological benefits in degraded rivers.

3-year Development of interim flow restoration guidelines for lowland rivers that will lead to measurable ecological benefits in the main channel, the floodplain and associated wetlands. 5–7 year Quantifying the benefits of environmental flows on key biota and ecological processes in winter- and summer-rainfall regulated rivers.

• Program A research on ecological responses to flow change, both natural flow variability and flow modification due to regulation of various forms, has resulted in adoption of numerous developments by our partner agencies. Four key examples: − a new decision support system, the Murray Flow Assessment Tool, developed with CSIRO to evaluate different

environmental flow scenarios for the River Murray.

− being part of project teams to develop (i) the FLOWS method for setting environmental flows in rivers and streams in Victoria, and (ii) the Sustainable Diversion Limits method for determining sustainable extraction limits for unregulated streams.

− advising Environment ACT and ACTEW on, first, setting environmental flows in the Cotter River (ACT), and then managing those environmental flows under extreme drought conditions and after severe bushfires that resulted in large amounts of sediment entering storages.

− Setting of environmental flow rules in the Barwon-Darling River.



PROGRAM B An improved understanding of the constraints to recovery of disturbed aquatic ecosystems and the processes that can facilitate rehabilitation.

PROGRAM B 3-year Development and validation of innovative and practical monitoring tools so that the success of rehabilitation of streams and rivers can be quantified in ecological terms. 5–7 year Identify important factors that constrain ecological recovery of degraded aquatic ecosystems and guide rehabilitation strategies to overcome such constraints.

PROGRAM B • Sampling techniques for monitoring recovery of wood habitat restoration projects have been developed and tested in

several projects on degraded lowland streams (e.g. B200, B706, B240, A100). • Ecosystem health indicators have been identified for streams in south-eastern Queensland as part of the Regional

Water Quality Management Strategy (D721). • Availability of suitable in-stream and riparian habitat is a major constraint to recovery of disturbed streams. Habitat

rehabilitation can be successful; e.g.

− provision of wood habitat in streams and rivers affected by sand slugs or de-snagging can be successful in restoring fish populations, such as trout cod (B704) and other smaller species (e.g. B706)

− however, provision of residential habitat alone is not sufficient for recovery if there are no refugia for extreme events such as drought (B706, B240)

− fish can be patchily distributed through meanders in large rivers and this information can be used to determine where to put wood for re-snagging (B704)

− in the case of urban streams, simple re-instatement of physical habitat such as riffles will not work if other catchment scale parameters such as water quality constrain recovery (B705)

− manipulation of effective imperviousness in rural/urban catchments may lead to improved stream ecosystem health (D210)

− riparian rehabilitation of small streams can mitigate extreme temperature regimes (B708) and lead to the recovery of important ecosystem processes such as benthic metabolism (B708, D721).

• Recovery of populations of some species, however, may be constrained by their ability to disperse: e.g. − some fully aquatic taxa (including some species of fish) show highly fragmented populations and limited dispersal

capability (B250)

− reach-scale habitat restoration may be important in preventing populations of such taxa from local extinction and loss of genetic diversity

− translocation of individuals from other subcatchments to enhance recovery of disturbed populations may lead to undesirable outcomes.

• Population studies, such as these, should be undertaken before major investments are made in habitat restoration. • Preliminary work suggests that there may be some redundancy in the relationship between community composition and

important ecosystem processes: rates of denitrification did not change in response to drought even though the species responsible did change (B220, B240).


Outcomes (from Schedule) Milestones (from Schedule) Situation at end of CRCFE Program B continued To ensure that public funds invested in restoration of degraded ecosystems result in the maximum environmental benefit possible. This will be achieved by: • Developing guidelines for

rehabilitation of streams, rivers and floodplain wetlands in both rural and urban settings, based on sound ecological principles.

• Establishing demonstration sites to showcase ecologically-sensitive rehabilitation methods.

3-year Initiate demonstration sites aimed at showcasing practical, cost-effective and ecologically sound methods for the rehabilitation of rivers and wetlands. Contribute to the development of best management practice for the cost-effective and ecologically sound rehabilitation of rivers and wetlands.

5–7 year Promote and assist with (i) adoption of monitoring tools and protocols into restoration programs undertaken by stakeholders. (ii) adoption of best practice methods for rehabilitation of rivers and wetlands by stakeholders.

• The experimental work on wood habitat restoration in the Granite Creeks region (B200, B240, B706) was developed in collaboration with the Goulburn-Broken Catchment Management Authority, Goulburn-Murray Water, and the Granite Creeks and Nagambie and Molka-Miepoll Landcare Groups. Research on the effectiveness of riparian restoration in SE Queensland (B708, D721 and CRCCH 6.4) was undertaken as part of the Echidna Creek riparian re-vegetation project in collaboration with the Maroochy Shire Council and local landcare groups. A large-scale demonstration project has examined the effectiveness of riparian rehabilitation on the River Murray, in an adaptive management experiment (B710), funded by the Murray-Darling Basin Commission. In addition to providing opportunities for quantification of the effectiveness of restoration activities, these demonstration sites have provided an important knowledge exchange opportunity for the CRC.

• A practical and cost-effective monitoring program for assessing ecosystem health in streams and rivers in southeast Queensland has been developed as part of Program D (D721; Smith and Storey, 2001) and subsequently implemented by the Moreton Bay and Catchments Healthy Waterways Partnership. The project team conducted specific training sessions for community groups and government staff and additional field training. Much of this regional monitoring has now been handed over to the Queensland Dept of Natural Resources & Mines. Further development of ecosystem health tools to measure the success of restoration efforts has occurred within Program D (e.g. D200, SRA Pilot Study).

• The development of specific technical guidelines, and associated presentations at workshops, conferences and seminars, were all aimed at promoting the adoption of best practice methods for rehabilitation. Large rehabilitation trials (e.g. riparian vegetation in the Murray, B710; urban stream restoration in the Yarra) have had an experimental, adaptive context, supported by CRCFE research. Local and state authorities have adopted recommended methods for monitoring stream ecosystem health.

• Technical guidelines have been prepared for riparian rehabilitation and the management of wood (logs) in streams. • Technical advice on priorities for riparian management has been adopted into regional management strategies (e.g.

SEQ Regional Water Quality Management plan). • Plain-English summaries of research outcomes in natural resources management publications and brochures (see list of

publications). • Riparian rehabilitation projects have been undertaken with stakeholders as adaptive management experiments; for

example, Echidna Creek riparian restoration project (with CRCCH and the Healthy Waterways partnership) and a large-scale project at several sites in the Murray-Darling Basin (B710).

• In addition to physical habitat restoration projects, flow manipulation experiments have been undertaken in Program A.



PROGRAM C New knowledge on the distribution, life history and conservation ecology of threatened freshwater biota

PROGRAM C 3-year Organisation of a national forum on conservation of biodiversity in freshwater ecosystems, bringing together the range of perspectives from science and management 5–7 year Significant contribution to understanding of biodiversity, its regulation in natural and disturbed systems, its measurement and its distribution within the Australian freshwater landscape. Decision-making tools for biodiversity conservation, provided in a form that can be readily used by managers.

PROGRAM C • Fenner Conference on the Environment 2001, ‘Biodiversity Conservation in Freshwaters’ (see Georges & Cottingham

2002), focused on the nature of decision making for Australian freshwater biodiversity, and recognised the need for an adaptive approach, where intervention and research, including monitoring and evaluation, are used to improve conservation outcomes and improve knowledge.

• A special issue of Aquatic Ecosystem Health and Management, called Freshwater Biodiversity in Australia (Volume 6(1) 2003), Arthur Georges, Angela Arthington and Pierre Horwitz as guest editors, published eight papers from the Fenner Conference. They cover a broad cross-section of perspectives on freshwater biodiversity in Australian freshwaters, from single species approaches to taxonomic groups to special habitats and ecosystems, wetland restoration, river degradation, modifications to hydrology and protective measures for rivers.

• The endangered species survival decision tool ESSENTIAL (C709) is available by web delivery. • The Biodiversity Knowledge Project and the Biodiversity Forum agreed to develop a framework for assessing

biodiversity in consultation with managers. • Report: ‘Assessing and monitoring aquatic biodiversity: What have we learnt?’ at CRCFE website (O’Connor and

Kotlash 2005) reports accumulated knowledge from CRCFE researchers as developed through the CRCFE Biodiversity Forum.

Principles and recommendations for assessing the biodiversity values of freshwater systems

3-year Design of experimental protocols for testing hypotheses on the processes that regulate biodiversity in natural and modified freshwater ecosystems 5–7 year Principles and recommendations for assessing the biodiversity values of freshwater systems and recommendations for management options.

• The Biodiversity Knowledge Project and the Biodiversity Forum have facilitated the generalisation of principles and recommendations in a form that is of real use to managers.

• Biodiversity values have emerged from the studies of dryland river waterholes (C200/250). Experimental protocols have been developed within the dryland refugium project (C250) and the project on sustainable management of on-farm biodiversity in the rice growing areas (C711).

• Principles for assessing biodiversity were developed for the Sydney Catchment Authority long-term monitoring program and published in a major report to the SCA (F663).


Outcomes (from Schedule) Milestones (from Schedule) Situation at end of CRCFE Program C continued Advice on the likely impacts of various human-induced disturbances on biodiversity in freshwater ecosystems and the spatial scales over which they are likely to have effect

3-year Development of principles for the assessment of biodiversity in freshwater ecosystems 5–7 year Direct involvement in policy and decision-making through established government processes for implementing policy on biodiversity and threatened species conservation

• Advice on salinity, invasives and threatened species is now available, including via a series of fact sheets. • Genetic techniques, being applied to study the distributions of taxonomic groups, are finding cryptic species (which differ

genetically but not in morphology) with high genetic diversity. • Scientists from CRCFE continue to be members of state Threatened Species Scientific Committees (Prof Jane Hughes

(QLD), Dr Margaret Brock (NSW), Dr Will Osborne (ACT)) and have had input to the design and revision of the legislation for Commonwealth and state Acts. Professor Angela Arthington participates in an international program of biodiversity science, DIVERSTAS. Increased awareness for the need for freshwater biodiversity conservation and a heritage river system have been derived from the Fenner Conference and from other CRCFE publications such as Conserving Natural Rivers: A Guide for Catchment Managers (Cullen 2002) and Biodiversity in Inland Waters — Priorities for its Protection and Management (Georges and Cottingham 2002). Our research on adaptive management in restoration ecology (C210) and in fish recovery (C220, C715) has also fed into policy implementation.

Advice on the possible ecological effects of invasive species on native flora and fauna.

3-year Identification of primary threatening processes for aquatic biodiversity.

• Our ability to influence the management of aquatic invasive species has increased as our understanding of the process of invasion has increased. Much of the relevant knowledge has been developed through student projects.

• Project C260, ‘Predicting the spread of invasive aquatic biota’, has developed a model which can incorporate the effects of timing and frequency of floods on founder populations. This model needs further development for a range of aquatic and riparian invasive species in branched river systems and for different short-term and long-term dispersal patterns.



PROGRAM D Improved scientific knowledge on the ecological effects of damaging agents (including nutrients and pesticides) in Australian freshwater systems.

PROGRAM D 3-year Development of priority areas for research in ecological response to agents that damage freshwater ecosystems 5–7 year Understanding of cause and effect links between ecological features and processes and methods of assessment

PROGRAM D

• Increased knowledge about how catchment impermeability affects the health of urban streams.

• Investigation of the impacts on Tooma River from leachate from a waste rock dump showed changes in stream chemistry but not biota.

• Further understanding of sediment dynamics during storm events and base flow: (1) from the relationship between storm hydrograph, sediment concentration and particle size in transportation; (2) from the relationship between sedimentation and aquatic diatom, algae and macroinvertebrate communities; (3) from levels at which sedimentation induces mortality of Australian native fish eggs.

• Nitrogen found to be the primary limiting nutrient in SE Queensland streams. Nitrate and organic carbon are important for controlling denitrification, and rates are insufficient to deal with current loads. Shading from the riparian zone important for controlling steam productivity (D722).

Improved and robust bioassessment methods that provide information on ecosystem health and assist in identifying the degrading processes (including habitat modification).

3-year Integration of AUSRIVAS with other techniques for assessment of river condition. 5–7 year • Understanding of the effects

of natural variability on bioassessment methods

• Evaluation of bioassessment techniques in an experimental process

• Integration of bioassessment methods into agency assessment programs

• D200: DIAR2 index and new macrophyte index developed. AUSRIVAS more robust as a result of outcomes from sub-sampling comparison and replication trials. D722: some nutrient processes shown to have potential as ecological indicators.

• D727: Aquatic diatoms, algae and macroinvertebrates used to develop ecosystem guidelines for sediments. • Biological assessment has become an important component of the Victorian State Environmental Protection Policies,

Index of Stream Condition, Queensland Water Allocation Management Plans, NLWRA, the NSW Blueprints for catchment targets and catchment management plans.

• Workshops held on design for comparison of methods, habitat assessment and information needs of partners for integration of biological methods into monitoring programs (D200).

• Eight different biological approaches (three macroinvertebrate methods, one macrophyte method, two diatom methods and two benthic metabolism methods) were assessed using an explicit framework also developed in the study. This gave information on both the usefulness of the framework and on the RBA methods.

New ecological risk assessment procedures and associated tools for use by water industries.

Bring in expertise in ecological risk assessment (biota and processes with inputs to ecological risk assessment over a range of scales up to catchment level).

• Development of Bayesian approaches in risk assessment. • STREAMS DSS refined for Melbourne Water; algal models for Lake Yarrunga developed for SCA. • Models for impact of sediment on biota.


3. Education andtraining

Leader: Professor Jane Hughes

The overarching focus of the EducationProgram has been to broaden theCRCFE’s students’ education and trainingexperience, particularly in graduateprograms. This has been achievedthrough initiatives such as the activeinvolvement of researchers from outsidethe higher education system, and byenhancing the employment prospects ofstudents through involvement in our user-oriented research program.

Our first objective has been the training ofpostgraduates to produce ecologists andaquatic scientists with high-level researchskills who are sought after to work in thewater industry. The objective has beenachieved through the activities of theCRCFE’s staff at its partner universities,collaborating with personnel from ourindustry partners and the EducationProgram team.

The CRCFE’s Commonwealth Agreementhad four other education & trainingobjectives:8 contribution to the continuing develop-

ment of professionals working in thewater industry through continuingeducation programs that update theirknowledge and skill-bases;

8 contribution to undergraduate educa-tion programs to ensure graduateshave sound ecological knowledge andan appreciation of its application to

water management, and that gradu-ates are aware of opportunities andare employable within the waterindustry;

8 assisting community groups tounderstand water-related issues, andhelp equip them to take an active rolein land and water management;

8 building community awareness ofwater ecology and related environ-mental issues through a program ofpublic and school-based education.

These four areas have been handledlargely by researchers and knowledgeexchange staff.

In meeting these five objectives, CRCFEhas aimed to provide the water industrywith:(a) well-trained graduates who have keen

academic, communication andtechnological expertise, as well as

(b) opportunities for professional devel-opment among freshwater managers,

(c) support for ecologically-aware man-agement, among members of thecommunity, and

(d) a continuing supply of new recruits tofreshwater science.

Summary of progress

POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS

The CRCFE has attracted postgraduatestudents through a combination of appliedresearch opportunities, scholarships andoperating funds, and value-addingprofessional training.

APA Industry Level scholarships and top

up scholarships have been offeredthrough the CRCFE, except in 2004–2005. The scholarships encouragedstudents to take up PhD projects that arerelevant to the water industry. The mostrecent recipients of top-up scholarshipsalso have had a mentor from the waterindustry, with whom they have metregularly.

At 1 June 2005, the CRCFE had fivepostgraduate students on fullscholarships (4 full-time, 1 part-time); 16on top-up scholarships; 7 working onassociated (non-scholarship) projects(including 1 on a collaborative write-upscholarship); 7 privately supported(funding had finished); plus 1 PhD and 1MSc suspended: 37 in total (see table onpages 27–29).

A scheme of collaborative write-upscholarships was offered to all studentsduring 2004–2005 for students who hadrecently submitted their PhDs. Onestudent, Patricia Bowen, applied and waseligible for a scholarship. Patriciatherefore has worked half time forindustry partner the Murray WetlandsWorking Group, and has spent the rest ofthe time completing her PhD thesis.

Training workshops and professionaldevelopment courses have been offeredto CRCFE postgraduate students during2004–2005. Basic GIS courses wereofferred to students in their capital citieswho had not previously been exposed toGIS training; also, a course on advancedstatistics. A mid-year workshop in July2004 on two themes — Writingsuccessful grant applications, andEffective conference presentations —


was enthusiastically received by thestudents. The workshops wereinteractive, giving students opportunitiesto demonstrate their skills in these areas.They were so successful that studentsasked for a student forum where theycould share PhD experiences and furtherenhance their presentation skills. Astudent forum was therefore held inconjunction with the Annual GeneralMeeting in late June 2005.

Postgraduate student statisticsDuring 2004–2005, the CRCFE has had atotal of 41 full-time and part-time PhDstudents, including those who havesubmitted and taken time off. Thefollowing students have submitted PhDtheses or had them accepted betweenJuly 2004 and June 2005:8 Giovanella Carini, ‘The role of

flooding in the maintenance of geneticdiversity in four floodplain inverte-brates’ (Griffith University)

8 Dale McNeil, ‘Fish, zooplankton andalgae dynamics in Murray Riverbillabongs’ (La Trobe University)

8 Amy George, ‘Population dynamicsand recruitment of eucalypts on theLower Murray Floodplain‘ (Universityof Adelaide)

8 Jason Nicol, ‘The ecology andmanagement of arid deflation basinlakes‘ (University of Adelaide)

8 Benjamin Smith, ‘Carp spawningdynamics and early growth in theRiver Murray, South Australia‘(University of Adelaide)

8 Kelly Vanderkruk, ‘Biogeochemistry ofnutrients in a sand slug stream,

Creightons Creek, Victoria’ (MonashUniversity)

8 Claudette Keller, ‘Factors regulatingfaunal assemblages in freshwatertemporary ponds‘ (Monash University)

8 Claire McKenny, ‘The relationshipbetween ecosystem processes andcommunity structure in south eastQueensland rivers’ (GriffithUniversity)

8 Carol Conway, ‘Reactivity of organiccarbon under anaerobic conditionsand its role in sediment nutrientdynamics’ (University of Canberra)

8 Mark Kennard, ‘A quantitative basisfor the use of fish as indicators ofriver condition’ (Griffith University).

The following students graduated atceremonies during 2004–2005:8 Kelly Vanderkruk8 Benjamin Smith8 Jason Nicol8 Giovanella Carini8 Julia Howitt8 Amy George8 Dale McNeil

Two new associated projects began in2004–2005. Anne Jensen began work on‘The lower Murray floodplain seedbank:status and response to flooding’, workingat the University of Adelaide withAssociate Professor Keith Walker andAssociate Professor David Paton. And inJuly 2004, Mark Southwell began hisstudies with Associate Professor MartinThoms (University of Canberra) and DrJon Olley at CSIRO Land & Water, on

‘Inland river floodplains: the role ofsediment and nutrient exchanges’.

Conference/workshop attendanceand travelDuring 2004–2005 CRCFE has supportedpostgraduate students to travel to andpresent papers and posters at thefollowing national and internationalconferences and workshops:8 43rd Annual ASL Congress (four

students)8 Fifth International Symposium on

Ecohydraulics, Madrid, Spain (onestudent)

8 29th Conference of the InternationalAssociation of Limnology, Finland(one student)

8 North American Benthological SocietyAnnual Meeting, New Orleans (onestudent)

8 Evolution 2005 Society for the Studyof Evolution, Fairbanks, USA (onestudent)

8 2004 Royal Australian ChemicalInstitute Conference, Gold Coast (onestudent)

8 Ecological Society of Australiaconference (one student)

8 American Society for Limnology andOceanography summer meeting,Spain (one student)

8 36th International BinghamtonGeomorphology Symposium,‘Geomorphology and Ecosystems’,Buffalo, New York State (one student).

Students have been able to attend up totwo national conferences and oneinternational conference during their

candidature, with the proviso that theypresent their work as a paper or posterat the conference and produce a shortarticle suitable for publication in thenews section of Watershed or CRCFENews (the internal emailed newsletter)upon return.

In addition, all students have been fundedto attend the CRCFE Annual GeneralMeeting, the associated workshops andthe student forum. This has encouragedinteraction between students from thedifferent university campuses, as well asintroducing them to other researchers andmanagers in the water industry.

Destination surveysGraduates from the CRCFE PhD programhave been surveyed to follow theprogress of past students. The purpose ofthe survey was to provide feedback to theCRCFE from former graduates, with afocus on mentoring and generalexperiences, and suggestions forchanges. Of 31 past students (thesescompleted 1997–2004) who could becontacted, 25 completed the survey. Theyrecorded these strengths of the CRCFEpostgraduate program:8 the opportunities given for networking

with scientists and other studentsduring their candidature

8 the industry contact and the chance tohave professional mentoring and workexperience in industry

8 the professional development offeredas workshops and courses,

8 the financial support (scholarships,operating funds, travel allowances).


Young Water Scientist of the YearThe CRCFE has managed the 2004 andthe 2005 CRC Water Forum Young WaterScientist of the Year Award program. Inboth years, the awards have been hostedby the Riverfestival Riversymposium inBrisbane in early September. Thecandidates presented their talks duringthe conference sessions most related totheir subject matter, rather than in aseparate session as in previous years.They have since commented on thewelcome interest shown by theaudiences, and on the good exposure tothe industry and other scientists in theirparticular fields

The CRC Water Forum’s high profileYoung Water Scientist of each year isselected by a panel of eminent judges ata major water conference, from finalistpostgraduates selected from water-focused CRCs. Until 2005, only the WaterForum CRCs had been involved, but in2005 the contest was widened to includewater-focused PhD candidates from anyCRC. Selection criteria, which are appliedto both a written and a spoken paper fromeach candidate, in 2005 were: (i) thequality of the scientific research

approach, (ii) the personal role thestudent has played in developing the topicand overcoming difficulties along the way,and (iii) the student’s skill and initiativeshown in communicating their subjectmatter. An underlying criterion is also therelevance of the work to industry, but thisyear that was given lower priority than inprevious years. The award is intended toshowcase students working on water-focused research.

Amy George (from the University ofAdelaide; now working with Dept ofWater, Land and BiodiversityConservation in Adelaide, SA, and aknowledge broker with CRCFE until June2005) has been our candidate for the2005 Young Water Scientist of the Year;Dale McNeil (from La Trobe University;working at DIPNR at Forbes, NSW) wasour finalist for 2004. Winner for 2005was Cara Beal (CRC for Coastal Zone,Estuary and Waterway Management),and for 2004 it was Sara Lloyd (CRC forCatchment Hydrology).

Judges for 2005 were:8 Professor Ian Rae, professorial fellow

in the history and philosophy ofscience at the University ofMelbourne;

8 Dr Barbara Baginska, SeniorEnvironmental Scientist, Waters andCatchment Science Section, NSWDepartment of Environment andConservation;

8 Mr Harley West, Secretary of theGranite Borders Landcare Committee,and a founding member of theStanthorpe Water Assessment andMonitoring Project, south-east Qld.

Awards to postgraduate students

Tim Page (Griffith University) won BestStudent paper at the Australian Societyfor Limnology’s 43rd Annual Congress,Adelaide, in November–December 2004.

Ben Smith (University of Adelaide) wasawarded the Australian Society for FishBiology’s 2004 International TravelScholarship (worth $5000), on the basisof his technical publications.

Craig Boys (University of Canberra) hasjust won the John Holliday StudentConservation Award, presented annuallyby NSW Fisheries, part of NSW Dept ofPrimary Industries, for his PhD studies onfish habitats in the Barwon-Darling River,NSW.

Mark Kennard (Griffith University), withco-authors Brad Pusey and AngelaArthington, also of Griffith University, hasjust been awarded the Whitley Award forzoological publishing, from the ZoologicalSociety of NSW, for their bookFreshwater Fishes of North-easternAustralia.

TRAINING FOR WATER INDUSTRYPROFESSIONALS

CRCFE researchers and knowledgeexchange staff ran and/or supportedseveral courses for water industry profes-sionals during 2004–2005.

The AUSRIVAS Online training coursewas delivered each semester during2004–2005, particularly to water industrypersonnel. The course consists of fourmodules that are self-paced andaccessed via the Internet, and also an

optional four-day face-to-face practicalworkshop module. The modules teachparticipants about assessing river healthusing the methods and predictive modelsof AUSRIVAS (Australian RiverAssessment System).

The success of online and blended face-to-face delivery has led to a new set ofcourses, ‘Watercourses Online’, beingoffered from 2004–2005, via the sameCRCFE University of Canberra team.Watercourses Online is a growing set ofonline training courses designed primarilyto support personnel in watermanagement, natural resourcesmanagement, environmental educationand ecological consulting. The coursesavailable now are:

Ecology and river functionWaterway assessmentCatchments: their character, waters &chemical composition.

Details are available fromhttp://freshwater.canberra.edu.au/WatercoursesOnline.nsf.

John Hawking has again run ‘Train thetrainer’ sessions for Waterwatch staff inVictoria, South Australia and ACT. Thesessions teach sampling methods(hands-on in local rivers) formacroinvertebrates, the ecology ofstream macroinvertebrates, and theidentification of aquatic freshwaterinvertebrates in the laboratory, using anInternet-based guide to the identificationand ecology of aquatic freshwater inverte-brates. John developed the web guide atthe request of the Australian GovernmentDept of Environment and Heritage.


UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION

Undergraduate teaching takes place atMonash University, University ofCanberra, La Trobe University, GriffithUniversity, the University of Adelaide, andat other CRC sites, or at the request ofother institutions.

The following undergraduate freshwaterecology and water-science-related units areoffered at university partners as part of anassociated degree. These often encouragestudents to further their studies by MSc orPhD in the water field within the CRCFE.Students are exposed to CRCFEresearch and researchers as much aspossible, especially during their final year.

Summer scholarships andwork experience

Summer scholarships were undertakenfor a period of 8 weeks from November2004 through to February 2005, with astipend of $4000 each. Short projectswere completed under the supervision ofCRCFE staff at the various institutions.The scholarships were provided to:Monash University (2),Monash Water Studies Centre (1),University of Canberra (3),Griffith University (3),MDFRC Mildura Lab (2, each sponsoredhalf by CRCFE and half by the localcommunity),MDFRC Albury Lab (1).

Mark Carey (one of the MDFRC summerscholarship students in 2003–2004) wasawarded the North-east CMA Prize at theAnnual Presentation of Awards and PrizesCeremony at La Trobe University in July2004.

COMMUNITY EDUCATION

Community and school-based educationactivities have been managed andperformed mainly by knowledge brokersand scientific staff.

We worked with Waterwatch andGreening Australia, in particular, andinteracted with the broader community viapresentations, forums, field events andworking groups.8 A member of CRCFE staff has been

working with Waterwatch Victoria todevelop quality assurance methodsfor use by community members ofWaterwatch; and CRCFE staff helpedset up the ACT Waterwatch Campfireprogram for post-fire freshwatermonitoring.

8 Specialist groups have helddiscussions with CRCFE staff abouttraining that can be set up to trainthem in particular areas (e.g. CMAs).

8 Occasionally, targeted fact sheetshave been produced in response torequests for information fromcommunity members and local stateagency staff; e.g. on anabranchchannels of the Macintyre River, andon connectivity and its role inpromoting biodiversity.

8 Presentations and interaction havebeen invited by a wide range ofcommunity groups, including artproject teams, wetland groups, thewetlands education network, birdobservers, field naturalists, Rotaryand Lions Clubs, eco-tourism groups,wetland community groups, Landcare.

SCHOOL-BASED EDUCATION &ASSISTANCE TO THE GENERALPUBLIC

In April 2005 again, students from years 9to 11 attended the two very popularannual freshwater schools run by theMurray-Darling Freshwater ResearchCentre, and Rotary.

The annual ‘Health of the River System’youth forum, run from Mildura each April,attracts students in years 9–10 fromsouth-west NSW, South Australia andVictoria. Each year, students investigatethe biology of fish, water bugs and plantsat Lake Cullulleraine, as well as some ofthe social and economic aspects of watermanagement. They also work withcatchment managers and scientists.Student presentations at the end of theforum are always excellent, anddemonstrate good understanding ofissues in river ecology.

Also in April, the Rotary Murray-DarlingSchool of Freshwater Researchintroduces year 11 students to freshwaterecology. They work in teams with leadingscientists from La Trobe University, theMDFRC and Charles Sturt University.

Students experience both work in theMDFRC laboratories and field-work atWonga Wetlands, and always giveexcellent presentations at the end of theweek to a group of scientists andRotarians.

During 2004–2005, CRCFE staff(particularly knowledge brokers andscientists based at the regionallaboratories) visited schools and colleges(pre-primary to tertiary), led excursions ofschool-students, worked with students inpreparation for MyRiver sessions, andproduced plays (primary school) onecological themes. Presentations havebeen tailored to the particular groups butoften focused on river health issues,salinity, aquatic food webs, aquatic plants,ecological sampling, work of the regionallabs, stormwater education, flowalteration, flooding, native fish andintroduced fish.

For the general public, CRCFE staff alsohave answered questions, identified biota,supplied general CRCFE written material,including brochures, reports, newsletters(e.g. Watershed, The Narran News) andrun stands at displays and field days (e.g.World Wetlands Day; Water Week).

CRCFE postgraduate studentsactive at June 2005

The CRCFE’s postgraduate students arelisted on the next three pages, by nameand expected degree, project title,supervisors/ mentors and institutions, andsource(s) of funds.


CRCFE postgraduate students active at June 2005

Name and expected degree

Project title Supervisor and institution Source(s) of funds

Aldridge, Kane PhD

Structure and function of Mediterranean creeks along a rural-urban gradient: influence on phosphorus dynamics

George Ganf, Justin Brookes, University of Adelaide; Michael Burch, SA Water (industry)

APA + CRCFE Top-up scholarship

Atkinson, Bonnie PhD

Ecosystem function responses to stream rehabilitation in the Granite creeks

Barry Hart, Mike Grace, Monash University; Wayne Tennant, Goulburn Broken CMA (industry)


Barrett, Melissa PhD

Distributions and implications of C3, C4, CAM/SAM species in the Murray-Darling Basin as a response to resources/stress limitations of water, nutrients and salinity

Keith Walker, George Ganf, the University of Adelaide


Bowen, Trish PhD

Flow effects on cycling of carbon from lowland river macrophytes

David Williams, University of Canberra Land and Water Australia Associated Project, Collaborative write-up scholarship

Boys, Craig PhD

Habitat used by riverine fish communities in semi-arid regions during low flow

Martin Thoms, University of Canberra CRCFE full scholarship

Bryce, Cassandra PhD

The ecology and systematics of the Australian Eustjemiidae (Insecta: Phlecoptera) and the implications of climate change on their conservation status

Phil Suter, La Trobe University; John Hawking, MDFRC

CRCFE top-up Associated Project

Cook, Ben PhD

Recovery and recruitment of aquatic fauna to rehabilitated streams in south-eastern Australia

Jane Hughes, Stuart Bunn, Griffith University APA + CRCFE Top-up scholarship

Cooper, Karen PhD

How are aquatic ecosystems affected by different configurations of landscape-scale drivers?

Gerry Quinn and Ralph MacNally, Monash University; Leon Metzeling, EPAV (industry)

Associated Project + Land & Water Australia scholarship, UC top-up

Curmi, Tim MSc (deferred)

Determining the health of the Lachlan River Phil Suter, La Trobe University; Richard Norris, University of Canberra

Associated Project

Davis, Nicole PhD

Fate and environmental effects of ammonia Bill Maher, University of Canberra Associated Project

Francis, Cathy PhD

The effects of flow regulation on carbon and nutrient cycles in temporary wetlands of the Murray River

Martin Thoms, University of Canberra; Ben Gawne, MDFRC


Gehrig, Susan PhD

The ecology of riparian willows on the River Murray Keith Walker, University of Adelaide APA + CRCFE Top-up scholarship

Hammer, Michael PhD

Setting a framework for conservation: molecular systematics and conservation biology of small fishes of the Murray-Darling Basin

Keith Walker, University of Adelaide APA + CRCFE Top-up scholarship




Harbott, Ernestine PhD

Use of enzyme activity for characterising organic carbon in Australian freshwater streams

Barry Hart, Mike Grace, Monash University APA + CRCFE Top-up scholarship

Hughes, Victor PhD

Hydraulic habitat of inland rivers: the role of large woody debris

Martin Thoms, University of Canberra CRCFE Top-up Scholarship expired, now self-funded

Hunter, David PhD

Life history of declining and non declining frogs in the Southern Highlands of NSW

Will Osborne, University of Canberra Now self-funded

Jensen, Anne PhD

The Lower Murray Floodplain seedbank: status and response to flooding

Keith Walker and David Paton, the University of Adelaide

Associated project, Land & Water Australia scholarship

Kelly, Nadine PhD

Quantifying flow–habitat–biota relationships in riverine ecosystems

Keith Walker + Trevor Daniell and Martin Lambert, (School of Civil and Environmental Engineering), the University of Adelaide; Shaun Meredith, MDFRC

Associated project + CRCFE top up scholarship

Linke, Simon PhD

New approaches in biodiversity assessment for conservation purposes

Richard Norris, University of Canberra; Leon Metzeling, EPAV (industry)

CRCFE top up scholarship

Loo, Sarina PhD

Intercontinental analysis and modelling of invasive species

Ralph MacNally, Sam Lake, Dennis O’Dowd, Monash University; Sabine Schreiber, DSE (industry)

CRCFE top up scholarship

MacKay, Stephen PhD

Flow requirements of aquatic macrophytes in south-east Queensland streams

Angela Arthington, Thorsten Mosisch, Griffith University

CRCFE full scholarship

McGinness, Heather PhD

Connectivity and fragmentation of floodplain-river exchanges in a semi-arid, anabranching floodplain river system

Martin Thoms, University of Canberra APA + CRCFE Top-up scholarship

Medeiros, Elvio PhD

Variation on diet composition of fish in dryland refugia

Angela Arthington, Griffith University International Scholarship and Associated Project

Oswald Louisa PhD

Development of in-situ protocols for the assessment of water quality using macroinvertebrates

Richard Norris and Bill Maher, University of Canberra

CRCFE Top-up (expired), now self-funded

Page, Timothy PhD

The role of vicariance and dispersal in the evolution of atyid shrimps in Australasia

Jane Hughes, Stuart Bunn, Griffith University APA + CRCFE Top-up scholarship

Perryman, Shane PhD

Nitrogen cycling and bacterial bio-diversity in urban Australian streams

Barry Hart, Mike Grace, Monash University CRCFE full scholarship (extension)

Price, Amina PhD

Influence of hydrology on the recruitment of native fishes to the Narran Lakes, north-western NSW

Martin Thoms, University of Canberra CRCFE full scholarship

Reid, David PhD

Effects of riparian zone degradation and restoration on ecological processes in freshwater streams

Gerry Quinn, Sam Lake, Monash University; Wayne Tennant, Goulburn-Broken CMA (industry)

CRCFE top-up scholarship




Sellens, Claire PhD

Defining the reference condition: implications for biological assessment

Richard Norris, University of Canberra

CRCFE full scholarship, part-time student, now self-funded

Sharma, Suman PhD

Genetic structure of aquatic fauna in coastal streams in SE Queensland: evidence for past drainage changes

Jane Hughes, Griffith University CRCFE full scholarship (expired), now self-funded

Southwell, Mark PhD

Inland river floodplains: the role of sediment and nutrient exchanges

Martin Thoms, University of Canberra; Jon Olley, CSIRO Land and Water

Associated project, Land and Water Australia, UC top-up scholarship

Stojkovic-Tadic, Slobodanka PhD

Interactions between nutrient status and UVB in microalgae

John Beardall, Monash University Monash Graduate Scholarship + CRCFE Top-up scholarship, now self-funded

Thomas, Colette PhD

Ecological risk assessment of land derived contaminants to coastal ecosystems

Barry Hart, Mike Grace, Monash University Associated Project

Troy, Aaron PhD

Quantification of ecological benefits associated with wetland rehabilitation along the Murray River Floodplain

Phil Suter, Terry Hillman, La Trobe University; Keith Ward, DSE and NECMA (industry)


Watkins, Susan PhD

Effects of flooding and drying cycles on ecological processes in river-flood plain systems

Gerry Quinn, Monash University; Ben Gawne, MDFRC; Deb Nias, NSW Murray Wetlands Working Group (industry)

CRCFE top-up scholarship


4. Collaborationand Knowledgeexchange

To ensure that CRCFE research andservices meet the short- and long-termknowledge needs of the CRC’s partners,and that new knowledge is applied by ourpartner management agencies and bypolicy-makers and researchers all overthe world and others, we usecollaborative linkages within and beyondthe CRCFE, and particularly a process wecall ‘knowledge exchange’.

Collaborative linkages betweenCRCFE partnersThe CRCFE is a cooperative assemblageof 19 research and management institu-tions, as listed in Chapter 1. In thiscooperative working environment, it iseasy to forget that research in freshwaterecology, and communication betweenwater professionals, was different beforethe CRCFE was set up first in 1993. It isvery important that the good cooperativelinkages between the CRCFE’s coreparticipants are maintained, anddeveloped further where possible.

Several mechanisms have operated tobuild mutual trust between the groups,across sites and disciplines.

8 One strong mechanism has beenthe cross-institutional collaborationthat has existed among our research-provider partners and between themand our water-industry partners. The

CRCFE’s research teams workedacross disciplines and organisations.Program and project meetings, field-work and joint supervision of PhDstudents all offered opportunities forface-to-face interaction among teammembers from different institutions andstates, reinforcing email and phonecontact.

8 The cross-institutional collaboration hasbeen led by the senior managementteam structure, which brought togetherrepresentatives from five of theresearch sites, eight times per year.

8 Important collaborative linkages havebeen maintained at Board level, withfour meetings per year pluscommittee and other interactionsbetween meetings. The Boardconsists of senior representatives ofthe core participants (both industrypartners and research providers) thatmake the largest financial contribu-tions to the CRCFE.

8 The CRCFE’s knowledge exchange(KE) team has also aimed to helpmaintain trust between groups. In partof their work, the KE team membershave assembled forums and steeringcommittees consisting of industry andresearch staff, and they have alsobeen an important contact point forthe CRCFE’s other stakeholders.

8 All CRCFE staff have been invited tocontribute news items to the fort-nightly internal e-newsletter. Staffhave also been emailed ResearchHighlights, which notes progress incurrent research projects, andWatershed, the CRCFE’s public

newsletter/magazine.

8 The Annual General Meeting, a busytwo–three day meeting, bringstogether staff and students from allsites and programs. The 2005 AGMwas held in Sydney. Postgraduatestudents from all sites also have metat least once per year, usually duringthe AGM.

External collaborative linkagesBeyond the CRCFE partners, collabora-tive links have been established with:8 policy-makers, natural resource

managers, government officials fromnon-partner organisations

8 community groups; parliamentarians8 non-partner members of the water

industry, including small-to-medium-size enterprises

8 the four other water-related CRCs inthe Water Forum: viz. the CRC forCatchment Hydrology; the CRC forWater Quality and Treatment; theEnvironmental Biotechnology CRC;and the CRC for Coastal Zone,Estuary and Waterway Management;this collaboration operated at aproject level, and in giving policyadvice, and in running the CRCs’Young Water Scientist of the YearAward

8 non-partner research institutions andwater agencies overseas.

International linkagesCRCFE’s researchers (staff and students)have established international linkagesand reputations partly by:


8 working with relevant research groupsoverseas and attending internationalconferences,

8 running international conferenceshere,

8 accepting invitations to joininternational scientific steeringcommittees and editorial boards,

8 publishing work that is relevant towater management issueseverywhere.

Also, in 2004–2005, staff of the CRCFEwere again invited to join, or electedmembers of, committees, working groupsand editorial boards overseas; including:8 Australian–Japanese ‘Predictions in

Ungauged Basins’ Working Group (D.Baldwin, CSIRO)

8 Steering Committee for the 2ndInternational Symposium on RiverineLandscapes, Sweden 2004 (S. Bunn,Griffith U.)

8 Scientific Committee of DIVERSITAScrosscutting network on freshwaterbiodiversity (A. Arthington, Griffith U.)

8 Ramsar Convention’s Scientific andTechnical Review Panel (A.Arthington, Griffith U)

8 Global Water Systems Project,Scientific Steering Committee (a jointproject of Diversitas, the IGBP, theIHDP and the WCRP) (S. Bunn andA. Arthington, Griffith U.)

8 North American Benthological SocietyExecutive Committee (S. Bunn,Griffith U., R. Norris, U. Canberra).Norris became Chair in May 2005.

8 North American Benthological SocietyAwards of Excellence Committee(S. Bunn, Griffith U.)

8 North American Benthological SocietyInternational Planning Committee(S. Bunn, Griffith U.)

8 Hydrobiologia Editorial Board(R. Norris, U. Canberra)

8 River Research and ApplicationsEditorial Board, based in the UnitedKingdom (K. Walker, U. Adelaide;M. Thoms, U. Canberra)

8 Freshwater Biology Editorial Board,based in UK (Sam Lake, Monash U.)

8 Geomorphology Editorial Board (M.Thoms, U. Canberra)

8 Environmental Biology of FishesEditorial Board (A. Arthington,Advisory Editor).

Staff and students have visited, workedoverseas or worked collaboratively withoverseas research groups; e.g.:8 Gary Jones was part of a delegation

that visited Korea to establish workingrelations with Korean water authorities

8 Gary Jones was invited to give one ofa series of presentations at the MDBCto the visiting Director and staff of theYellow River Conservancy Commission,from China

8 Simon Linke (PhD student, U.Canberra) worked for three monthswith Professor Bob Bailey in northernCanada, from April 2005, as part ofhis PhD fieldwork)

8 leading researchers in river healthassessment in N. America andCanberra have ongoing collaboration,

running workshops, exchangingstudents, and publishing jointly(Norris, U Canberra)

8 CRCFE staff are invited overseas togive presentations, and attend over-seas conferences (see Chapter 7).

Knowledge exchange: ensuring thatCRCFE research outputs are usedand appliedIn CRCFE, knowledge exchange isdefined as two-way interaction betweenend-users and CRCFE staff — usuallyscientists, but also our particular team of‘knowledge brokers’ and ‘communityscientists’. Members of the KE team haveall been science graduates withcommunication skills and postgraduatedegrees or experience — at levelsreflected in the two job titles.

Our aim has been to provide our end-users with available ecologicalinformation, based on CRCFE research,and supply it in a most useful form. Ourknowledge-exchange staff interacted withpartner agencies and water managersand the community to determine theirneeds and learn how best to deliverknowledge to them. Scientists andmembers of the KE team havesynthesised tacit and explicit knowledgefrom the CRCFE research providers.They have made knowledge productsavailable in the form of decision tools,guidelines, summary booklets, webpages, and so on.

During 2004–2005, the knowledgeexchange team has been led by itsdirector, Associate Professor RalphOgden. He has been supported by a chiefknowledge broker in Melbourne (PeterCottingham, based at Melbourne Water),knowledge brokers in Sydney (AmandaKotlash, based at Sydney CatchmentAuthority), Mildura (Michelle Bald & SylviaZukowski), Goondiwindi (Janey Adams)and Albury-Wodonga (John Hawking), atthose MDFRC labs, and in Canberra(Ruth O’Connor and Bronwyn Rennie)backedup by the communications group (AnnMilligan and Bronwyn Rennie), all threebased at University of Canberra. InOctober 2004, Amy George began workwith the CRCFE partners in Adelaide, SA,funded by and based at the SA Dept ofWater, Land and BiodiversityConservation. Amy had just completedher PhD with the CRCFE.

Scientific and public communicationCRCFE research staff disseminatescientific information via seminars,conferences, journal papers, technicalreports.

CRCFE research is also publicised bynewsletters, fact sheets, brochures, websites and media articles. CRCFE publica-tions have been handed out to visitors tothe laboratories, and at public events andagricultural shows, particularly near theregional laboratories. The communica-tions group also receives numerousrequests for copies of publications.


This year, there have been three bumpersize issues (one of 16 pages and two of24 pages) of our newsletter Watershed(normally 12 pages per issue), whichmaintains a circulation of around 2500copies per issue. Also, three issues of theNarran Lakes newsletter have been sentto 200 stakeholders and landholders inthe Narran Lakes area.

All new publications are made availableon the CRCFE web site. The twointeractive web sites — for the NarranLakes project (http://mooki.canberra.edu.au/narran), and forthe CRCs’ Water Forum (http://mooki.canberra.edu.au/waterforum) havecontinued to operate. Both are availablevia http://freshwater.canberra.edu.au.

Media representatives contact theCRCFE for comment from ProfessorGary Jones and other senior staff. At least24 staff have been interviewed ormentioned in the media this year. Ourmedia releases generally focus on eventsand outcomes, rather than resarchfindings.

In press, TV and radio, CRCFE staff andCRCFE work have been mentioned orfeatured in over 50 media items during2004–2005 (38 press, 2 TV, 5 radio, 8online), and eWater CRC has beenforeshadowed, in connection with GaryJones in 12 items (7 press, 1 TV, 1 radioand 3 online).

Technical and consultancy publications,public presentations and non-refereed(communication) publications are listed inChapter 7. There have been 26 technicalreports (printed and or on-web), 32consultancy reports, 75 public notable

presentations or conferencepresentations, 31 published or acceptedconference papers, and 40 non-refereedpublications.

Refereed journal papers (97) andchapters in books, or whole books (26),are also listed in Chapter 7.

Knowledge exchange interactions with thecommunity, general public and schools, andtraining courses for water industrypersonnel, run by CRCFE research andknowledge exchange staff, are outlined inChapter 3.

Summarised below are significant out-comes of knowledge exchange activitiesand ongoing interations between the KEstaff and industry end-users and policy-makers at all levels of government, during2004–2005.

Highlights of the knowledgeexchange program

The CRCFE’s framework formonitoring and assessing theecological effects of environmentalflows has been published as a report(Environmental Flows Monitoring andAssessment Framework, see http://freshwater.canberra.edu.au >publications > technical reports). Theframework was developed by a panelrepresenting 14 water agenciesacross eastern Australia (includingTasmania), many of which wereCRCFE partner institutions. A webtool to assist users has beenprepared and is being reviewed.*The Dept of Sustainability andEnvironment, Victoria, has based an

environmental flows monitoringprogram for the Thomson-MacalisterRivers on the CRCFE environmental-flows monitoring framework.*The Dept of Water, Land andBiodiversity Conservation, SA, isapplying the basis of the framework tostreams in the Mt Lofty ranges.*Cottingham P., Stewardson M. andWebb A. (2005), VictorianEnvironmental Flows Monitoring andAssessment Program — Stage 1:Statewide Framework, is a joint CRCfor Freshwater Ecology and CRC forCatchment Hydrology report to theVictorian Department of Sustainabilityand Environment. It applies theEnvironmental Flows Monitoring andAssessment Framework to Victoria.‘Recent lessons on river rehabilitationin eastern Australia’ is a managementguide (in press) that captures recentlessons that have emerged fromCRCFE’s rehabilitation research andfrom practitioners’ on-groundexperience. The guide should beuseful to river managers for theplanning, implementation andevaluation of the success ofrehabilitation projects.Assessing and monitoring aquaticbiodiversity: what have we learnt?, byRuth O’Connor and Amanda Kotlash,is a compilation of knowledge gained,largely by the CRCFE, in themeasurement of aquatic biodiversity.It is available on the CRCFE web siteat http://freshwater.canberra.edu.au.A framework or schema fororganising and examining evidencefor causality between environmental

factors has been developed from amodel in use in epidemiologicalstudies. It complements otherapproaches for water qualitymonitoring. The ‘Multiple Lines andLevels of Evidence’ schema consistsof software and a manual, and is atpresent being rigorously tested.Presentations and a paper have beenproduced for the Australian StreamManagement Conference and for aspecial session of the Conference ofthe North American BenthologicalSociety.CRCFE was contracted to undertakereview of the ACT’s Environmental-Flow Guidelines, for the ACTGovernment. A report, ‘Review of the1999 ACT Environmental FlowGuidelines’ by Ralph Ogden, PeterDavies, Bronwyn Rennie, JamesMugodo and Peter Cottingham, wassubmitted by the CRCFE toEnvironment ACT in November 2004.CRCFE scientists continued to workregularly with ACTEW, the ACT watermanagers, to devise the best activeadaptive management for environ-mental flows during the drought andthe after-effects of bushfire inCanberra’s main water supplycatchments. This work has won aUniversity of Canberra Vice-Chancellor’s Distinction Award forInnovation and Creativity in Researchand Enterprise (2005), and has beenpresented at the 8th InternationalRiversymposium in September 2005.Williams, D. and Roberts, J. (2005),Riparian vegetation diversity in theSydney Catchment Authority’s area ofoperations, describes the vegetation


biodiversity work that was part of alarger biodiversity study. It ispublished on the CRCFE web site, athttp://freshwater.canberra.edu.au.A joint CRCFE–CRCCH industryreport, Urban stormwater and theecology of streams, by Chris Walsh,Alex Leonard, Anthony Ladson andTim Fletcher, has been published onthe CRCFE website (link from frontpage) and in print. Derivativepublications are planned. Other KEoutputs underway or planned are:incorporation of the design guidelinesinto MUSIC (urban stormwatersoftware), industry workshops, andpossibly the development ofeducational on-line modules.Wetlands knowledge relevant to theLower Murray swamps has beencompiled and provided to theDWLBC, to help identify naturalwetlands that have ecologicalconservation value, and that areamenable to ecological rehabilitation,as a guide for assigning priority torestoration works.A wetland management “checklist”has been developed for managers touse in collecting and applying theinformation that they need to considerwhen monitoring and managingwetlands.A Waterwatch training workshop washeld by the CRCFE in the ACT, andspecialist theory and training sessionswere delivered by three CRCFE staffat the Waterwatch conference inAdelaide.Working with CRCFE, WaterwatchVictoria has produced a report guiding

the use of community-collected datain natural resources management.The CRCFE team that works on theNarran project contributed an articleto the Jan/Feb ’05 Western DivisionNewsletter (a DIPNR production) onthe Narran project. Readers(landholders and NRM managers)commented very favourably.Three newsletters were sent outabout the Narran Project (nos. 6, 7, 8)during the year and receivedfavourably, according to commentsduring a successful field day withstakeholders at the Nature Reserve inMay.The Narran Lakes oral history projectcontinues to collect valuableinformation from the Narran Rivercommunity. The collection is expectedto be completed later in 2005.eWater CRC will continue to deliverthe Narran Lakes project, which isalready informing government andcommunity decision-makers about theecology of the Narran Lakesecosystem and communicating newknowledge of the ecologicalfunctioning of the ecosystem to thenational and international scientificcommunity.The CRCFE facilitated a workshop onthe importance of floodplain-wetlandhabitat for native fish at the AustralianSociety for Fish Biology annualconference (20–21 September 2004).The workshop explored what isknown of flow–wetland–native fishinteractions for the Living Murraysignificant ecological asset sites,

consistent with activities proposed bythe MDBC Native Fish Strategy. Theworkshop objectives were establishedfollowing discussions between theMurray-Darling Basin Commission,the Arthur-Rylah Institute, theUniversity of Adelaide and theCRCFE.CRCFE staff (Lintermans, O’Connor,Cottingham) have edited theproceedings of a workshop theyfacilitated on ‘Fish Habitat Rehabilita-tion and Management in the Murray-Darling Basin’ for MDBC in February2004. Papers from the workshop areto serve as a benchmark.Graham, R. and Harris, J. (2005)Floodplain inundation and fishdynamics in the Murray-Darling Basin:Current concepts and future research:a scoping study, has been publishedon the CRCFE website at http://freshwater.canberra.edu.au.A technical report, ‘Reestablishmentof Macquarie Perch in Queanbeyanriver NSW’, by Mark Lintermans, willsoon be available at http://freshwater.canberra.edu.au.Explorers’ diary accounts of fish inrivers of the Murray-Darling Basinshow abundance and distribution offish species in the early 1800s. A newreport (in press) summarising theaccounts is a useful resource forresearchers and local communities.The CRCFE was well represented atthe Second International Symposiumon Riverine Landscapes in Sweden,with invited papers from JaneHughes, Sam Lake and Stuart Bunn.Ben Cook (PhD student), Nick Bond

and Paul Reich also attended andpresented posters on their research.The Third Symposium is planned tobe held in Australia in 2007.Gary Jones has coordinated and ledthe development of the Inland WatersTheme for the 2006 Australian Stateof the Environment report. Aworkshop was organised in July 2004to provide input on the appropriateindicators and conceptual model.CRCFE was contracted to conduct anecological risk assessment of ACT’swater source options for ACTEW as aresult of earlier activities. A report‘Ecological Risk Assessment of ACTWater Source Options: WorkshopReport for ACTEW Corporation’ byRuth O’Connor was submitted by theCRCFE to ACTEW in October 2004.CRCFE facilitated (Ogden), andcontributed to (Brock, Nielsen,Schreiber), a session at LIMPACS(Human Impacts on LakeEcosystems) workshop ‘Salinity,Climate and Salinisation workinggroup — setting research priorities2005–2010’ in October 2004 atMildura, Victoria. The objective of thesession was to review the latestscience related to salinity impacts onaquatic systems, and determine ifthere is enough new science toimprove on existing aquaticmanagement guidelines. DarylNielsen attended and presentedresults from core project C240 in theworkshop, and also the CRCFEsession. The CRCFE was alsorepresented by Sabine Schrieber ofArthur Rylah Institute (DSE).


Rob Vertessy and Gary Jones led anofficial Australian delegation ofbusiness people (from the waterconsulting industry) and scientistsfrom CSIRO and the CRC forCatchment Hydrology to the Republicof Korea in October 2004. The aim ofthe visit was to develop a joint R&Dprogram with the Korean SustainableWater Resources Research Centre,and with the national watermanagement authority, KOWACO.This has been flagged as a keyinternational relationship for theeWater CRC. CRCCH has an MOUwith SWRRC, signed in August 2003.Targets and indicators for healthyworking rivers — a project begun inCRCFE and being developed ineWater CRC — is a frameworkdesigned for stakeholder groupsinvolved in river management. Itprovides a process for groups toensure targets are (i) informed by thebest available scientific information soecological trade-offs are explicit; and(ii) directly linked to managementactions.

Rapid biological assessment: aproject begun in CRCFE and beingcompleted in eWater CRC is collatinginformation on techniques for rapidbiological assessment, for a decisionframework useful to managers.Scientific papers discussing themethods are in press with theinternational journal Hydrobiologia.Watercourses Online (see Education,p.25) is a growing set of onlinetraining courses designed primarily tosupport personnel in watermanagement, natural resourcesmanagement, environmentaleducation and ecological consulting.Three courses have been on offer in2004–2005.‘The Tooma River Project: inter-disciplinary probes into ill-defined andcapricious pollution’, by Harris, J.,Bowling, L., Keller, R., Kress, J., Lake,S., McPhail, B. and Simpson, J. is inpress as a CRCFE technical report. Itdescribes a study of water quality inthe Tooma River, NSW, associatedwith a spoil dump and occasional fishkills.

The report from core project A100,‘Ecological functioning of the MurrayRiver’, by Ben Gawne et al., is inpress. The project extensivelyinvestigated the productivity of theRiver Murray, at Albury, Barmah andHattah.Six representatives of CRCFE (Jones,Ogden, Norris, Meredith, Rayburg andKelly) had productive interaction with11 parliamentarians at the ScienceMeets Parliament meeting in February2005 in Canberra.The CRCFE (via the MDFRC)continued to contribute to the SAWetlands Baseline Monitoring project,run with the River Murray CatchmentWater Management Board andDLWBC, via demonstrations and byrunning community training days. Theproject was completed in October2004.The 7th International Riversymposiumwas held in Brisbane on 1–3September 2004, with nearly 500delegates from 38 countries. TheCRCFE ran the Young Water Scientist

of the Year Award at Riversymposium(on behalf of the CRC Water Forum),and Gary Jones chaired a livelydebate on the costs and benefits ofbuilding dams. The 8th InternationalRiversymposium has also hosted theYoung Water Scientist of the YearAward 2005 for CRCFE.

CRCFE maintained cooperativeinteraction with the Cotton RDC, CottonAustralia, the Rice Growers Association,and several community-based manage-ment groups, particularly the Mallee CMA,North-East CMA, Border Rivers CMA andGoulburn-Broken CMA, as well as othercatchment management groups, and thecommunity reference panel for the NarranLakes area of the Lower Balonne Flood-plain, on the Queensland–NSW border.These groups all operate at the interfacebetween fresh-water ecology andfloodplain land-use. It is important to theCRCFE that we cooperate together toachieve common goals.

The table that follows summarises exchangesof knowledge and information betweenCRCFE staff and end-users in 2004–2005.Knowledge exchange activities usually resultin outputs in the form of:(i) guidelines, handbooks or manuals,

software including decision support tools,collaborative research partnerships,consultancies,reports or literature reviews,

Table of knowledge exchange with end-users during 2004–2005and outcomes such as:(ii) end-users having more

comprehensive knowledge,(iii) decisions,(iv) action (or policy for action),and, ultimately,(v) solutions to the underlying issues.

End-users for the CRCFE’s research findingshave been our partners (all of whom are ‘coreparticipants’) in particular, but we also havekey end-users among other public waterindustry organisations and governmentbodies, and among small–medium-sizeenterprises in the private water industry,including consultants, irrigation businesses

and catchment management groups, andamong natural resource managementcommittees, education groups and thecommunity.

Conference presentations, also a form ofknowledge exchange, are listed withpublications at the end of the annual report.


Topics information has been exchanged about

Activities involved and outputs Locations and/or species involved

End-users (immediate): core participants (P) and others. C = consultancy

CRCFE staff involved (from KE team and research providers)

algal management: blue-green algae

Input to planning committee; invited briefing

Lake Hume; Lower Basin Lab (Mildura) area of operations

Catchment management/producer body; EPA Victoria (P), Mallee CMA

Ogden; Bald

biodiversity: threatened species listing, recovery plans, survey of aquatic species

Input to advisory committees; articles in Watershed

Various; corroboree frog; turtles; trout cod

DIPNR (P); DSE (P); Griffith University (P); University of Canberra (P); Environment ACT (P), state and federal government responsible committees; Watershed readers

Brock, Hughes, Crook, Koehn, Lintermans, Osborne; Georges and team; Milligan

biodiversity: assessment of compilation of research findings; discussions; publication; Watershed articles

eastern Australia DIPNR (P), EPAV (P), QNRM (P), SCA (P), Environment ACT (P), DSE (P), UC (P), Monash U (P), Griffith U (P); Watershed readers

O’Connor, Kotlash

biodiversity: management of, factors in

Input to meeting; Biodiversity Forum briefings; consultancy report; Watershed articles

Sites in connectivity and dispersal research projects; general biodiversity; mussels in Cattanach Canal; Murray cod

Griffith University (P); DIPNR (P); SCA (P); QNRM (P), Environment ACT (P); Lower Murray Urban and Rural Water Authority (P C); University of Canberra (P); Watershed readers

Kotlash, Hughes; Mildura lab; Jones; Hawking; Milligan

catchment assessment:

Advice on priority-setting; input to ASL congress sessions (Chair, judge); workshop for NLWRA2

Queensland; Australia; Qld EPA; Aquatic researchers and managers; CRC for Catchment Hydrology; Coastal Zone CRC; Land & Water Australia; CSIRO Water for a Healthy Country

Adams, Wilson; O’Connor; Ogden, Norris

catchment management Input to responsible groups advice; provision of publications; review of research programs; input to assessment panel for funding; Chairing management committtee; media hit

Toowoomba; Goulburn River; Victoria; Nepal; water catchments for Sydney; Border Rivers; ACT water supply catchments; Queensland Murray-Darling Basin; Border Rivers

Qld Murray-Darling Committee; Melbourne University; Melbourne Water (P); Goulburn Murray Water (P); DSE (P); Nepalese local government; SCA (P); Border Rivers CMA/Landcare; ACT Government (P); Queensland Murray-Darling Committee; Border Rivers CMA

Adams; Cottingham; Rennie; Ogden; Jones; Kotlash

collaborative partnerships: development of; success of

Inputs to planning groups and advisory committees; 2-day forum of managers and researchers; workshop facilitation; discussions; media hits; newsletter articles (Watershed); publication drafting (brochure); presentations; briefings

Mildura; northern Murray-Darling Basin; Moree; River Murray near Mildura; wetlands along lower Murray; Wodonga; Albury area; cotton area, Narrabri; River Recovery program, MDFRC research; north-eastern Victoria; Border Rivers industry

Murray-Darling Association; QNRM (P), DIPNR (P), Griffith University (P), CSIRO L&W (P), CSIRO Entomology; University of Canberra (P); catchment and regional managers, community stakeholders; MDBC (P) Community Advisory Committee; Riverwatch committee (P via DIPNR); Queensland EPA; Mallee CMA; La Trobe University (P), MDFRC; Condamine Alliance; eWater CRC partners, Border Rivers CMA/Landcare; Queensland Murray-Darling Committee; Cotton CRC, NSW Agriculture; Greening Australia; Dept of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry; NECMA; Albury Water; NE Water; Border Rivers Food and Fibre; Queensland Government; Dept of Environment and Heritage; SCA (P); Melbourne Water (P), Goulburn-Murray Water (P); EPA Victoria (P); Waterwatch

Bald; all Northern Basin Lab staff; O’Connor; Adams, Wilson; Zukowski; Keating; Jones; Baldwin; Nielsen, Rees; Gawne, Sinclair; Williams; McNeil; Brennan, Milligan; Cottingham, Rooney; Kotlash; Meredith; Hawking


Topics of exchange Activities and outputs Locations, species End-users CRCFE staff involved ecological education and training

Publications (including conference poster); online courses; input to planning meetings with marketing collaborators; presentations (conferences, schools); training camps (2); work experience training; media hits; discussions; scoping; review of training; workshops

Mildura; Albury; NECMA prize; CMA training needs; wetland training module; ACT

Catalyst Interactive, catchment managers; stream managers; Mildura Youth Centre; North-East CMA; DIPNR; DWLBC; Queensland Murray-Darling Committee, Torrens CWMB, Condamine Catchment NRM Corp Ltd; Waterwatch; school communities from south-west NSW, north-west Victoria and SA

Rennie, Ogden, Nichols, Barlow, Norris; Zukowski; Gigney; Adams, Wilson; Hawking, O’Connor; Keating

ecological risk assessment: risk management for sustainability

Input to ASL congress session on "Linking environmental baselines with policy" (Chair); Media hit; advice, discussions; review of assessment;

Australia; Lower Loddon catchment; ACT; Granite Belt (Qld)

Aquatic researchers and managers; DSE (P); ACTEW (P); Queensland EPA

Adams; O’Connor, Norris, Lintermans, Barlow

environmental flows: monitoring of effects

Development of framework for monitoring and assessment; presentations; adoption by management authority; review of monitoring plans; construction of monitoring plans; Watershed articles; compillation, report on flow-ecology relationships

CRCFE monitoring and assessment framework; Thomson-Macalister rivers; Victoria; Mt Lofty Ranges; Wimmera-Glenelg Rivers

DSE (P); DIPNR (P), Metropolitan Water Directorate; SCA (P); Environment ACT (P); DPIWE; MDBC (P); Goulburn-Murray Water (P); QNRM (P); Melbourne Water (P); Monash University; Thomson-Macalister stakeholders; DWLBC (P); Glenelg-Hopkins CMA; Wimmera CMA; Watershed readers

Cottingham; Quinn; King; Norris; Chessman; Marshall; Webb; Scott; Milligan

environmental flows: setting and management

review of guidelines; media hits; presentations; input to committee

River Murray; Cotter River; Sydney area

River stakeholders; MDFRC; University of Canberra (P); online readers; Environment ACT (P); ACTEW (P); SCA (P)

Ogden, Rennie, Cottingham, Mugodo, Sellens, Liston; Gawne; Norris; Lintermans;

fish management; habitats management

TV news report (ABC), newsletter articles (Watershed); sponsorship, facilitation/running of workshops (various); media hits; literature reviews; production of publications; presentations

Murrumbidgee River NSW (trout cod); carp, golden perch, Broken River; billabong species; Cooper Creek; Warrego R; River Murray; Murray-Darling Basin; Native Fish Strategy; Murray cod; flooded floodplains; diaries in 1800s; Lindsay Island

Environment ACT (P), MDBC (P); NSW Fisheries; Charles Sturt University; fish researchers and managers, Australian Society for Fish Biology; MDBC (P); La Trobe University; South Mildura Rotary Club; Lions Club Mildura; Lower Murray CMA; QNRM (P); southern Queensland community; Watershed readers

Ebner, Lintermans, Thiem; Crook, Humphries; Milligan; McNeil; Cottingham, Koehn, Ogden, O’Connor; Zukowski, Matveev; Harris; Scott; Meredith; Sheldon, Georges, Arthington, Balcombe, Bunn

floodplains management/research

Input to planning workshop, policy group

River Murray (SA) DWLBC (P), RMCWMB, SARDI, EPA of SA, DEH of SA George

habitats in streams/rivers Media hits Frogs; turtles; Snowy Mts; rice-growing area

University of Canberra (P) Hunter; Osborne; Rennie, Milligan

identification of biota Online ID guide; photo Macroinvertebrates; dragonfly Dept of Environment and Heritage; Melbourne Living Museum Hawking; Gawne; Rennie

invasive species Input to management group; media hit; briefing; advice; Watershed article

Carp; invasive spp.; weeds CRC for Pest Animals; Expert Consultation Panel hosted by Global Invasive Species Programme (at Smithsonian, USA); SCA (P); DSE (P); Watershed readers

O’Connor; Koehn; Arthington; Kotlash; Schreiber, Williams


Topics of exchange Activities and outputs Locations, species End-users CRCFE staff involved knowledge exchange within other organisations (not CRCFE)

Seminar; discussions on research and information needs; advice, briefing; input to planning

Bureau of Resource Sciences, Dept of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry; DWLBC (P); Weeds CRC; Centre for Research in Women’s Health; SCA (P); Greening Australia

Ogden; George; Cottingham; Kotlash; O’Connor

Narran Lakes freshwater ecology

Discussions; input to responsible groups; newsletters (3); magazine article; workshop; field day; conference presentations; oral history interviews Oct 04-Jun 05; invited article in Western Division Newsletter; establishment of ‘joint discovery’ KE process

Lower Balonne floodplain; Walgett, Goodooga, Brewarrina, Lightning Ridge; Narran Lakes area

MDBC (P), DIPNR (P), QNRM (P), Narran Lakes Community Reference Panel, Queensland Murray-Darling Committee; landholders and managers in Western Division NSW; NSW NPWS (part of DEC (P)); University of Canberra (P); Griffith University (P), MDFRC (P)

Ogden, Adams, Quinn, Murray, Thoms, Rayburg, Brandis, Capon, Milligan, Mesley, Cossart, James, White; O’Connor

National Water Initiative Coordination of R&D linkages National Water Commission NWC, researchers Jones

Rewetting sediments: effects of grazing on ecology

Consultancy Thegoa Lagoon NSW Murray Wetlands Working Group (C) Nicol

river condition / ecological function: assessment

Advice, workshops on methods and approaches; media hit; article in Watershed; discussions; report

Melbourne; Lower Basin Lab; Australia; Hawkesbury-Nepean R; River Murray

Melbourne Water (P); Aquatic researchers and managers; DIPNR (P), QNRM (P), EPAV (P), MDBC (P); Hawkesbury-Nepean CMA; Watershed readers

Cottingham; Adams; Bald; Norris, Milligan; Mugodo, O’Connor, Sellens; Kotlash; Gawne, Baldwin, Rees, Williams, Oliver and MDFRC team

river condition / ecological function: development and delivery of training in

Theory and practical training sessions (2) on identification & sampling; AUSRIVAS training (2); media hit

Macroinvertebrates, ACT; macroinvertebrates Australia

ACT and Sydney Waterwatch coordinators, SCA (P); Environment ACT (P); University of Canberra (P)

Hawking, O’Connor, Linke; Nichols, Barlow, Norris

river management via flows Presentations; input to committee; media hit; report

Campaspe R; Mulcra Island; Yarra R; River Murray

Goulburn-Broken CMA; NE CMA; Mallee CMA; Melbourne Water, Monash University; MDBC (P); Murray-Darling Basin Community Advisory Committee; DIPNR (P), Riverwatch

Humphries; Cook; Zukowski; Walsh; Cottingham; Gawne; Keating

river management for multiple uses

Advice: reference condition, benchmarking, monitoring terms of reference; media hits (including live interview); framework for working towards Healthy Working Rivers; running Yarra Forum; developing decision support tools

Urban streams in Melbourne; Broken River, River Murray; Macquarie R; Yarra R., MFAT software, BLACKWATER software; MLLE software

Melbourne Water (P); Goulburn-Broken CMA; river stakeholders; general public; ABC; DIPNR (P); Monash U (P); DSE (P); State Water (NSW); MDBC (P); Barmah-Millewa Forest Forum; partner agencies (P);

Cottingham; Tennant; Gawne; Baldwin; Mitchell; Oliver; Hawking; Humphries; O’Connor, Nichols, Norris; Rennie; O’Connor; White; Baldwin, Howitt, Rees; Mugodo, Norris, project team;

river rehabilitation Compilation, report, Watershed articles; advice

Granite Creeks; eastern Australia; wood for resnagging; Victorian CMA projects; USA projects

DSE (P); Melbourne Water (P); Monash U (P), Watershed readers Lake, Bond; Cottingham; Koehn; Brooks

salinity effects on ecology (wetlands)

assessment and reporting, discussions with managers; media hit; workshop, factsheets

Albury; Australia; Border Rivers region, major eastern Australian wetlands, zooplankton, wetland vegetation

DIPNR (P); Ecological Society of Australia; QNRM (P); DSE (P); various management bodies

Brock, Nielsen; Kotlash; Rees; Schreiber, Ogden


Topics of exchange Activities and outputs Locations, species End-users CRCFE staff involved urban waters: management and rehabilitation, rural–urban gradient

Publications; newsletter articles; media and online hits (several), workshop planning; advice; organisation of 2-day workshop

Yarra River, Melbourne urban streams; Sydney urban streams; international urban waters; Canberra; ACT suburban wetland;

Monash University (P); Melbourne Water (P); NSW Stormwater Trust (P C); the University of Melbourne; Canberra Urban Parks and Places; SCA (P), University of Canberra (P)

Walsh (and team), Cottingham, Kotlash, Milligan; O’Connor; Lintermans

Vegetation: riparian, macrophytes; invasive spp

input to monitoring planning workshop, steering committee for River Recovery, and criteria for red gum rescue; report of large vegetation survey; media hits; review of management priorities for riparian zone; advice; Watershed articles

Eastern Australia; South Australia; Sydney catchments; red gums and blackbox; azolla, Broken Creek;

DWLBC (P); Greening Australia; SCA (P); Dept of Environment and Heritage; Watershed readers

Williams; George; Ogden; Bunn; Gawne

water quality: management, assessment, policy

review of report; review of monitoring program; input to task force; compilations of methods and knowledge; report; review of knowledge gaps;

Tallowa Dam; ACT; Tooma R; Cotter R; Victoria; eastern Australia; cotton areas of northern Murray-Darling Basin; rice-growing area, pesticides

SCA (P); South Coast CMA; ACT Waterwatch ‘campfire’ program; Waterwatch Victoria; DSE (P); DIPNR (P); ACTEW (P); Environment ACT (P); Cotton CRC; U New England; Border Rivers community; RIRDC, rice-growers

Nichols, Norris, Barlow; Kotlash; O’Connor; Harris; Johnson; Thoms; Lutton; Hyne

water resources management, policy

Articles (inluding Watershed); input to research forum; media hits (ABC TV, radio; capital city press, eco-press, Korean cable TV); discussions; publications drafting; assessment and reporting of ecological risk; planning; chairing discussions; reports; coordination of State of Environment theme; development of assessment framework and software

Lake Burley Griffin; Victoria; Molonglo River, ACT; water catchments south of Sydney; ACT water source options; River Murray; National Water Initiative; Korean water resources; SE Queensland; Australia; eastern Australia; MLLE

University of Canberra (P), Melbourne Water (P), Goulburn Murray Water (P); DSE (P); General public; SCA (P); ACTEW (P C); MDBC (P); Korean water authorities/agencies; federal parliamentarians; QNRM (P), Moreton Bay Waterways and catchments partnership; Dept of Environment and Heritage; Watershed readers

Jones; Kotlash, Norris; O’Connor; Bunn; Gawne; Lawrence; Rayburg, Kelly, Meredith, Ogden; Sellens; Mugodo

waterbody management, policy: lakes, storages, waterholes, weir pools

Consultancy; input to advisory committee report

Lake Mulwala; Lake Eyre Basin

Goulburn-Murray Water (P); Lake Eyre Basin Ministerial Forum Baldwin, Howitt, Hawking; Bunn, Cullen

wetlands: monitoring, management, salinity issues; rehabilitation; community education

media hits; public field days (2); input to planning groups; presentations to catchment managers; input to assessment methods; compilations of knowledge, report, checklist; input to prioritisation; brochure drafting

Goondiwindi, Border Rivers, Narran wetlands; Kings Billabong (Mildura); Lower Murray wetlands; Murrumbidgee wetlands; Australia; Living Murray wetlands

Border Rivers CMA/Landcare; Brenda Park RMCWMB; DWLBC (P); Murrumbidgee Wetlands Working Group, DIPNR (P), Wetlands Care; SKM; River Murray CWMB; community, Mallee CMA

Adams, Wright; Bald; George, Nicol, Smith; Baldwin; Zukowski; Ogden; Butcher; Keating


5. Operations andStaff matters

Buildings

The Murray-Darling Freshwater ResearchCentre at Albury-Wodonga movedpremises in February 2005. The labs arenow on the La Trobe University campus inWodonga, having been on the CharlesSturt University’s Thurgoona campus inAlbury for several years.

Equipment purchases

No major equipment was purchased duringthis final year of CRCFE operations.

Specified personnel

Early in 2005, Associate Professor GerryQuinn left Monash University and theCRCFE to take up a Chair at DeakinUniversity. He was replaced by AssociateProfessor Martin Thoms (University ofCanberra) for the last few months of theCRCFE. Specified personnel at the end ofJune 2005 are shown in the table at right.

Staff movements: comingsAmy George, Knowledge Broker,Adelaide.

and goingsMichelle Bald, Sylvia Zukowski (MDFRC,Mildura),Gerry Quinn (Monash University),Debbie Heck (Griffith University),Paul Humphries (MDFRC, Albury).

Awards and honours to staff andassociates during since June 2004

Professor John Langford (BoardChairman) was made a Member of theOrder of Australia (AM) in the Queen’sBirthday Honours, ‘for service to waterresource management, particularlythrough organisations that regulate andresearch water supply, quality and usage’.

Professor Peter Cullen was awarded the‘Einar Naumann–August Thienemann’Medal by the Societas InternationalisLimnologiae, ‘for exemplary scientificleadership and extraordinary efforts tocommunicate complex limnological andwater resources issues to colleagues anddecision-makers’.

Specified personnel at 30 June 2005

Prof. Gary Jones CEO 100%U. Canberra

Prof. Stuart Bunn Director (research) 85%Griffith U.

Dr Ben Gawne Director (regional labs) 100%MDFRC

Prof. Sam Lake Chief Ecologist 75%Monash U.

Prof. Richard Norris Program leader 75%U. Canberra

A/Prof. Martin Thoms Program leader 75%U. Canberra

Dr Margaret Brock Program leader 30%DIPNR

Dr Nick Bond Program leader 60%Monash U.

Professor Sam Lake (Monash University)was awarded one of three inauguralL&WA Senior Research Fellowships($100,000 in total), which he will use toreview drought effects on freshwaterecosystems.

Professor Richard Norris (University ofCanberra) and his research team wereawarded one of two Vice-Chancellor’sDistinction Awards for Creativity andInnovation in Research and Enterprise, atthe University of Canberra. Theirinnovative studies on the Cotter River,ACT, before and since the 2003bushfires, have supported active adaptivemanagement by Canberra’s watermanagers, benefiting the environmentand the Canberra community.

Dr Sabine Schreiber (Arthur RylahInstitute, Victoria) was elected thePresident of the Australian Society ofLimnology in early 2005, and ProfessorStuart Bunn was elected Vice President.

In May 2005, Professor Richard Norrisbecame Chair of the ExecutiveCommittee of the North AmericanBenthological Society. Professor StuartBunn (Griffith University) is also amember of the Executive Committee.

Professor Stuart Bunn has been invited tojoin the inaugural Scientific SteeringCommittee of the Global Water SystemsProject (a joint project of DIVERSITAS, theInternational Geosphere-BiosphereProgram, the International HumanDimensions Program and the WorldClimate Research Program, under theauspices of the Earth System SciencePartnership.

Professor Angela Arthington (GriffithUniversity) remains an invited member ofthe Scientific Committee of theDIVERSITAS Freshwater Cross-cuttingnetwork.

Professor Angela Arthington has beenappointed an Advisory Editor to theinternational journal ‘EnvironmentalBiology of Fishes’.

Associate Professor Martin Thoms(University of Canberra) has beenappointed to the Editorial Board of theinternational journal ‘Geomorphology’.

Dr Will Osborne (University of Canberra)has been appointed as Chair of the ACTFlora and Fauna Committee.


Mark Carey (MDFRC summerscholarship student) was awarded theNorth-east CMA Prize at the AnnualPresentation of Awards and PrizesCeremony at La Trobe University in July2004.

Tim Page (Griffith University) won BestStudent paper at the Australian Society forLimnology’s 43rd Annual Congress,Adelaide, in November–December 2004.

Ben Smith (University of Adelaide) wasawarded the Australian Society for FishBiology’s 2004 International TravelScholarship (worth $5000), on the basisof his technical publications.

Craig Boys (University of Canberra) hasjust won the John Holliday StudentConservation Award, presented annuallyby NSW Fisheries, part of NSW Dept ofPrimary Industries, for his PhD studies onfish habitats in the Barwon-Darling River,NSW.

Mark Kennard (Griffith University), withco-authors Brad Pusey and AngelaArthington, also of Griffith University, hasjust been awarded the Whitley Award forzoological publishing, from the ZoologicalSociety of NSW, for their bookFreshwater Fishes of North-easternAustralia.

At the final Annual General Meeting of theCRC for Freshwater Ecology, thefollowing special awards were presented.

Best Support Person: RhondaSinclair (MDFRC).

Best published paper with apostgraduate student as leadauthor: David Crook, AlistarRobertson, Alison King and PaulHumphries, for ‘The influence ofspatial scale and habitat arrangementon diel patterns of habitat use by twolowland river fishes’ (Oecologia 129,525–533).Best published paper with aCRCFE scientist as lead author:Paul Humphries, Alison King andJohn Koehn, for ‘Fish, flows andfloodplains: links between freshwaterfishes and their environment in theMurray-Darling River sytem, Australia’(Environmental Biology of Fishes 56,129–151).Best multidisciplinary teamresearch project: ‘D210,Urbanization and the ecologicalfunction of streams’, led by ChrisWalsh (Monash University).Best knowledge exchange activityor project: ‘The Assessment of RiverCondition: an audit of the ecologicalcondition of Australian rivers’, led byRichard Norris (University ofCanberra) and Ian Prosser (CSIRO).

Special Achievement Awards weremade to John Langford (our BoardChairman), Barry Hart (MonashUniversity), Ben Gawne (MDFRC, Albury-Wodonga) and Peter Cullen, inrecognition of their outstandingcontributions to the CRCFE.


6. Performanceindicators

Cooperative arrangements

Activities of the centre seen by stake-holders as making a difference towater management, July 1999 – June2005

During 2004–2005:the CRCFE’s framework formonitoring and assessing theecological effects of environmentalflows has been published as a report(Environmental Flows Monitoring andAssessment Framework, see http://freshwater.canberra.edu.au > publications >technical reports). The frameworkwas developed by a panelrepresenting14 water agencies across easternAustralia (including Tasmania), manyof which were CRCFE partnerinstitutions. A web tool to assist usershas been prepared and is beingreviewed. Three projects are alreadyeither completed or in progress,based on the framework: monitoringprograms for the Thomson-MacalisterRivers (DSE) and streams of the MtLofty Ranges (DWLBC); and aVictoria-wide monitoring program(DSE).‘Recent lessons on river rehabilitationin eastern Australia’ is a managementguide (in press) that captures recentlessons that have emerged from

CRCFE’s rehabilitation research andfrom practitioners’ on-groundexperience. The guide should beuseful to river managers for theplanning, implementation andevaluation of the success ofrehabilitation projects. In the samearea, a database and assessment ofon-ground rehabilitation works acrossVictoria and USA is being prepared inan international project that CRCFE ispart of (via Brooks and Lake). Theteam has recently published a list ofcharacteristics that signify successfulecological restoration.Assessing and monitoring aquaticbiodiversity: what have we learnt? byRuth O’Connor and Amanda Kotlash,is a compilation of knowledge gained,largely by the CRCFE, in themeasurement of aquatic biodiversity.It is available on the CRCFE web siteat http://freshwater.canberra.edu.au.A framework or schema fororganising and examining evidencefor causality between environmentalfactors has been developed from amodel in use in epidemiologicalstudies. It complements otherapproaches for water qualitymonitoring. The ‘Multiple Lines andLevels of Evidence’ schema consistsof software and a manual, and is atpresent being rigorously tested.CRCFE reviewed the ACT’sEnvironmental Flow Guidelines, oncontrat to the ACT Government. Areport, ‘Review of the 1999 ACTEnvironmental Flow Guidelines’ byRalph Ogden, Peter Davies, BronwynRennie, James Mugodo and Peter

Cottingham, was submitted toEnvironment ACT in November 2004.CRCFE scientists continued to workregularly with ACTEW, the ACT watermanagers, to devise the best activeadaptive management for environ-mental flows during the drought andthe after-effects of bushfire inCanberra’s main water supplycatchments. This work has won aUniversity of Canberra Vice-Chancellor’s Distinction Award forInnovation and Creativity in Researchand Enterprise (2005), and has beenpresented at the 8th InternationalRiversymposium in September 2005.Williams, D. and Roberts, J. (2005),Riparian vegetation diversity in theSydney Catchment Authority’s area ofoperations describes the vegetationbiodiversity work that was part of alarger biodiversity study. It ispublished on the CRCFE web site, athttp://freshwater.canberra.edu.au.A joint CRCFE–CRCCH industryreport, Urban stormwater and theecology of streams by Chris Walsh,Alex Leonard, Anthony Ladson andTim Fletcher, has been published onthe CRCFE website (link from frontpage) and in print. Derivativepublications are planned.Wetlands knowledge relevant to theLower Murray swamps has beencompiled and provided to theDWLBC, to help identify naturalwetlands that have ecologicalconservation value, and that areamenable to ecological rehabilitation,as a guide for assigning priority torestoration works.


A Waterwatch training workshop washeld by the CRCFE in the ACT, andspecialist theory and training sessionswere delivered by three CRCFE staffat the Waterwatch conference inAdelaide.The CRCFE team that works on theNarran project contributed an articleto the Jan/Feb ’05 Western DivisionNewsletter (a DIPNR production) onthe Narran project. Readers(landholders and NRM managers)commented very favourably.The CRCFE facilitated a workshop onthe importance of floodplain-wetlandhabitat for native fish at the AustralianSociety for Fish Biology annualconference (20–21 September 2004).The workshop explored what isknown of flow–wetland–native fishinteractions for the Living Murraysignificant ecological asset sites,consistent with activities proposed bythe MDBC Native Fish Strategy. Theworkshop objectives were establishedfollowing discussions between theMurray-Darling Basin Commission,the Arthur-Rylah Institute, theUniversity of Adelaide and theCRCFE.CRCFE staff (Lintermans, O’Connor,Cottingham) have edited theproceedings of a workshop theyfacilitated on ‘Fish Habitat Rehabilita-tion and Management in the Murray-Darling Basin’ for MDBC in February2004. Papers from the workshop areto serve as a benchmark.The CRCFE was well represented atthe Second International Symposiumon Riverine Landscapes in Sweden,

with invited papers from JaneHughes, Sam Lake and Stuart Bunn.Ben Cook (PhD student), Nick Bondand Paul Reich also attended andpresented posters on their research.The Third Symposium is planned tobe held in Australia in 2007.Gary Jones has helped to coordinatethe development of the Inland WatersTheme for the 2006 Australian Stateof the Environment (SoE) report, as amentor of the SoE committee. Aworkshop was organised in July 2004to provide input on the appropriateindicators and conceptual model.

During 2003–2004:8 the conclusions and report of the

Scientific Reference Panel for theLiving Murray initiative were widelyconsidered to have contributed bothto the National Water Initiativeconfirmed in June 2004 and to thefirst-step decision of the Murray-Darling Basin Ministerial Council, inNovember 2003, to adjust the man-agement of the Murray system’s waterover the next five years so that anestimated average extra 500 GL peryear can be devoted to environmentalneeds.

8 The Goulburn River Scientific Panelfor the Living Murray, and its report,‘Environmental flow recommendationsfor the Goulburn River below LakeEildon’, contributed to the LivingMurray intiative above.

8 Public talks by Gary Jones and BenGawne contributed to communityunderstanding of the Living Murrayinitiative, and therefore indirectly toriver management.

8 CRCFE scientists are working regu-larly with the ACT water managers todevise strategies for Canberra’s mainwater supply catchments.

8 CRCFE has devised a monitoringdesign specifically for DSE for as-sessing ecological responses tofuture environmental flows in theWimmera and Glenelg Rivers, westernVictoria.

8 The CRCFE has established a multi-state working group to develop ageneric framework for monitoringenvironmental flows, following onfrom the project above thathighlighted the challenges indesigning monitoring programs forenvironmental flows in lowland riverswith naturally variable flow regimes.The framework is expected to becomplete in late 2004.

8 City water managers in Melbourne,Canberra, Brisbane and Sydney haveaccepted CRCFE’s advice on storm-water drainage connection with urbanstreams, and have begun to collectthe information on infrastructure thatthey need to be able to apply theadvice.

8 A risk-based approach formulated byCRCFE is to be incorporated intoguidelines for suspended sediments,by EPA Victoria.

8 CRCFE (MDFRC), with the RiverMurray Catchment WaterManagement Board, and DLWBC, iscontributing to the SA WetlandsBaseline Monitoring project that isexpected to make a difference to SAwetland management.

8 Outcomes from workshops andresearch on ephemeral wetlands anddeflation basins have been incorpo-rated into management guidelines forephemeral deflation basin lakes forthe MDBC.

8 CRCFE ran the Ninth InternationalConference on River Research andApplications in early July 2003 atAlbury, NSW. Together with a pre-conference forum on flow ecology andenvironmental flows, the conferencebrought together managers andnational and internationalresearchers.

8 CRCFE helped organise, and facili-tated, a workshop attended by ~80scientists and aquatic managers todiscuss the current status of knowl-edge on fish-habitat rehabilitation andmanagement issues. Papers from theworkshop are to serve as a benchmark.

8 The Narran Project (joint CRCFE-MDBC) is involving key members ofthe Lower Balonne Floodplain com-munity via the Lower BalonneCommunity Reference Group and theNarran Community Reference Panel.Leading irrigators and pastoralists inthe area are collaborating in theproject.

8 CRCFE staff have run or helped runthree international and nationalconferences and 12 major trainingworkshops or courses for scientistsand water industry personnel, twofreshwater schools for schoolstudents, and 14 other workshops orseminar series during 2003–2004.


During 2002–2003:8 the CRCFE conducted the assess-

ment of three environmental flowsscenarios for the River Murray, underthe Living Murray Initiative for itspartner the Murray-Darling BasinCommission, and for the Murray-Darling Basin Ministerial Council, whichis widely seen to have influenced rivermanagement in 2003–2004.

8 Scientific knowledge generated by theCRCFE was part of the basis forenvironmental flow recommendationsfor the Goulburn River, Victoria. TheLow Flow Recruitment hypothesis forfish and wetland macroinvertebrateresponses to inundation, and CRCFEwork on the microbial processing ofcarbon and nutrients in relation to‘seasonal flow inversion’ below LakeEildon, and the FLOWS methodology,to which CRCFE research contributedstrongly, have been used for this andother environmental flow studies inVictoria.

8 In regular discussions, the CRCFEadvised and assisted its partner waterauthorities for Canberra in devisingenvironmental flows for the CotterRiver (Canberra’s main water supply)during the drought of spring/summer2002 and summer/autumn 2003, andin managing water quality and envi-ronmental flows in the Cotter Riversince the bushfires of January 2003.

8 CRCFE collaborated with the Depart-ment of Sustainability andEnvironment (Victoria) to developSustainable Diversion Limits forVictorian rivers.

8 CRCFE was invited to be part of theVictorian Technical Audit Panel toreview groundwater managementplans and streamflow managementplans.

8 A team from CRCFE reviewedMelbourne Water’s Waterway Man-agement Strategy and their decisionsupport system STREAMS. CRCFEidentified opportunities for furtherrefinement.

8 CRCFE contributed to thedevelopment of a long-termmonitoring program for MelbourneWater. This included liaising withMelbourne Water staff and arrangingfor the project to be undertaken byresearchers from Monash University.

8 CRCFE continued to collaborate withSCA, DIPNR and NSW EPA on re-searching the ecological consequencesof reduced connectivity and increasedfragmentation of rivers in the Sydneyregion using genetic techniques.

8 At the Murray Unregulated RiverManagement Committee meeting,CRCFE staff gave advice on thestream flow management plan forBillabong Creek.

8 CRCFE provided DIPNR with input tothe Darling Anabranch ManagementPlan and has advised on environmen-tal flows.

8 The Lower Basin Laboratory of theMurray-Darling Freshwater ResearchCentre (CRCFE) is helping manageenvironmental flows for the MalleeCMA in western Victoria.

8 The CRCFE undertook a literaturereview of the aquatic ecological

condition of the Keepit Dam and itsimmediate surroundings, at DIPNR’srequest.

During 2001–2002:8 CRCFE convened and led the Expert

Reference Panel on EnvironmentalFlows and Water Quality Require-ments for the River Murray System,for the MDBC. The CRC provided akey technical report supporting theApril 2002 Ministerial Council decisionto continue development of RiverMurray environmental flowsallocations.

8 Described the environmental health ofthe rivers of the Murray-Darling Basinin a report to the MDBC titled Snap-shot of the Condition of the Rivers inthe Murray-Darling Basin.

8 Coordinated Scientific Panel assess-ments for Victoria’s Ovens River andBroken River, and produced a techni-cal report reviewing the ScientificPanel approach to determiningenvironmental flows for DNREVictoria.

8 Undertook a major AquaticBiodiversity Assessment Pilot Studyon behalf of the Sydney CatchmentAuthority.

8 Facilitated a whole-of-water cyclebenchmarking study workshop forACTEW Corporation.

8 Undertook assessment of proposedmanagement scenarios for the LowerBalonne River system for DNRMQueensland.

8 Produced two river managementguides for regional catchment man-agement organisations that were


distributed to over 3500 stakeholders.There has been strong demand forthese guides.

During 2000–2001:8 CRCFE provided First National

Assessment of River Condition,through the NLWRA, as a basis forlarge-scale decision making aboutimproving river condition acrossAustralia.

8 Developed a framework which willprovide for a comprehensive annualreview of the condition of the Basin’swaterways — the Sustainable RiversAudit — for the MDBC.UPDATE, JUNE 2004: ‘After a highlysuccessful pilot trial in four rivers, anew $11 million six-year program’called the Sustainable Rivers Auditwill ‘audit the health of the Murray-Darling Basin’s rivers and streams’ in23 river valleys: announced on 10June 2004 by Murray-Darling BasinCommission (MDBC) President IanSinclair. (See http://www.mdbc.gov.au/commcentre/elist/eletter/Issue32-july04.htm)

8 The National Water Quality Manage-ment Strategy guidelines for waterquality (and sediments) and for water-quality monitoring and reporting,completed and published. Bothguidelines have had large input fromCRCFE staff over several years, andBill Maher was a principal writer of themonitoring and reporting guidelinesand the sediment quality guidelines.These guidelines are now the basisfor water quality measurements andreporting, nationally.

8 Reviewed progress made towards thedefinition, measurement and reportingof Ecologically Sustainable Develop-ment as it is applied to Queensland’swater resources, in a 2-day workshopwith QDNR.

8 Provided scientific input to, andoversaw, several riverineenvironmental flows assessmentexpert panels.

During 1999–2000:8 the CRCFE’s ability to improve water

management was recognised by awide range of stakeholders as shownby the high demand for the CRCFE’sexpertise from community groups, thewater industry, politicians, the mediaand the general public.

8 Many of the CRCFE’s recommenda-tions were adopted via consultancies.

Research undertaken in large multi-disciplinary projects is managed in anintegrated way, 1999–2005Large multi-disciplinary projects haveformed the core of the CRCFE’s researchportfolio. These projects use expertisefrom across the CRCFE to focus onproblems at an appropriate field scale(preferably at landscape scale), and aremanaged in an integrated way.

The CRC’s research portfolio has beenguided by a conviction that if truly multi-disciplinary and collaborative research isto be undertaken, the researchers andmanagers must be involved from the startin developing the projects. We haveinvested in leadership training to helpstaff work in these integrated projects,

and each project has had input fromindustry via the Program AdvisoryCommittees and other collaborations.

Of 35 active core- and associated-research projects in 2004–2005, 18involved staff from several partnerinstitutions. Eight of the 11 phase-2 coreprojects were cross-institutional, and also10 associated projects. The staff interactvia frequent phone and email contact andregular program and project meetings.Phase I research teams (2000–2003),now disbanded, combined staff acrosssites in a similar way.

Maintaining a strong partner base,1999–2005The CRCFE consisted of 19 partners atJune 2005, since two partners — LowerMurray Water and Sunraysia Rural WaterAuthority — amalgamated into one in2004–2005. The partners comprised sixresearch providers and 13 public andprivate water-industry agencies.

The Senior Management Team and theKnowledge Exchange team have been inregular contact with members of theCRCFE’s partner organisations,discussing their requirements andsupplying advice and information. TheSenior Management Team memberswere staff members in four of our partnerresearch providers.

Wherever possible, CRCFE has ensuredthat the involvement of partnerorganisations in CRCFE work has beenacknowledged in publicity about theCentre.

During 2004–2005, the success of theCRCFE’s rebid, jointly with the CRC forCatchment Hydrology, was announced.The new CRC will have over 40participants, about one-third of whichhave not been participants in the twoformer CRCs. The new partners compriserepresentatives from private industry,including small-medium size enterprises(SMEs), as well as public industry andresearch providers.

Research and researchers

Research portfolio appropriate toshort- and longer-term issues for thewater industryOur research portfolio has targeted bothshort and long-term issues facing thewater industry. CRCFE projects haveranged from large integrated three- tofive-year projects looking at scientificquestions underpinning sustainable waterresources management, to short-term 6–12 month projects addressing immediateneeds and knowledge gaps. Up till 2004–2005, additional targeted funding hasbeen provided through government andindustry research grants.

We believe that most benefit is gained ifresearch projects are developed ascollaborative partnerships betweenresearchers and managers. ProgramAdvisory Committees (PACs), establishedfor each research program, formalisedthe involvement of industry staff inresearch planning and activities.

Industry personnel have continued to beinvolved directly with many of the latestpost-graduate students, as mentors (see


below), ensuring that the students’research topics have continued relevanceto water industry issues.

Research is of an excellent standardand is published in refereed literatureAll research projects undertaken withinthe CRCFE have undergone a rigorousreview process to ensure excellent qualityscience which is relevant and of benefit toour partners. To reinforce this, we havehad a quality assurance review processthat all research projects haveundergone. It had three levels:8 internal review of the science (by

management committee);8 external review of the science (by

peers); and8 review of management relevance (by

PACs).All research projects were approved bythe CRCFE’s Board.

The list of articles accepted by, or pub-lished in, refereed journals has variedfrom year to year. In total the CRCFE haspublished approximately 450 paperssince mid-1999, though the numberappears higher in the yearly figures,because there is some overlap withpapers in press at the ends of financialyears:

97 articles in 2004–2005;104 articles in 2003–2004; 67 in 2002–2003; 50 in 2001–2002; 94 in 2000–2001; 43 in 1999–2000.

One of the ways in which the CRCFE hasensured its research is world-class hasbeen through international collaborationswith selected institutions and researchers.These linkages have enriched theresearch generated by both parties andbenefited the broader water sciencecommunity in Australia as CRCFEresearchers have shared theirknowledge. Several key researchers inCRCFE have been on internationalcommittees (e.g. DIVERSITAS, andeditorial boards) by invitation (see page31).

Effective project management withregular reporting to BoardThe CRCFE Project Management Systemhas tracked the achievement ofmilestones for individual projects. All staffaccessed the Project ManagementSystem through the secure CRCFEintranet web site. Reasons for missedmilestones were provided by the ProjectLeader and these formed part of theExceptions Report to the Board.

Education and training

Involvement of non-university staff inteaching postgraduate courses andresearch supervisionNine CRCFE postgraduate students havehad non-university staff as co-supervisorsin 2004–2005. In 2003–2004, 2002–2003,2001–2002, 2000–2001 and 1999–2000,the numbers were 9, 10, 10, 1 and 22,respectively. Additionally, each year theCRCFE has had several studentsinvolved in collaborative projects withnon-university partners of the CRCFE andbenefiting from feedback and advice theyreceive from them.

The industry mentoring scheme forpostgraduate students, introduced in2003, has continued this financial year,2004–2005. Recipients of CRCFE top-upand APA scholarships have had industrymentors, as well as supervisors, toensure that the students’ trainingproduces new scientists with a soundunderstanding of the water industry.

Short courses and workshops devel-oped and presentedDuring 2004–2005, CRCFE personnelhave run, or jointly run 11 professionaltraining courses, and five short coursesand interactive workshops or forums forindustry staff, managers and researchers.

Three conferences and 28 courses orinteractive workshops were run in 2003–2004; 13 research planning, joint problemsolving or communications workshops wereorganised in 2002–2003, 17 in 2001–2002,17 in 2000–2001 and 3 in 1999–2000.

Applications of research

Adoption of research by partners,1999–20058 Environmental flow monitoring and

assessment framework (MDBC, DSE,DWLBC)

8 River health assessment methods(Sydney Catchment Authority (SCA),MDBC, QNRM, DSE, DIPNR, EPANSW, EPAV, Environment ACT)

8 Waterway condition assessment(National Land & Water Resources Audit)

Number of postgraduate students enrolled and working with the CRCFE, and degrees conferred

2004–2005 2003–2004 2002–2003 2001–2002 2000–2001 1999–2000

PhD 41 48 51 47PhD+MSc 41 51MSc 1 1 1 na 1 12Conferred 7 10 4 8 na 11Associated projects 10 10 6 na 90 25

na = information not available


8 Integrated urban land and watermanagement (ACT Government,Melbourne Water)

8 Urban stream rehabilitation (ACTGovernment, Melbourne Water, NSWEPA (DEC), SCA,)

8 Biodiversity assessment methods andmanagement (SCA, EPAV)

8 Environmental flows assessment andsetting (MDBC, DSE, SCA, QNRM,ACT Government, ACTEW,Melbourne Water, Goulburn-MurrayWater)

8 Environmental flow effects — monitor-ing (DSE, EPAV, Melbourne Water,MDBC, DIPNR, QNRM, EnvironmentACT, DWLBC)

8 Taxonomic guides (DSE, QNRM,DIPNR, EPAs)

8 Fish management (MDBC, DWLBC,DIPNR, QNRM)

8 Lake, reservoir, wetland management(Lower Murray Water, DIPNR, Envi-ronment ACT, MDBC, SCA, DWLBC,ACTEW Corporation)

8 Stream rehabilitation (DSE, QNRM,SCA, MDBC)

8 Ecological risk assessment(Melbourne Water, EPAV, Goulburn-Murray Water, DSE, SCA)

8 CRCFE research staff have workedas consultants for partner agencies(e.g. DWLBC, DIPNR, MDBC,Goulburn-Murray Water, DEC, DSE).

Advice and consultancies provided toindustry partners and others &Applied research, investigation andconsulting contracts with non-participating agencies

CRCFE staff completed or were engagedin six consultancies generating income of$250,000 during 2004–2005, andprovided advice, continuing input, trainingor assistance to all 13 of our industrypartners as well as our six researchproviders, plus numerous non-partnergroups (see table at end of Chapter 4).(‘Consultancies’ include all externalcontracts, including contract research.)

In 2003–2004, 20 or more consultanciesgenerated $715,000 in income. During2002–2003, 2001–2002, 2000–2001,1999–2000, there were 19 consultancies($576,000 income), 28 consultancies($780,000 income), 16 consultancies($1.1 million income) and 36consultancies ($1.4 million income),respectively. In 1999–2000, staff providedadvice and assistance on more than 250occasions to industry partners and others.

Production of technical publicationsappropriate for end-users and devel-opment of other vehicles for reachingthese groupsTo broaden access to CRCFE researchfindings, technical reports are now madeavailable in PDF format on the CRCFEwebsite, and non-technical descriptions ofresearch findings are also produced,often via Watershed, our newsletter/magazine.

The CRC uses a variety ofcommunication strategies to reach end-users, including one-on-one knowledgeexchange, web placement of informationand reports, seminars, workshops,conferences, consultative and businessmeetings, international visits, advisorycommittees and training sessions.

Centre staff involvement ingovernment and other advisory bodies

CRCFE staff have been members of atleast 34 committees and advisory bodiesto government agencies and naturalresources management groups, at local,state, national and international level,

during 2004–2005, and chair or deputychair of 10 of those bodies. They include:8 NSW Scientific Committee for the

Threatened Species Conservation Act8 Queensland threatened species

scientific committee8 ACT Flora and Fauna Committee

(Chair)8 ACT Environment Advisory Commit-

tee8 Australian Government State of the

Environment Committee8 ACT Water Supply Catchments

Management Committee (Chair)8 DSE Technical Advisory Panel on

environmental flows (Chair)8 Gippsland Lakes Task Force8 Gippsland Integrated Natural

Resource Forum (Chair)8 Australian Society for Limnology

(President and Vice-President)8 Australian Society for Fish Biology

(President)8 Victorian Catchment Management

Council

Technical publications produced, 1999–2004

2004–2005 2003–2004 2002–2003 2001–2002 2000–2001 1999–2000

Technical reports 26 14 11 16 17 25Consultancy reports 32 54 21 17 44 58Software 1 3 2 - - -ID guides 0 6 2 7 10 7Tech memos na 1 3 1 1 1and electronic publications


8 Gippsland Water Technical ReviewCommittee (Chair)

8 EPA Victoria Scientific Advisory Panel8 Board of EPA Victoria8 Board of Wetland Care Australia8 Murray Wetland Working Group8 Environment ACT/ACTEW environ-

mental flows technical working group8 Task Force on Declining Amphibian

Populations8 Lindsay Wallpolla Environmental

Flows Steering Committee (Chair ofmeetings)

8 Technical Audit Panel for Streamflowand Groundwater Management Plans,DSE

8 Scientific Reference Panel for LowerSnowy River Rehabilitation Trial

8 Scientific Advisory Group, MoretonBay Waterways and CatchmentsPartnership (Deputy Chair)

8 Scientific Expert Panel, EcosystemHealth Monitoring Program, MoretonBay Waterways and CatchmentsPartnership (Deputy Chair)

8 Scientific Expert Panel, MoretonRegion Water Resource Planning,Moreton Bay Waterways andCatchments Partnership (Chair)

8 Lake Eyre Basin Ministerial CouncilScientific Advisory Panel.

8 2nd International Symposium onRiverine Landscapes, ScientificCommittee

8 Australian–Japanese ‘Predictions inUngauged Basins’ Working Group (D.Baldwin, CSIRO)

8 Scientific Committee of DIVERSITAScrosscutting network on freshwaterbiodiversity

8 Ramsar Convention’s Scientific andTechnical Review Panel

8 Global Water Systems Project,Scientific Steering Committee (a jointproject of Diversitas, the IGBP, theIHDP and the WCRP)

8 North American Benthological SocietyExecutive Committee (Chair)

8 North American Benthological SocietyAwards of Excellence Committee

8 North American Benthological SocietyInternational Planning Committee

During the first five years of this CRCFE,staff were members of 38 committees(chairing 6) in 2003–2004, 10 committeesin 2002–2003, 17 committees (chairing 3of them) plus 3 expert advisory panels in2001–2002, 59 committees (chairing 8 ofthem) plus 23 expert advisory panels in2000–2001, and more than 56committees and advisory bodies (chairing11 of them) in 1999–2000.

Media exposure by centreEach year the CRCFE’s work is coveredby a range of mass media outlets as wellas industry newsletters. In 2004–2005,staff and students of the CRCFE gener-ated over 50 media hits that we know of,with another 12 foreshadowing eWaterCRC, in connection with Gary Jones.Comparable numbers in 2003–2004,2002–2003, 2001–2002, 2000–2001,1999–2000 were >200, 104, 150, 130 and103 media hits, respectively.

Management and budget

Effectiveness of Board in settingresearch directions and providingoverall policies for the centre

The Board has been very involved withdeveloping the research portfolio and withsetting other policies for the CRCFE. TheBoard’s Research Committee hasenabled timely feedback on researchproject matters to the SeniorManagement Team and other seniorresearch staff.

Reporting progress to the Board andto the Commonwealth

The CRCFE Board received financialinformation on a quarterly basis andresearch-progress reports at each Boardmeeting.

The Australian Government has beenadvised of the financial position of theCRC each quarter.

Accurate monitoring of agreed perfor-mance indicators

The CRCFE has a project managementsystem in place, which has tracked thecompletion of milestones for the researchcomponent. Other performance indicatorshave been monitored through the CRCFEInformation Management System.

Deliver induction program so that allnew entrants to the centre have anunderstanding of the organisation, itsoperations and resources

An induction program is carried outannually as part of the project manage-ment course for new students and staff.The postgraduate student manualoutlines funding opportunities,applications, and other administrativeprocedures.

Provide appropriate staff developmentopportunities within the centre

Staff have been given opportunities toexpand their scientific and managerialskills through CRCFE-funded attendanceat national and international conferencesand workshops, plus national scientificand managerial development trainingcourses. The CRCFE provides substantialannual funding (in excess of $50,000) forthis purpose.

Significantly increase revenues fromoutside sources during the life of thecentre

The CRCFE was paid $250,000 during2004–2005 for consultancies, includingcontract research. Income fromconsultancies in earlier years is reportedabove.


7. Publications andpresentations

Books and chapters in books

Abal, E.G., Bunn, S.E. and Dennison, W.C.(eds) (2005). Healthy Waterways, HealthyCatchments: Making the connection insouth east Queensland. Moreton Bay andCatchments Partnership, BrisbaneQueensland. 222 p.

Abal, E.G., Bunn, S.E., Dennison, W.C.,Greenfield, P.F. and Tarte, D. (2005) Theway forward. In: Abal, E.G., Bunn, S.E.and Dennison, W.C. (eds) (2005).Healthy Waterways, Healthy Catchments:Making the connection in south eastQueensland. Moreton Bay andCatchments Partnership, BrisbaneQueensland, pp. 209–216.

Abal, E.G., Dennison, W.C. and Bunn, S.E.(2005) Setting. In: Abal, E.G., Bunn, S.E.and Dennison, W.C. (eds) (2005).Healthy Waterways, Healthy Catchments:Making the connection in south eastQueensland. Moreton Bay andCatchments Partnership, BrisbaneQueensland, pp. 35–68.

Arthington, A.H., Baran, E., Brown, C.A.,Dugan, P., Halls, A.S., King, J.M., Minte-Vera, C.V., Tharme, R.E. and Welcomme,R.L. (2005) Water requirements offloodplain rivers and fisheries: existingdecision-support tools and pathways fordevelopment. In: ComprehensiveAssessment of Water Management inAgriculture. International WaterManagement Institute, CGIAR. 59 pp.

Bunn, S.E., Balcombe, S.R., Davies, P.M.,Fellows, C.S. and McKenzie-Smith, F.J.(in press). Productivity and aquatic foodwebs of desert river ecosystems. In: R.T.Kingsford (ed.) Changeable, Changed,

Changing: The Ecology of Desert Rivers.Cambridge University Press.

Freudenberger, D. and Norris, R. (2004)Angling after the fires. The Flyfisher 9,81–84.

Jarman, P.J. and Brock, M.A. (2004) Theevolving intent and coverage oflegislation to protect biodiversity in NewSouth Wales. In: Threatened SpeciesLegislation: Is It Just An Act? EdsHutchings, P., Lunney, D. & Dickman, C.Royal Zoological Society of New SouthWales. Mosman, NSW, Australia, pp. 1–19.

Kennard, M.J. (2004) Appendix H: Freshwaterfish. In: Mary Basin Water Resource Plan(WRP) — Environmental ConditionsReport. Eds S. Brizga, A.H. Arthington, S.Choy, L. Duivendoorden, M. Kennard, R.Maynard, and W. Poplawski. QueenslandDepartment of Natural Resources,Brisbane.

Kennard, M.J. (2005) Appendix H. Freshwaterfish. In: Logan–Albert Basin WaterResource Plan (WRP) — EnvironmentalConditions Report. (Ed. S. Brizga).Queensland Department of NaturalResources and Mines, Brisbane.

Lintermans, M. and Phillips, B. (eds) (2005)Management of Murray Cod in theMurray-Darling Basin. Statement,recommendations and supporting papersfrom a workshop held in Canberra, 3–4June 2004. Murray-Darling BasinCommission, Canberra. 128 pp.

Lintermans, M., Cottingham, P. and O’Connor,R. (eds) (2005) Fish HabitatRehabilitation and Management in theMurray-Darling Basin. Statement,recommendations and supporting papersfrom a workshop held in Albury, 10–11February 2004. Murray-Darling BasinCommission, and CRC for FreshwaterEcology. Canberra.

Mitchell, A.M., Baldwin, D.S. and Rees, G.N.(2005) Alterations to potentialphosphorus release processes fromanaerobic freshwater sediments withadditions of different species of labilecarbon. In: L. Serrano and H.L.Golterman (eds) Phosphate inSediments. Backhuys: Netherlands.

Mitchell, A.M. and Baldwin, D.S. (2005)Interactions between organic phosphorusin aquatic nutrient cycles. In: B.L. Turner,E. Frossard and D.S. Baldwin (eds)Organic Phosphorus in the Environment.CAB International: Oxfordshire, UK.

Oliver, R., Grace, M., Olley, J. and Cooper, B.(2004) Water quality. Chapter 13. In:Breckwoldt, R., Boden, R. and Andrew, J.(eds) The Darling. Murray-Darling BasinCommission, Canberra, 298–329.

Pusey, B.J., Kennard, M.J. and Arthington,A.H. (2004) Freshwater Fishes of North-eastern Australia. CSIRO Publishing,Melbourne, 684 pp.

Sheldon, F. and Thoms, M.C. (2004) Rivercorridors. In: Breckwoldt, R., Boden, R.and Andrew, J. (eds) The Darling. MurrayDarling Basin Commission, Canberra.

Smith, M., Carruthers, T. and Bunn, S.E.(2005) Aquatic habitats. In: Abal, E.G.,Bunn, S.E. and Dennison, W.C. (eds)(2005) Healthy Waterways, HealthyCatchments: Making the Connection inSouth-east Queensland. Moreton Bayand Catchments Partnership, BrisbaneQueensland, pp. 13–34.

Thoms, M.C., Hill, S.M., Spry, M.J., Chen,X.J., Mount, T.J. and Sheldon, F. (2004)The geomorphology of the Darling River.In: Breckwoldt, R., Boden, R. andAndrew, J. (eds). The Darling. Murray-Darling Basin Commission, Canberra.

Thoms, M.C., Sheldon, F. and Crabb, P. 2004.A hydrological perspective of the DarlingRiver. In: Breckwoldt, R., Boden, R. andAndrew, J. (eds) The Darling. Murray-Darling Basin Commission, Canberra.

Thoms, M.C., Terrill, P., Crabb., P., Maher, S.,Harris, J. and Sheldon, F. (2004)Environmental flows in the Darling Basin.In: Breckwoldt, R., Boden, R. and Andrew,J. (eds) The Darling. Murray-DarlingBasin Commission, Canberra.

Thoms, M.C. (in press) An interdisciplinaryand hierarchical approach to the studyand management of river ecosystems. In:International Perspectives on the State ofthe Art and Pathways Forward.International Association of HydrologicalSciences.

Thoms, M.C., Beyer, P. and Rogers, K.H. (inpress) Variability, complexity and diversity— the geomorphology of riverecosystems in dryland regions. In:Kingsford, R.T. (ed.) The Ecology ofDesert Rivers. Cambridge UniversityPress, pp. 47–75.

Tockner, K., Bunn, S.E., Gordon, C., Naiman,R.J., Quinn, G.P. and Stanford, J.A. (inpress). Floodplains: critically threatenedecosystems. In: N. Polunin (ed.) Future ofAquatic Ecosystems. CambridgeUniversity Press.

Turner, B., Frossard, E. and Baldwin, D.S.(eds) (2005) Organic Phosphorus in theEnvironment. ABI Publishing,Wallingford.UK. 399 p.

Welcomme, R.L., Bene, C., Brown, C.A.,Arthington, A.H., Dugan, P., King, J.M.and Sugunan, V. (2005) Predicting thewater requirements of river fisheries. In:Wetlands as an Ecological Resource(Vols 1 and 2). Ecological Studies,Springer.


Refereed journal articles

Arthington, A.H., Balcombe, S.R., Wilson,G.A., Thoms, M.C. and Marshall, J.(2005) Spatial and temporal variations infish assemblage structure within isolatedwaterholes during the 2001 dry season ofan arid-zone floodplain river, CooperCreek, Australia. Marine and FreshwaterResearch 56, 25–35.

Baker, A.M., Hughes, J.M., Dean, J.C. andBunn, S.E. (2004) Mitochondrial DNAreveals phylogenetic structuring andcryptic diversity in Australian freshwatermacroinvertebrate assemblages. Marineand Freshwater Research 55, 629–640.

Balcombe, S.R. and Closs, G.P. (2004)Spatial relationships and temporalvariability in a littoral macrophyte fishassemblage. Marine and FreshwaterResearch 55, 609–617.

Balcombe, S.R., Bunn, S.E., Davies, P.M.,and McKenzie-Smith, F.J. (in press)Variability of fish diets between dry andflood periods in an arid zone floodplainriver. Journal of Fish Biology.

Baldwin, D.S., Mitchell, A.M., Rees, G.N.,Watson, G.O. and Williams, J.L. (inpress) Nitrogen processing by biofilmsalong a lowland river continuum. RiverResearch and Applications.

Baldwin, D.S., Rees, G.N., Mitchell, A.M. andWatson, G.O (in press) Spatial andtemporal variability of nitrogen dynamicsin an upland stream before and after adrought. Marine & Freshwater Research.

Ballinger, A., Mac Nally, R. and Lake, P.S.(2005) Immediate and longer-term effectsof managed flooding on floodplaininvertebrate assemblages in south-eastern Australia: generation andmaintenance of a mosaic landscape.Freshwater Biology 50, 1190–1205.

Barlow, A.J., Marchant, R. and Norris, R. (inpress) The effect of dams on

macroinverterbate recolonization in theCotter River, Australia. Verh. Internat.Verein. Limnol. 29.

Bernhardt, E., Bunn, S.E., Hart, D.D.,Malmqvist, B., Muotka, T., Naiman, R.J.,Pringle, C., Reuss, M. and van Wilgen, B.(in press). The challenge of ecologicallysustainable water management. WaterPolicy.

Bernhardt, E.S., Palmer, M.A., Allan, J.D.,Alexander, G., Barnas, K., Brooks, S.,Carr, J., Clayton, S., Dahm, C., Follstad-Shah, J., Galat, D., Gloss, S., Goodwin,P., Hart, D., Hassett, B., Jenkinson, R.,Katz, S., Kondolf, G.M., Lake, P.S., Lave,R., Meyer, J.L., O’Donnell, T.K., Pagano,L., Powell, B. and Sudduth, E. (2005)Synthesizing U.S. river restoration efforts.Science 308, 636–637.

Bond, N. and Lake, P.S. (2005) Ecologicalrestoration and large-scale ecologicaldisturbance: the effects of drought on theresponse of fish to a habitat restorationexperiment. Restoration Ecology 13, 39–48.

Boys, C.A. and Thoms, M.C. (in press) Alarge-scale, hierarchical approach forassessing habitat associations of fishassemblages in large dryland rivers.Hydrobiologia.

Brock, M.A., Nielsen, D.L. and Crosslé, K.(2005) Changes in biotic communitiesdeveloping from freshwater wetlandsediments under experimental salinityand water regimes. Freshwater Biology50, 1376–1390.

Brookes, J.D., Aldridge, K., Wallace, T.,Linden, L. and Ganf, G.G. (in press)Multiple interception pathways forresource utilisation and increasedecosystem resilience. Hydrobiologia.

Brooks, A.J., Haeusler, T., Reinfelds, I. andWilliams, S. (2005) Hydraulicmicrohabitats and the distribution ofmacroinvertebrate assemblages in riffles.Freshwater Biology 50, 331–344.

Bunn, S.E., Thoms, M.C., Hamilton, S.K. andCapon, S.J. (in press). Flow variability indryland rivers: boom, bust and the bits inbetween. River Research andApplications

Capon, S.J. (2005) Flood variability andspatial variation in plant communitycomposition and structure on a large aridfloodplain. Journal of Arid Environments60(2), 283–302.

Carini, G. and Hughes, J.M. (2004) Populationstructure of Macrobrachium australiense(Decapoda: Palaemonidae) in WesternQueensland, Australia: the role ofcontemporary and historical processes.Heredity 93, 350–364.

Carini, G. and Hughes, J.M. (in press)Population genetic structure andphylogeography of an endangeredfreshwater snail Notopala sublineata(Gastropoda: Viviparidae). BiologicalJournal of the Linnean Society.

Choquenot, D., Nicol, S. and Koehn, J. (2004)Bioeconomic modelling in thedevelopment of invasive species policy.New Zealand Journal of Marine andFreshwater Research 38, 419–428. (inpress 2004)

Churchill, R.C., Meathrel, C.E. and Suter, P.J.(2004) A retrospective assessment ofgold mining in the Reedy Creek sub-catchment, northeast Victoria, Australia:residual mercury contamination 100years later. Environmental Pollution 132,355–363.

Close, P.G., Pusey, B.J. and Arthington, A.H.(2005) Larval description of the sympatricspecies, Craterocephalusstercusmuscarum stercusmuscarum(Pisces: Atherinidae) and Mogurndaadspersa (Pisces: Eleotridae) fromtropical streams of north-eastQueensland, Australia. Journal of FishBiology 66(3), 668–684.

Crook, D.A. (2004) Movements associatedwith home range establishment by twospecies of lowland river fish. CanadianJournal of Fisheries and AquaticSciences 61, 2183–2193.

Davis, J., Horwitz, P., Norris, R.H.,Chessman, B., McGuire, M. and Sommer,B. (in press) Are river bioassessmentmethods using macroinvertebratesapplicable to wetlands ? Hydrobiologia.

Doody, J.S., Georges, A. and Young, J.E.(2004) Determinants of reproductivesuccess and offspring sex in a turtle withenvironmental sex determination.Biological Journal of the LinnaeanSociety 80, 1–16.

Douglas, M.M., Bunn, S.E. and Davies, P.M.(2005) River and wetland food webs inAustralia’s wet–dry tropics: generalprinciples and implications formanagement. Marine and FreshwaterResearch 56, 329–342.

Dyer, F. and Thoms, M.C. (in press) Managingriver flows for hydraulic diversity. RiverResearch and Applications.

Fellows, C.S., Clapcott, J.E., Udy, J.W., Bunn,S.E., Harch, B.D, Smith, M.J. and Davies,P.M. (in press) Benthic metabolism as anindicator of stream ecosystem health.Hydrobiologia.

Feminella, J.W. and Walsh, C.J. (2005)Urbanization and stream ecology: anintroduction to the series. Journal of theNorth American Benthological Society 24,585–587.

Hamilton, S.K., Sippel, S.J and Bunn, S.E.(2005) Separation of algae from detritusfor stable isotope or ecologicalstoichiometry studies using densityfractionation in colloidal silica. Limnologyand Oceanography Methods 3, 149–157.



Hamilton, S.K., Bunn, S.E., Thoms, M.C. andMarshall, J. (2005) Persistence of aquaticrefugia between flow pulses in a drylandriver system (Cooper Creek, Australia).Limnology and Oceanography 50, 743–754

Hammer, M.P. and Walker, K.F. (2004) Acatalogue of South Australian freshwaterfishes including new records, rangeextensions and translocations.Transactions of the Royal Society ofSouth Australia 128, 85–97.

Harbott, E.L. and Grace, M.R. (2005) Extra-cellular enzyme response to bioavail-ability of dissolved organic C in streamsof varying catchment urbanization.Journal of the North AmericanBenthological Society 24, 588–601.

Harbott, E.L., Grace, M.R., Webb. J.A. andHart, B.T. (2005) Small-scale temporalvariation and the effect of urbanisation onextracellular enzyme activity in streams.Journal of Environmental Monitoring 7(9),861–868.

Hatt, B.E., Fletcher, T.D., Walsh, C.J. andTaylor, S.L. (2004). The influence ofurban density and drainage infrastructureon the concentrations and loads ofpollutants in small streams. EnvironmentalManagement 34,112–124.

Howitt, J.A., Baldwin, D.S., Rees, G.N. andHart, B.T. (2004) Facilitatedheterogeneous photodegradation ofdissolved organic matter by particulateiron. Environmental Chemistry 1(3), 197–205.

Huey, J., Baker, A.M. and Hughes, J.M. (inpress) Patterns of connectivity and geneflow in two species of eel-tailed catfish,Neosilurus hyrtlii and Porochilusargenteus (Siluriformes: Plotosidae), inwestern Queensland’s dryland rivers.Biological Journal of the Linnean Society.

Hughes, J., Baker, A.M., Bartlett, C., Bunn, S.,Goudkamp, K. and Somerville, S. (2004)

Past and present patterns of connectivityamong populations of four cryptic speciesof freshwater mussels Velesunio spp. incentral Australia. Molecular Ecology 13,3197–3212.

Hyne, R.V., Pablo, F., Aistrope, M., Leonard,A. and Ahmad, N. (2004) Comparison oftime-integrated pesticide concentrationsdetermined from field deployed passivesamplers with daily river waterextractions. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 23,2090–2098.

Jackson, J.E., Raadik, T.A., Lintermans, M.and Hammer, M. (2004) Alien salmonidsin Australia: impediments to effectiveimpact management, and futuredirections. New Zealand Journal ofMarine and Freshwater Research 38,447–455.

Kennard, M.J., Arthington, A.H, Pusey, B.J.and Harch, B.D. (2005) Are alien fish areliable indicator of river health?Freshwater Biology 50, 174–193.

Kennard, M.J., Harch, B.D., Pusey, B.J. andArthington, A.H. (in press) Accuratelydefining the reference condition forsummary biotic metrics: a comparison offour approaches. Hydrobiologia.

Kennard, M.J., Pusey, B.J., Arthington, A.H.,Harch, B.D. and Mackay, S.J. (in press)Utility of a multivariate modelling methodfor prediction of freshwater fishassemblages and evaluation of riverhealth. Hydrobiologia.

King, A.J. (2004) Density and distribution ofpotential prey for larval fish in the mainchannel of a floodplain river: the role ofpelagic and epibenthic meiofauna. RiverResearch & Applications 20(8), 883–897.

King, A.J. (2004) Niche overlap betweenlarvae of exotic and native fish in alowland river. Abstract only. New ZealandJournal of Marine and FreshwaterResearch 38, 563.

King, A.J. (2004) Ontogenetic patterns ofhabitat use of fish in an Australianlowland river. Journal of Fish Biology 65,1582–1603.

King, A.J. (2005) Ontogenetic dietary shifts offishes in an Australian floodplain river.Marine and Freshwater Research 56,215–225.

Koehn, J.D. (2004) Rehabilitating fish habitatsin Australia: improving integration ofscience, management and thecommunity. Ecological Management andRestoration 5(3), 211–213.

Koehn, J.D. and Harrington, D.J. (2005)Collection and distribution of early lifestages of the Murray cod (Maccullochellapeelii peelii) in components of a regulatedriver system. Australian Journal ofZoology 53, 137–144.

Koehn, J.D. and Mackenzie, R.F. (2004)Priority management actions for alienfreshwater fish species in Australia. NewZealand Journal of Marine andFreshwater Research 38, 457–472.

Koehn, J.D. and McDowall, R.M. (2004)Invasive species: fish and fisheries. Aworkshop overview, then and now. NewZealand Journal of Marine andFreshwater Research 38, 383–389.

Koehn, J.D., Nicol, S.J. and Fairbrother, P.S.(2004) Spatial arrangements and physicalcharacteristics of structural woody habitat ina lowland river in south-eastern Australia.Aquatic Conservation: Marine andFreshwater Ecosystems 14, 457–464.

Lake, P.S. (in press) Perturbation, restorationand seeking ecological sustainability inAustralian flowing waters. Hydrobiologia.

Lamb, D.W., Bunganaen, Y., Louis, J.,Woolsey, G.A., Oliver, R.L. and White, G.(2004) Fibre evanescent field absorption(FEFA): an optical fibre technique formeasuring light absorption in turbid watersamples. Marine and FreshwaterResearch 55, 533–543.

Linke, S., Norris, R.H., Faith, D.P. andStockwell, D. (2005) ANNA: A newprediction method for bioassessmentprograms. Freshwater Biology 50(1), 147–158.

Lintermans, M. (2004) Human-assisteddispersal of alien freshwater fish inAustralia. New Zealand Journal of Marineand Freshwater Research 38, 481–501.

Lloyd, N.J., Mac Nally, R. and Lake, P.S.(2005) Spatial autocorrelation ofassemblages of benthic invertebrates andits relationship to environmental factors intwo upland rivers in southeasternAustralia. Diversity and Distributions 11,375–386.

Lloyd, N.J., Mac Nally, R. & Lake, P.S. (inpress) Spatial scale of autocorrelation ofassemblages of benthic invertebrates intwo upland rivers in south-easternAustralia and its implications forbiomonitoring and impact assessment instreams. Environmental Monitoring andAssessment.

Madsen, B.L., Boon, P.J., Lake, P.S., Bunn,S.E., Dahm, C.N., Langford, T.E. andZalewski, M. (in press). Ecologicalprinciples and stream restoration.Verhandlungen für internationalenVereinigung Limnologie.

Marshall, J.C., Steward, A.L. and Harch, B.D.(in press) Taxonomic resolution andquantification of freshwatermacroinvertebrate samples from anAustralian dryland river: the benefits andcosts of using species abundance data.Hydrobiologia.

Marshall, N.A. and Bailey, P.C.E. (2004)Impact of secondary salinisation onfreshwater ecosystems: effects ofcontrasting, experimental, short-termreleases of saline wastewater onmacroinvertebrates in a lowland stream.Marine and Freshwater Research 55,509–523.



Meathrel, C.E., Suter, P.J. and Reid, S. (2004)Habitat and dietary preferences of fresh-water turtles in ephemeral billabongs onthe Ovens River, north-east Victoria. TheVictorian Naturalist 121(1), 4–14.

Metzeling, L., Tiller, D., Newall, P., Wells, J. andReed, J. (in press) Biological object-ives forthe protection of rivers and streams inVictoria, Australia. Hydrobiologia.

Metzeling, L., Robinson, D. and Perriss, S. (inpress) Can the detection of salinity andhabitat simplification gradients usingrapid bioassessment of benthicinvertebrates be improved through finertaxonomic resolution or alternativeindices? Hydrobiologia.

Mugodo, J., Kennard, M., Liston, P., Nichols,S., Linke, S., Norris, R. and LintermansM. (in press) Local stream habitatvariables predicted from catchment scalecharacteristics are useful for predicting fishdistribution. Hydrobiologia.

Newall, P. and Walsh, C.J. (2005) Responseof epilithic diatom assemblages tourbanization influences. Hydrobiologia532, 53–67.

Nichols, S.J., Robinson, W.A. and Norris,R.H. (in press) Sample variabilityinfluences on the precision of predictivebioassessment. Hydrobiologia.

Nicol, S.J., Lieschke, J., Lyon, J. and Koehn,J.D. (2004) Observations on the distributionand abundance of carp and native fish andtheir responses to a habitat restoration trialin the Murray River, Australia. New ZealandJournal of Marine and FreshwaterResearch 38, 541–551.

Orr, P.T., Jones, G.J. and Hamilton, G.R.(2004) Removal of saxitoxins fromdrinking water by granular activatedcarbon, ozone and hydrogen peroxide —implications for compliance with theAustralian drinking water guidelines.Water Research 38(20), 4455–4461.

Page, T.J., Sharma, S. and Hughes, J.M.(2004) Deep phylogenetic structure hasconservation implications for the ornaterainbowfish (Rhadinocentrus ornatus) inQueensland, eastern Australia. Marineand Freshwater Research 55, 1–8.

Page, T.J., Choy, S.C. and Hughes, J.M.(2005) The taxonomic feedback loop:symbiosis of morphology and molecules.Biology Letters 1, 139–143.

Page, T.J., Baker, A.M., Cook, B.D. andHughes, J.M. (2005) Historicaltransoceanic dispersal of a freshwatershrimp: the colonization of the SouthPacific by the genus Paratya (Atyidae).Journal of Biogeography 32, 581–593.

Palmer, M.A., Bernhardt, E.S., Allan, J.D.,Lake, P.S., Alexander, G., Brooks, S.,Carr, J., Clayton, S., Dahm, C.N., FollstadShah, J., Galat, D.L., Gloss, S., Goodwin,P., Hart, D.D., Hassett, B., Jenkinson, R.,Kondolf, G.M., Lave, R., Meyer, J.L.,O’Donnell, T.K., Pagano, L. and Sudduth,E. (2005) Standards for ecologicallysuccessful river restoration. Journal ofApplied Ecology 42, 208–217.

Parsons, M.E., Thoms, M.C. and Norris, R.H.(2004) Development of a standardisedapproach to river habitat assessment inAustralia. Environmental Monitoring andAssessment 98, 109–130.

Parsons, M. Thoms, M.C. and Norris, R.H.(2004) Using hierarchy to select scales ofmeasurement in multiscale studies ofstream macroinvertebrate assemblages.Journal of the North AmericanBenthological Society 23, 157–170.

Peat, M., Chester, H. and Norris, R. (2005)River ecosystem response to bushfiredisturbance: interaction with flow reg-ulation. Australian Forestry 68, 153–161.

Pusey, B.J., Burrows, D., Arthington, A.H. andKennard, M.J. (in press) Translocationand spread of piscivorous fishes in the

Burdekin River, north-eastern Australia.Biological Invasions.

Rees, G.N., Baldwin, D.S., Watson, G.O.,Perryman, S. and Nielsen, D.L. (2004)Ordination and significance testing ofmicrobial community composition derivedfrom terminal restriction fragment lengthpolymorphisms: application ofmultivariate statistics. Antonie vanLeeuwenhoek International Journal ofMicrobiology 86, 339–347.

Rees, G.N., Beattie, G., Bowen, P.M. andHart, B.T. (in press) Heterotrophicbacterial production in the lower RiverMurray, south eastern Australia. Marineand Freshwater Research.

Rees, G.N., Bowen, P.M. and Watson, G.O. (inpress) Variability in benthic respiration inthree south eastern Australian lowlandrivers. River Research and Applications.

Rees, G.N., Watson, G.O., Baldwin, D.S. &Mitchell, A.M. (in press) Variability in thesediment microbial communities in asemi-permanent stream: impact ofdrought. J. North American BenthologicalSociety.

Reid, M.A. and Ogden, R.W. (in press). Trend,variability or extreme event? The import-ance of long-term perspectives in riverecology. River Research and Applications.

Reid, M.A. and Quinn, G.P. (2004)Hydrological regime and macrophyteassemblages in temporary floodplainwetlands: implications for detectingresponses to environmental waterallocations. Wetlands 24, 586–599.

Rutherford, J.C., Marsh, N.A., Davies, P.M.and Bunn, S.E. (2004) Effects of patchyshade on stream water temperature: howquickly do small streams heat and cool?Marine and Freshwater Research 55,737–748.

Sheldon, F. and Thoms, M.C. (in press)Geomorphic in-channel complexity: thekey to organic matter retention in largedryland rivers? Geomorphology.

Sheldon, F. and Thoms, M.C. (in press)Relationships between flow variability andinvertebrate assemblage composition:data from four Australian dryland rivers.River Research and Applications.

Siebentritt, M.A., Ganf, G.G. and Walker, K.F.(2004) Effect of an artificially enhancedflood on riparian vegetation. RiverResearch & Applications, publishedonline in Wiley InterScience(www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI:10.1002/rra.794.

Smith, B.B. and Walker, K.F. (2004)Reproduction of common carp in SouthAustralia, shown by young-of-the-yearsamples, gonadosomatic index andhistological staging of ovaries.Transactions of the Royal Society ofSouth Australia 128, 249–257.

Stoddard, J.L., Larsen, D.P., Hawkins, C.P.,Johnson, R.K. and Norris, R.H. (in press)Setting expectations for the ecologicalcondition of streams: the concept ofreference condition. EcologicalApplications.

Thoms, M.C. and Olley, J.M. (2004) Thestratigraphy, mode of deposition and age ofinset flood plains on the Barwon-DarlingRiver, Australia. International Association ofHydrological Sciences 288, 316–325.

Thoms, M.C., Dyer, F. and Walker, K (2005)Proceedings of the Ninth InternationalSymposium on Regulated Streams. RiverResearch and Applications 21 (2&3).

Thoms, M.C., Southwell, M.R. and McGinness,H.M. (in press) Floodplain-riverecosystems: Fragmentation and waterresource development. Geomorphology.



Thorp, J.H., Thoms, M.C. and Delong, M.D.(in press) Ecological regulation in rivernetworks across time and space. RiverResearch and Applications.

Walsh, C.J., Fletcher, T.D. and Ladson, A.R.(2005) Stream restoration in urbancatchments through re-designingstormwater systems: looking to thecatchment to save the stream. Journal ofthe North American Benthological Society24, 690–705.

Walsh, C.J., Roy, A.H., Feminella, J.W.,Cottingham, P.D., Groffman, P.M. andMorgan, R.P. (2005) The urban streamsyndrome: current knowledge and thesearch for a cure. Journal of the NorthAmerican Benthological Society 24, 706–723.

Westwood, K.J. and Ganf, G.G. (2004) Effectof cell flotation on growth of Anabaenacircinalis under diurnally stratifiedconditions. Journal of Plankton Research26, 1183–1197.

Young, J.E., Georges, A., Doody, J. S., West,P.B. and Alderman, R.L. (2004) Pivotalrange and thermosensitive period of thepig-nosed turtle, Carettochelys insculpta(Testudines: Carettochelydidae), fromnorthern Australia. Canadian Journal ofZoology 82, 1251–1257.

Non-refereed publications

Adams, J. (2005) Northern Basin FreshwaterForum 2004. Watershed April 2005. CRCfor Freshwater Ecology.

Adams, J. (2004) Narran Lakes EcosystemStudy News. Newsletter No.6, October.CRC for Freshwater Ecology.

Adams, J. and Wilson, G. (2005) NorthernBasin Lab winds up. Watershed August2005. CRC for Freshwater Ecology.

Brooks, S. (2005) Coming to grips with thescience of stream restoration. WatershedApril 2005. CRC for Freshwater Ecology.

Bunn, S. and Cullen, P. (2004). Water qualityand aquatic ecosystem health in the LakeEyre Basin. In Scientific Advisory PanelInformation Papers 2004. Lake EyreBasin Ministerial Forum. Pp. 31–34.Australian Government.

Bunn, S. and McMahon, T. (2004). Flowregimes and aquatic ecosystem health inthe Lake Eyre Basin. In ScientificAdvisory Panel Information Papers 2004.Lake Eyre Basin Ministerial Forum. Pp.17–20. Australian Government.

Capon, S. (2005) The Narran News. NewsletterNo. 7, February, CRC for FreshwaterEcology.

Capon, S. (2005) The Narran News. NewsletterNo. 8, April, CRC for Freshwater Ecology.

Crook, D. (2004) It’s like reality TV underwater... almost. Watershed October 2004. CRCfor Freshwater Ecology.

Doody, S., Osborne,W. and Bourne, D.(2004). Reconciling farming with wildlife:vertebrate biodiversity in the rice-growingRiverina. IREC Farmers Newsletter, RiceR&D Special 165, 21–23.

Georges, A., White, M., Guarino, E.,Fitzsimmons, N. and Goodsell, T. (2005)Life in the slow lane: how a freshwaterturtles comes to thrive in the outback.Watershed August 2005. CRC forFreshwater Ecology.

Hyne, R., Pablo, F. and Aistrope, M. (2004).Passive sampling for rice pesticides.IREC Farmers Newsletter, Rice R&DSummer Edition 165, 29–30.

Jones, G. (2004) The role of science andinnovation in Australia’s water policyreform. Watershed October 2004. CRCfor Freshwater Ecology.

Jones, G. (2005) Managing the ecologicalrisks of water trading. Watershed April2005. CRC for Freshwater Ecology.

Jones, G. (2005) So long and thanks for allthe fish. Watershed August 2005. CRCfor Freshwater Ecology.

McNeil, D. and Milligan, A. (2005) Billabongs:refuges or fish traps? Watershed April2005. CRC for Freshwater Ecology.

Milligan, A. and Cottingham, P. (2004) Worldexperience focuses on streams suffering‘urban syndrome’. Watershed October2004. CRC for Freshwater Ecology.

Milligan, A. (2004) Let’s cure urbansyndrome. Watershed October 2004.CRC for Freshwater Ecology.

Milligan, A., Quinn, G. and Ogden, R. (2005)Ecological effects of changing flows —clear but not simple. Watershed April2005. CRC for Freshwater Ecology.

Milligan, A. and Cottingham, P. (2005) Aframework for monitoring and assessingthe effects of environmental flows.Watershed April 2005. CRC forFreshwater Ecology.

Milligan, A., Cottingham, P. and Dyer, F.(2005) Case study: monitoring the effectsof Wimmera–Glenelg environmentalflows. Watershed April 2005. CRC forFreshwater Ecology.

Milligan, A. (2005) Progress in understandingdry rivers. Watershed April 2005. CRC forFreshwater Ecology.

Milligan, A. (2005) Towards understandingand maintaining aquatic biodiversity.Watershed August 2005. CRC forFreshwater Ecology.

Milligan, A. and Cottingham, P. (2005)Lessons in river rehabilitation. WatershedAugust 2005. CRC for FreshwaterEcology.

Milligan, A. and George, A. (2005) Wateringpatterns for floodplain eucalypts.Watershed August 2005. CRC forFreshwater Ecology.

Milligan, A. and O’Connor, R. (2005) What dowe know about assessing aquaticbiodiversity? Watershed August 2005.CRC for Freshwater Ecology.

Milligan, A. and Hawking, J. (2005) ‘Oils’ ain’t(necessarily) ‘oils’: the importance ofknowing what you’re dealing with.Watershed August 2005. CRC forFreshwater Ecology.

Nichols, S. and Milligan, A. (2005)Watercourses Online. Brochure.

Norris, R. and Milligan, A. (2004) Rapidlyassessing thousands of kilometres ofriver condition across Australia.Watershed October 2004. CRC forFreshwater Ecology.

Rennie, B., Osborne, W. and Milligan, A.(2005) New hope for the southerncorroboree frog. Watershed April 2005.CRC for Freshwater Ecology.

Schreiber, S. and Williams, D. (2005) Couldtargeted water management bringinvading species under control?Watershed August 2005. CRC forFreshwater Ecology.

Thiem, J. (2005) Trout cod in theMurrumbidgee River. Watershed August2005. CRC for Freshwater Ecology.

Walsh, C. (2005) New life for urban streams.Australasian Science 26(7) 22–24

White, H. and Milligan, A. (2005) Very youngMurray and trout cod are sensitive tosalinity. Watershed August 2005. CRC forFreshwater Ecology.

Williams, D. (2004) Feature plant: Cabombaor fanwort. Watershed October 2004.CRC for Freshwater Ecology.

Williams, D. (2005) Feature plant: Alligatorweed. Watershed April 2005. CRC forFreshwater Ecology.

Williams, D. (2005) Feature plant: Cumbungi.Watershed August 2005. CRC forFreshwater Ecology.

Zukowski, S. (2004) Primary-schoolershunger for facts about freshwater.Watershed October 2004. CRCFE.


Consultancy and technical reports

Adams, J. and Rennie, B. (2005) A checklistto aid in preparing wetland managementplans. Management guide/Technicalreport, CRC for Freshwater Ecology.

Bardos, D.C., Grace, M.R. and Hart, B.T. (inpress) Ecological risk assessment for algalbloom development in Lake Yarrunga.Technical report, CRC for FreshwaterEcology.

Barlow, A., Norris, R., Nichols, S. and Arthur, R.(2004) Business Plan 2004 for WaterEducation and Training (WET) DRAFT.CRC for Freshwater Ecology, University ofCanberra.

Barlow, A., Norris, R. and Nichols, S. (2004)Training and Education for the WaterIndustry: Report on a Survey of CRCFEPartner Organizations and Other WaterResource Managers. CRC for FreshwaterEcology, University of Canberra.

Barlow, A., Norris, R. and Nichols, S. (2004)Training and education for the waterindustry: Report on workshop proceedings,26 February 2004, University of CanberraACT. CRC for Freshwater Ecology,University of Canberra.

Boys, C.A., Esslemont, G. and Thoms, M.C.(2005) Fish Habitat Assessment andProtection in the Barwon-Darling andParoo Rivers. Final Report by the NewSouth Wales Department of PrimaryIndustries and the Cooperative ResearchCentre for Freshwater Ecology to theAustralian Department of Agriculture,Fisheries and Forestry. NSW DPI, NelsonBay, 105 pp.

Butcher, R. and Hale, J. (2005) Wetlandrecovery prioritisation. Waters EdgeConsulting report for CRC for FreshwaterEcology.

Cottingham, P., Walsh, C., Rooney, G. andFletcher, T. (Eds) (2004) UrbanizationImpacts on Stream Ecology — From

Syndrome to Cure? Outcomes ofworkshops held at the Symposium onUrbanization and Stream Ecology,Melbourne University, Melbourne,Australia 8–10 December 2003. CRC forFreshwater Ecology, Canberra.

Cottingham, P., Barrett, J., Geddes, M. andKoehn, J. (Eds) (2005) Rivers andestuaries theme: The River Murray andMurray estuary case study. Proceedingsof a workshop held at the AustralianSociety for Fish Biology 2004 FisheriesEcosystem Symposium, Adelaide,September 2004. CRC FreshwaterEcology and Murray Darling BasinCommission.

Cottingham, P., Bond, N., Lake, S., Bunn, S.and Outhet, D. (2005) Lessons on riverrehabilitation in eastern Australia.Technical report, CRC FreshwaterEcology, Canberra.

Cottingham, P., Quinn G., King A., Norris R.,Chessman B. and Marshall C. (2005)Environmental Flows Monitoring andAssessment Framework. CRCFreshwater Ecology, Canberra.

Cottingham, P., Stewardson, M. and Webb, A.(2005) Victorian Environmental FlowsMonitoring and Assessment Program —Stage 1: Statewide Framework. CRCFreshwater Ecology and CRC CatchmentHydrology report to the VictorianDepartment of Sustainability andEnvironment.

Coysh, J., Norris, R., Kotlash, A. and Davies, C.(2005) Ecological and physicalcharacteristics of the Shoalhaven Rivercatchment: towards a conceptualunderstanding. CRC for FreshwaterEcology report to the Metropolitan WaterDirectorate — Dept of Infrastructure,Planning and Natural Resources and theSydney Catchment Authority.

Doody, S., Osborne,W., Bourne, D., Rennie,B. and Sims, R. (2004) VertebrateBiodiversity on Australian Rice Farms.

RIRDC Publication No 04/ RIRDC ProjectNo RIC04-10.

Ebner, B., Johnson, L. and Lintermans, M.2005. Re-introduction of Trout Cod intothe Cotter River Catchment. Final reportto Natural Heritage Trust. EnvironmentACT, Canberra. 34 pp.

Gawne, B., Baldwin, D., Beattie, G., Bowen,T., Ellis, I., Frankenberg, J., Lorenz, Z.,Merrick, C., Oliver, R., Rees, G.,Treadwell, S. and Williams, D. (in press)Ecological functioning of the Murray Riverecosystem. CRCFE Technical report.

Gill, A.M., Good, R., Kirkpatrick, J., Lennon,J., Mansergh, I. and Norris, R. (2004)Beyond the Bushfires 2003:Environmental issues in the AustralianAlps. Report for the Australian AlpsLiaison Committee, September 2004.

Graham, R. and Harris, J. (2005) Floodplaininundation and fish dynamics in theMurray-Darling Basin. Current conceptsand future research: a scoping study.Technical report, CRC for FreshwaterEcology.

Harris, J., Bowling, L., Keller, R., Kress, J.,Lake, S., McPhail, B. and Simpson, J. (inpress) The Tooma River Project:interdisciplinary probes into ill-definedand capricious pollution. CRC forFreshwater Ecology technical report.

Hart, B., Burgman, M., Webb, A., Allison, G.,Chapman, M., Duivenvoorden, L.,Feehan, P., Grace, M., Lund, M., Pollino,C., Carey, J., McCrea, A., (2004)Ecological Risk Management Frameworkfor the Irrigation Industry. Water StudiesCentre, Monash University, Melbourne.

Johnson, S. (in press) The role of communitydata in natural resources management.CRCFE/Waterwatch Victoria.

King, E.L., Webb, J.A., (2005) WesternportCatchment Water Quality Trend Analysis.Water Studies Centre, Monash University,Melbourne.

Lemann, C. and Norris, R. (2004) BiologicalMonitoring Of Water Quality In FourStreams In Kosciuszko National Park,NSW. CRC for Freshwater Ecology reportto NSW National Parks and Wildlife Servicefor sampling period August 2004.

Lemann, C., Tingle, F. and Norris, R. (2004)Biological monitoring of the ThredboRiver June 2004.CRC for FreshwaterEcology report to Kosciusko Thredbo PtyLtd

Lemann, C., Tingle, F. and Norris, R. (2004)Biological monitoring of the ThredboRiver August 2004. CRC for FreshwaterEcology report to Kosciusko Thredbo PtyLtd.

Lemann, C., Tingle, F. and Norris, R. (2004)Biological monitoring of the ThredboRiver October 2004. CRCFE report toKosciusko Thredbo Pty Ltd.

Lemann, C., Tingle, F. and Norris, R. (2004)Determination of the Effects of PerisherCarpark on the Water Quality andBiological Integrity of Perisher Creek.CRC for Freshwater Ecology report toNSW National Parks and Wildlife ServiceNovember 2004.

Lemann, C., Tingle, F. and Norris, R. (2004)Biological monitoring of the Thredbo RiverNovember 2004. CRCFE report toKosciusko Thredbo Pty Ltd.

Lemann, C., Tingle, F. and Norris, R.H. (2005)Biological monitoring of the ThredboRiver January, 2005.CRC for FreshwaterEcology report to Kosciusko Thredbo PtyLtd.

Lintermans, M. (in press) The Re-establishment of the Endangered Fish,Macquarie Perch, Macquariaaustralasica, in the Queanbeyan River,New South Wales, with an Examination ofDietary Overlap with Alien Trout. CRCFreshwater Ecology Technical Report.



Lintermans, M., Cottingham, P. and O’Connor,R. (eds) Native Fish HabitatRehabilitation and Management in theMurray-Darling Basin. Statement,recommendations and supporting papersfrom a Workshop held in Albury NSW,10–11 February 2004. Murray-DarlingBasin Commission and CooperativeResearch Centre for Freshwater Ecology,Canberra.

Lutton, S. (in press) Drivers for the ecologicalcondition of dryland rivers in northernNSW - Part A. Technical report,CRCFE.Mackay, S. and Marsh, N. (2005)The response of aquatic macrophytes toriparian shading in a stream rehabilitationsite. Technical report 05/5, CRC forCatchment Hydrology and CRC forFreshwater Ecology.

Norris, R.H., Chester, H. and Thoms, M.C.(2004) Ecological Sustainability ofModified Environmental Flows in theCotter River During Drought ConditionsJanuary 2003–April 2004. CRC forFreshwater Ecology, Report toEnvironment ACT, 78 p.

O’Connor, R. (2004) Ecological RiskAssessment of ACT Water SourceOptions. Report to ACTEW CorporationLtd, from a workshop held at theUniversity of Canberra on September 14,2004. CRC for Freshwater Ecology.

O’Connor, R. and Kotlash, A. Assessing andmonitoring aquatic biodiversity: whathave we learnt? Management guide/Technical report, CRC for FreshwaterEcology. http://freshwater.canberra.edu.au.

Ogden, R., Davies, P., Rennie, B., Mugodo, J.and Cottingham, P. (2004). Review of the1999 ACT Environmental FlowGuidelines. CRC Freshwater Ecologyreport to Environment ACT.

Peat, M. and Norris, R.H. (2004) Thebiological condition of the Cotter Riverduring a drought flow regime. CRCFreshwater Ecology report to ACTEWCorporation Ltd.

Peat, M. and Norris, R.H. (2005) The effect oflow flow variation on periphytondownstream of dams on the Cotter River.CRC Freshwater Ecology report toACTEW Corporation Ltd.

Peat, M. and Norris, R.H. (2005) Thebiological condition of the Cotter Riverduring the current drought. CRCFreshwater Ecology report to ACTEWCorporation Ltd.

Peat, M. and Norris, R. (2005) Stream healthin the ACT Forests Estate: the effects offire and post-fire management. CRCFreshwater Ecology report to ACTForests.

Peat, M. and Norris, R. (2005) Potentialecological effects of releasing treatedwater for environmental flows into theQueanbeyan River: review and studydesign. CRC Freshwater Ecology reportto ACTEW Corporation Ltd.

Peat, M. and Norris, R. (2005) Investigation ofnitrogen and ammonia requirements forthe Perisher Valley Sewage TreatmentPlant to improve aquatic ecosystemprotection. CRC for Freshwater Ecologyreport to NSW Department of theEnvironment and Conservation.

Peat, M. and Norris, R. (2004) A review ofACT Forests water monitoring 1996–2004. CRC for Freshwater Ecology reportto ACT Forests.

Peat, M., Lemann, C. and Norris, R. (2004)ACT Water quality monitoring programmacroinvertebrate component. CRC forFreshwater Ecology report toEnvironment ACT.

Scott, A. (in press) Historical evidence ofnative fish in the Murray-Darling Basin atthe time of European settlement, from thediaries of the first explorers. Technicalreport, CRC for Freshwater Ecology.

Scott, A. (in review) Recent advances inpredicting ecology–flow relationships:outcomes of CRCFE research. CRCFE.

Tingle, F. and Norris, R. (2005) Biologicalmonitoring of water quality in fourstreams in Kosciuszko National Park,NSW. Report for sampling period May2005. CRC for Freshwater Ecology reportto NSW National Parks and WildlifeService.

Tingle, F. and Norris, R. (2005) Biologicalmonitoring of the Thredbo River. May2005. CRC for Freshwater Ecology reportto Kosciusko Thredbo Pty Ltd.

Tingle, F., Peat, M. and Norris, R.H. (2005)Determination of the effects of Perishercarpark on the water quality andbiological integrity of Perisher Creek.Interim report for February to April 2005.CRC for Freshwater Ecology report to NSWNational Parks and Wildlife Service.

Tingle, F. and Norris, R. (2005) Biologicalmonitoring of the Thredbo River. April2005. CRC for Freshwater Ecology reportto Kosciusko Thredbo Pty Ltd.

Tingle, F. and Norris, R. (2005) Biologicalmonitoring of water quality in fourstreams in Kosciuszko National Park,NSW. Report for sampling periodFebruary 2005. CRC for FreshwaterEcology report to NSW National Parksand Wildlife Service.

Tingle, F. and Norris, R. (2005) Biologicalmonitoring of the Thredbo River. February2005. CRCFE report to KosciuskoThredbo Pty Ltd.

Tingle, F., Lemann, C. and Norris, R.H. (2005)Determination of the effects of Perishercarpark on the water quality andbiological integrity of Perisher Creek.Interim report for November 2004 toJanuary 2005. CRC for FreshwaterEcology report to NSW National Parksand Wildlife Service.

Walsh, C.J., Leonard, A.W., Ladson, A.R. andFletcher, T.D. (2004) Urban Stormwaterand the Ecology of Streams. CRC forFreshwater Ecology, Canberra, 44 p.

Webb, J.A., (2004) Maribyrnong andWerribee catchments water quality trendanalysis. Water Studies Centre, MonashUniversity, Melbourne.

Webb, J.A., Hart, B.T., (2004) EnvironmentalRisks from Salinity Increases in theGoulburn-Broken Catchment. WaterStudies Centre, Monash University,Melbourne.

Webb, A., Bond, N., Mac Nally, R., Quinn, G.,Wealands, S., Vesk, P. and Spring, D.(2005) Rivers in landscapes: heuristicmodels linking ecological responses andlarge scale drivers. CRC for FreshwaterEcology, Melbourne.

Williams, D. and Roberts, J. (2005) Riparianvegetation diversity in the Sydney Catch-ment Authority’s area of operation.Technical report, CRC for FreshwaterEcology. http//freshwater.canberra.edu.au.

Software

Mugodo, J. (2005) Multiple lines and levels ofevidence software, with MLLE Manualand Software User Guide.



Papers in conference proceedingsAdams, J.C. and Tyson, D.R. (2005). Local

knowledge of the Narran Lakes: oralhistory as a line of evidence in ecologicalunderstanding. In: Rutherfurd, I.D.,Wiszniewski, I., Askey-Doran, M. andGlazik, R. (eds) Proceedings of the 4thAustralian Stream ManagementConference, 19–22 October 2004,Launceston, Tasmania, pp. 28–33.

Anderson, B., Reich, P., Lake, P.S.,Rutherfurd, I., Quinn, G. and Stewardson,M. (2005) The riparian rehabilitationexperiment: evolution of a practicalmethodology. In: Rutherfurd, I.D.,Wiszniewski, I., Askey-Doran, M. andGlazik, R. (eds) Proceedings of the 4thAustralian Stream ManagementConference, 19–22 October 2004,Launceston, Tasmania, pp. 40–46.

Arthington, A.H., Lorenzen, K., Pusey, B.J.,Abell, R., Halls, A., Winemiller, K.O.,Arrington, D.A. and Baran, E. (2004) Riverfisheries: ecological basis for managementand conservation. In: Welcomme, R.L. andPetr, T. (eds) Proceedings of the SecondInternational Symposium on theManagement of Large Rivers for Fisheries:Sustaining Livelihoods and Biodiversity inthe New Millennium, Volume I. Food andAgriculture Organization of the UnitedNations and Mekong River Commission pp.21–60.

Arthington, A.H., Tharme, R., Brizga, S.O.,Pusey, B.J. and Kennard, M.J. (2004)Environmental flow assessment withemphasis on holistic methodologies. In:Welcomme, R.L. and Petr, T. (eds)Proceedings of the Second InternationalSymposium on the Management of LargeRivers for Fisheries: Sustaining Livelihoodsand Biodiversity in the New Millennium,Volume II. Food and AgricultureOrganization of the United Nations andMekong River Commission, pp. 37–65.

Balcombe, S.R. and Bunn, S.E. (2005) Thetrophic basis of fish assemblages in adryland river. Proceedings of theFisheries Ecosystem Symposium,Australian Society for Fish Biology,Adelaide, September 2004.

Bond, N. and Lake, P.S. (2005) Disturbanceregimes and stream restoration: theimportance of restoring refugia. In:Rutherfurd, I.D., Wiszniewski, I., Askey-Doran, M. and Glazik, R. (eds)Proceedings of the 4th Australian StreamManagement Conference, 19–22 October2004, Launceston, Tasmania, pp.90–94.

Cornforth, R., Rees, G., Croome, R. andBaldwin, D. (2004) Bacterial abundanceand extracellular enzyme activity in thesurface microlayer of Normans Lagoon,near Albury, New South Wales.Environmental Engineering ResearchEvent 2004, Environmental Change:Make It Happen. University ofWollongong Press, pp. 145–151.

Jones, G. (2005) Integration: not seeing theforest for the trees? Keynote Address atIntegration Symposium, hosted by Landand Water Australia, September 2004.On CD, from Land and Water Australia.

King, E.L. and Webb, J.A. (2005) Temporalchanges in urban streammacroinvertebrate assemblages: aBayesian hierarchical approach toanalysing sparse monitoring data.MODSIM 05, Melbourne.

Koehn, J.D. and Nicol, S.J. (2004) A strategyto rehabilitate native fish in the Murray-Darling Basin, south-eastern Australia. In:Proceedings of the Second InternationalSymposium on the Management of LargeRivers for Fisheries Volume II. Welcome,R. and Petre, T. (eds.) FAO regionalOffice for Asia and the Pacific, Bangkok,Thailand, RAP Publication 2004/16, pp141–149.

Koehn, J., Stuart, I. and Crook, D. (2004)Linking the ecological importance ofdownstream fish movements tomanagement of Murray-Darling Basin fishpopulations. In: Lintermans, M. andPhillips, B. (eds) Downstream Movementof Fish in the Murray-Darling Basin.Workshop held in Canberra, 3–4 June2003. Murray-Darling Basin Commission,Canberra, pp. 67–78.

Ladson, A.R., Walsh, C.J. and Fletcher, T.D.(2005) Improving stream health in urbanareas by reducing runoff frequency fromimpervious surfaces. In: Proceedings ofthe 29th Hydrology and Water ResourcesSymposium (on CD). Engineers Australia,Canberra.

Ladson, A.R., Walsh, C.J., Fletcher, T.D.,Cornish, S. and Horton, P. (2004)Improving stream health by reducing theconnection between impervious surfacesand waterways. 3rd National Conferenceon Water Sensitive Urban Design.Adelaide, South Australia, 21–25November 2004 (on CD). EngineersAustralia and the Australian WaterAssociation.

Lintermans, M. (2005) Dealing with sand inthe Murrumbidgee River: Can yourecreate and maintain deepwater habitatsin sediment-impacted large rivers? In:Lintermans, M., Cottingham, P. andO’Connor, R. (eds) Fish HabitatRehabilitation and Management in theMurray-Darling Basin. Statement,recommendations and supporting papersfrom a workshop held in Albury, 10–11February 2004. Murray-Darling BasinCommission and CRC for FreshwaterEcology. Canberra.

Lintermans, M. (2005) Summary ofmanagement policies and fisheriesregulations for Murray cod in the Murray-Darling Basin. Pp 64-69 In: Lintermans,M. and Phillips, B. (eds) 2005.Management of Murray Cod in the

Murray-Darling Basin. Statement,recommendations and supporting papersfrom a workshop held in Canberra, 3–4June 2004. Murray-Darling BasinCommission, Canberra, pp. 64–69.

Lintermans, M. and Rowland, S.J. (2005)Murray cod information sheet. In:Lintermans, M. and Phillips, B. (eds)Management of Murray Cod in theMurray-Darling Basin — Workshop Heldin Canberra, 3–4 June 2004: Statement,Recommendations and SupportingPapers. Murray-Darling BasinCommission, Canberra, pp 123–125.

Lintermans, M., Robinson, W. and Harris, J.(2005) Identifying the health of fishcommunities in the Murray-Darling Basin:the Sustainable Rivers Audit. In:Rutherfurd, I.D., Wiszniewski, I., Askey-Doran, M. and Glazik, R. (eds)Proceedings of the 4th Australian StreamManagement Conference, 19–22 October2004, Launceston, Tasmania, pp. 363–368.

Lintermans, M., Rowland, S.J., Koehn, J.,Butler, G., Simpson, R. and Wooden, I.(2005) The status, threats andmanagement of freshwater cod species inAustralia. In: Lintermans, M. and Phillips,B. (eds) 2005. Management of MurrayCod in the Murray-Darling Basin-workshop held in Canberra, 3-4 June2004: Statement, recommendations andsupporting papers. Murray-Darling BasinCommission, Canberra, pp 15–29.

Marsh, N.A., Bunn, S. and Rutherford, J.C.(2005) Restoring water temperatureregimes of small streams with riparianrevegetation. In: Rutherfurd, I.D.,Wiszniewski, I., Askey-Doran, M. andGlazik, R. (eds) Proceedings of the 4thAustralian Stream ManagementConference, 19–22 October 2004,Launceston, Tasmania, pp. 403–409.

Conference Proceedings publications


Marsh, N., Kennard, M., Stewardson, M. andArthington, A. (2005) Using the RiverAnalysis Package to quantify the effect offlow change on in-stream habitat avail-ability. Engineers Australia. 29th Hydrologyand Water Resources Symposium. 21–23February 2005, Canberra.

Marsh, N.A., Rutherfurd, I. and Bunn, S. (2005)Suspended sediment yield followingriparian revegetation in a small southeastQueensland stream. In: Rutherfurd, I.D.,Wiszniewski, I., Askey-Doran, M. andGlazik, R. (eds) Proceedings of the 4thAustralian Stream ManagementConference, 19–22 October 2004,Launceston, Tasmania, pp. 410–414.

Murray, O., Rayburg, S., Thoms, M.C. andNeave, M. (2005) Variations of wetlandpatch characteristics under differentinundation levels using remotely senseddata: preliminary results from the NarranLakes, NSW. In: Rutherfurd, I.D.,Wiszniewski, I., Askey-Doran, M. andGlazik, R. (eds) Proceedings of the 4thAustralian Stream ManagementConference, 19–22 October 2004,Launceston, Tasmania, pp. 439–444.

Nichols, S., Barlow, A., Norris, R., Gray, B.and Evans, L. (2004) AUSRIVAS online:bringing education, research and thewater industry together. Conferenceproceedings for AWA’s Education: TheKey to Sustainable Water Management— Going Beyond Conversation, 28–29January 2004, Canberra, pp. 131–139.

Norris, R., Liston, P., Mugodo, J., Nicols, S.,Quinn, G., Cottingham, P., Metzeling, L.,Perriss, S., Robinson, D., Tiller, D. andWilson, G. (2004) Multiple lines and levelsof evidence for detecting ecologicalresponses to management interventions.In: Rutherfurd, I.D., Wiszniewski, I., Askey-Doran, M. and Glazik, R. (eds) Proceedingsof the 4th Australian Stream ManagementConference, 19–22 October 2004,Launceston, Tasmania.

Pusey, B.J., Arthington, A.H. & Kennard, M.J.(2004) Hydrologic regime and its influenceon broad-scale patterns of fish biodiversityin north-eastern Australian rivers.Proceedings of the 5th InternationalSymposium on Ecohydraulics, Madrid,Spain, 12–17 September 2004.

Pusey, B.J., Arthington, A.H. and Kennard, M.J.(2005) Threats to freshwater fishes of thewet tropics region. Proceedings of theOzwater 2005 Watershed Symposium,Townsville, May 2005.

Rayburg, S., Neave, M., Thoms, M.C. andMesley, E. (2005). A preliminaryinvestigation into the influence of changingstream network patterns on the distributionof water in the Narran Lakes ecosystem. In:Rutherfurd, I.D., Wiszniewski, I., Askey-Doran,M. and Glazik, R. (eds) Proceedings of the4th Australian Stream ManagementConference, 19–22 October 2004,Launceston, Tasmania, pp. 509–515.

Southwell, M.R., Thoms, M.C., Foster, J.M. andLenon, E. (2004) Geomorphic variation andthe accumulation of organic matter: theBarwon-Darling, Australia. In: Rutherfurd,I.D., Wiszniewski, I., Askey-Doran, M. andGlazik, R. (eds) Proceedings of the 4thAustralian Stream ManagementConference, 19–22 October 2004,Launceston, Tasmania.

Thoms, M.C. and Dyer, F.D. (2004) Hydraulicdiversity in a regulated river. Proceedings ofthe Fifth International Symposium onEcohydraulics: Aquatic Habitats: Analysisand Restoration, Madrid, Spain,pp. 1289–1293.

Webb, J.A., Bond, N.R., Wealands, S.R., MacNally, R., Grace, M.R. and Quinn, G.P.(2005) Bayesian classification ofcatchments using spatial data: a first step toimproved modelling of catchment effects onstream ecological condition. MODSIM 05,Melbourne.

Conference Proceedings, Presentations

Woods, M., Rainger, M. and Thoms, M.C.(2004) Limitations for improving flowregimes when planning at the sub-catchment scale — an example from theBarwon-Darling river system, NSW. In:Rutherfurd, I.D., Wiszniewski, I., Askey-Doran, M. and Glazik, R. (eds)Proceedings of the 4th Australian StreamManagement Conference, 19–22 October2004, Launceston, Tasmania, pp. 704–709.

Presentations by CRCFE staff

Adams, J. and Tyson, D. (2004) Localknowledge as a line of evidence inunderstanding dryland aquaticecosystems. (Poster) Australian Societyfor Limnology, 43rd Annual Congress,Adelaide 29 November – 4 December2004.

Aldridge, K., Brookes, J. and Ganf, G. (2004)Phosphorous retention in steams;influences of carbon and phosphorusstoichiometry. Australian Society forLimnology, 43rd Annual Congress,Adelaide 29 November – 4 December2004.

Balcombe, S.R., Fawcett, J., Wright, A andBunn, S.E. (2004) Floodplain use by thefish assemblages of an arid zoneAustralian river. Australian Society forFish Biology Annual Conference, Glenelg,SA, September 2004.

Bond, N. (2004) Granite creeks work, talk andposter at Second InternationalSymposium on Riverine Landscapes,Sweden, August 2004.

Bond, N. (2004) Habitat restoration indegraded rural streams: the granitecreeks project. Healthy Rivers, HealthyCommunities conference, the Universityof Melbourne at Dookie, Victoria,9 December.

Bond, N. (2004) Overview of research in theGranite Creeks project. Wood in StreamsSymposium, Monash University ChurchillCampus, September 2004.

Brock, M.A. and Miller, W. (2004) Persistenceof seed banks in Australian temporarywetlands: a clue to wetlands resilience.7th International INTECOL WetlandsConference, Utrecht, Netherlands, July2004.

Brock, M.A. and Miller, W. (2004) Persistenceof seed banks in Australian temporarywetlands: a clue to wetlands resilience.Australian Society for Limnology, 43rdAnnual Congress, Adelaide 29 November– 4 December 2004.

Bunn, S.E. (2004) Distinguished LectureSeries, Department of Natural Resources& Mines, Brisbane, June 2004.

Bunn, S.E. (2004) Food webs in floodplainriver ecosystems. QueenslandDepartment of Primary Industries andFisheries, Deception Bay, July 2004.

Bunn, S.E. (2004) Freshwater issues in SouthEast Qld. Citizens Senate, South EastQueensland NRM Group, Brisbane,November 2004.

Bunn, S.E. (2004) Restoring ecologicalprocesses and ecosystem health inAustralian streams and rivers. 2ndInternational Symposium on RiverineLandscapes, Bredsel, Sweden,16 August 2004.

Bunn, S.E. (2004) River ecosystem health.Environmental Engineering Society,Queensland. Brisbane, September 2004.

Bunn, S.E., Balcombe, S., Fellows, C.S. andMcKenzie-Smith, F. (2005) Influence offlow regime on the food web of a drylandriver system. 53rd Annual Meeting, NorthAmerican Benthological Society, NewOrleans, USA, June 2005.

Cook, B. (2004) at Second InternationalSymposium on Riverine Landscapes,Sweden, August 2004.

59Annual Report 2004–2005 CRC for Freshwater EcologyPresentations by CRCFE staff

Ebner, B., Thiem, J., Gilligan, D., Wooden, I.and Lintermans, M. (2005) Surveying afish community in the MurrumbidgeeRiver — the effect of effort. AustralianSociety for Fish Biology Conference,Darwin July 13–15, 2005.

Fellows, C.S., Bunn, S.E., Beard, N.J.,Thoms, M.C. and Mesley, E. (2005)Benthic algal production in two drylandrivers. 53rd Annual meeting, NorthAmerican Benthological Society, NewOrleans, USA, May 2005.

Fletcher, T. D. and Walsh, C. J. (2005). Anoverview of MUSIC v3 and itsapplications for modelling stormwatermanagement to achieve ecosystemhealth improvement. Stormwater IndustryAssociation of Queensland StateConference, Gold Coast 14–15 April2005.

Gawne, B. (2004) ‘The Living Murray: AHealthy Working River?’ 12th AnnualJonathan Mann Lecture, The Murray andIts People, La Trobe University, 21October 2004.

Glaister, A. (2004) The snag bag for samplingwood-dwelling invertebrates. Wood inStreams Symposium, Monash University,Churchill Campus, September 2004.

Hammer, M.P. and Walker, K.F. (2004) Acatalogue of South Australian freshwaterfishes as a baseline for management andconservation. Australian Society forLimnology, 43rd Annual Congress,Adelaide 29 November – 4 December.

Harbott, E., Grace, M. and Hart, B. (2004)Carbon bioavailability and enzyme: theeffect of urbanization. Australian Societyfor Limnology, 43rd Annual Congress,Adelaide 29 November – 4 December.

Hawking, J., Gawne, B and Gigney, H. (2004)Quantifying flow-habitat-biotarelationships of macroinvertebrates usingdifferent functional patches in the BrokenRiver, Victoria. Australian Society for

Limnology, 43rd Annual Congress,Adelaide 29 November – 4 December.

Hughes, J. (2004) at Second InternationalSymposium on Riverine Landscapes,Sweden, August 2004.

Hughes, J., Fawcett, J., Cook, B. andPonniah, M.(2005) A translocation givesinsight into the effects of hybridizationbetween wild populations: implications forunderstanding the distributions of closelyrelated species. 53rd Annual meeting,North American Benthological Society,New Orleans, USA, May 2005.

Humphries, P. (2004) The Campaspe flowmanipulation project. Healthy Rivers,Healthy Communities conference, theUniversity of Melbourne at Dookie,Victoria, 9 December.

Infante, D.M., Allan, J.D., Linke, S. and NorrisR.H. (2004) Environmental factorsshaping fish and macroinvertebrateassemblages in streams of southeasternMichigan. Annual conference of the NorthAmerican Benthological Society,Vancouver, 6-10/6/2004 British Columbia,Canada

Kennard, M.J., Pusey, B.J. and Arthington,A.H. (2005) Ecological trait compositionof freshwater fish across gradients ofenvironmental variability in north-easternAustralia. (Invited speaker) Joint meetingof the North American BenthologicalSociety and the American GeophysicalUnion, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA May2005.

Kennard, M.J., Pusey, B.J., Arthington, A.H.and Harch, B.D. (2004) Overview of aprogram for quantitative assessment ofthe status of aquatic ecosystems ineastern Australia using fish. 4thInternational Ecohydraulics Symposium,Madrid Spain, September 2004.

Kennard, M.J., Pusey, B.J., Marsh, N. andArthington, A.H. (2004). Modellingrelationships between environmental

variability and assemblage responses:stability, persistence and resilience offreshwater fish in eastern Australianrivers of contrasting flow and habitatvariability (Poster). 4th InternationalEcohydraulics Symposium, Madrid Spain,September 2004.

Lake, P.S. (2004) at Second InternationalSymposium on Riverine Landscapes,Sweden, August 2004.

Lake, P.S., Bond, N., Glaister, A. andDownes, B. (2005) Restoration in sand-slugged streams and drought. Jointmeeting of the North AmericanBenthological Society and the AmericanGeophysical Union, New Orleans,Louisiana, USA May 2005.

Lake, S. (2004) Restoration ecology andlooking forward. Healthy Rivers, HealthyCommunities conference, the Universityof Melbourne at Dookie, Victoria,9 December.

Lake, S. (2004) The ecology of streamrestoration. Keynote Address at theNorthern Rivers Conference onEcological Restoration and Monitoring,Southern Cross University, Lismore,NSW, October 2004.

Linke, S., Hawkins, C.P. and Norris, R.H.(2004) Rapid assessment of conservationvalue: the influence of taxonomicresolution. Annual conference of theNorth American Benthological Society,Vancouver, 6-10/6/2004 British Columbia,Canada

Linke, S., Bailey, R., Norris, R., Bailey, J. andBailey, B. (2005) Muddy waters:introducing systematic conservationplanning to riverine landscapes. 53rdAnnual meeting, North AmericanBenthological Society, New Orleans,USA, May 2005.

Marchant, R., Barlow, A. and Norris, R. (2004)The effect of dams on macroinvertebraterecolonisation in the Cotter River.

Australian Society for Limnology, 43rdAnnual Congress, Adelaide 29 November– 4 December 2004.

McQuire, L., Neave, M. and Rayburg, S.(2004) Assessing agrochemical trends inthe Namoi River catchment using anindex model. Australian Society forLimnology, 43rd Annual Congress,Adelaide 29 November – 4 December.

Mugodo, J., Norris, R., Metzeling, M., Yuan,L., Liston, P., Wilkinson, S., Perriss, S.,Robinson, D. and Nichols, S. (2005)Using taxon–environment relationshipsfor defining macroinvertebrate referencecommunities in disturbed areas. 53rdAnnual meeting, North AmericanBenthological Society, New Orleans,USA, May 2005.

Nichols, S., Barlow, A., Norris, R. and Gray, B.(2004) AUSRIVAS online: learn to assessriver condition. (Poster) AustralianSociety for Limnology, 43rd AnnualCongress, Adelaide 29 November – 4December 2004.

Nichols, S., Barlow, A., Norris, R. and Rennie,B. (2004) Training to support waterresource managers. Australian Societyfor Limnology, 43rd Annual Congress,Adelaide 29 November – 4 December.

Nielsen, D.L. and Brock, M.A. (2004) Impactsof increasing salinity on Australianwetland seed and egg banks. AustralianSociety for Limnology, 43rd AnnualCongress, Adelaide 29 Nov – 4 Dec.

Nielsen, D.L. and Brock, M.A. (2004) Impactsof increasing salinity on Australianwetland seed banks. 7th InternationalINTECOL Wetlands Conference, Utrecht,Netherlands, July 2004.

Nielsen, D.L. and Brock, M.A. (2004)Predicting the ecological consequencesof aquatic salinity. Northern Basin Forum,Murray-Darling Freshwater ResearchCentre Laboratory, Goondiwindi,November 2004.

60Annual Report 2004–2005 CRC for Freshwater EcologyPresentations by CRCFE staff

Nielsen, D.L., Brock, M.A., Sim, L., Davis, J.and Chambers, J. (2004) Wetlanddiversity: the role of climate chnage andsalinity in creating a homogeneouslandscape. Limpacs Climate ChangeConference, Mildura, September 2004.

Norris, R. (2004) River health and waterquality – where does it come from andwhere does it matter? Invited Address atthe Australian Fertilizer IndustryConference, August 2004, South-eastQueensland. See www.fifa.asn.au.

Norris, R. (2005) Lessons learned fromdeveloping Australia’s National RiverHealth Program. Invited Address to theUSEPA (Washington DC, USA). 20 May.

Norris, R.H., Liston, P., Linke, S., Mugodo, J.,Metzeling, M., Newall, P., Nichols, S., andWilson, G. (2004) Bioassessmentmethods minefield: choosing a method.Annual conference of the North AmericanBenthological Society, Vancouver, 6-10/6/2004 British Columbia, Canada

Norris, R., Liston, P., Mugodo, J. and Nichols,S. (2005) Multiple lines and levels ofevidence for detecting ecologicalresponses to management intervention.53rd Annual meeting, North AmericanBenthological Society, New Orleans,USA, May 2005.

Padgham, M. and Walsh, C. J. (2005) Amethod for adapting ecological distancematrices to asymmetrical autocorrelationwithin dendritic stream networks. Jointmeeting of the North AmericanBenthological Society and AmericanGeophysical Union, New Orleans 23–27May 2005.

Page, T. and Hughes, J. (2005) Biological andearth history as revealed by Australiansubtropical sand islands. 53rd Annualmeeting, North American BenthologicalSociety, New Orleans, USA, May 2005.

Page, T., Choy, S. and Hughes, J. (2004)Indistinct freshwater shrimp: genetics andmorphology of cryptic species withinCaridina indistincta and Caridinamccullochi (Decapoda: Atyidae) ineastern Australia. Australian Society forLimnology, 43rd Annual Congress,Adelaide 29 November – 4 December2004.

Peat, M. and Norris, R. (2005) Environmentalflows: implementing adaptivemanagement with a water utility,government agency and researchers.Riversymposium, Brisbane 6-9 August2005.

Perryman, S., Walsh, C. and Rees, G. (2004)Denitrifers along an urban gradient:they’re not that cosmopolitan. AustralianSociety for Limnology, 43rd AnnualCongress, Adelaide 29 November –4 December 2004.

Petrie, R., Nielsen, D.L., Vogel, M. and Brock,M.A. (2005) How long does it take todeplete the egg bank in wetlandsediments? Australian Society ofLimnology Conference, Adelaide,December 2004.

Reich, P. (2004) at Second InternationalSymposium on Riverine Landscapes,Sweden, August 2004.

Reid, M., Thoms, M., Munro, F. and Schmidt,S. (2004) The importance of connectivitybetween patches in riverine landscapes:an example from the Lower MacintyreRiver, Murray-Darling Basin. AustralianSociety for Limnology, 43rd AnnualCongress, Adelaide 29 November –4 December 2004.

Rennie, B., Ogden, R., Nichols, S., Barlow, A.and Norris, R. (2004) Courses inFreshwater Ecology for CatchmentManagement (poster). 4th AustralianStream Management Conference,Launceston, September.

Ryan, K., Ebner, B. and Norris, N. (2004)Ecological characteristics of thefreshwater crayfish Euastacus crassus(decapoda: parastacidae), withobservations of reproductive biology andthe implications of changes in flow.Australian Society for Limnology, 43rdAnnual Congress, Adelaide 29 November– 4 December 2004.

Sheldon, F. and Costelloe, J. (2004)Variability and river health in ephemeralstreams. Australian Society for Limn-ology, 43rd Annual Congress, Adelaide29 November – 4 December 2004.

Stewardson, M. and Metzeling, L. (2005)relations between flow regime andinvertebrate communities in upland riversof the Latrobe Basin, Victoria, Australia.53rd Annual meeting, North AmericanBenthological Society, New Orleans,USA, May 2005.

Stoddard, J.L., Larsen, D.P., Hawkins, C.P.,Johnson, R.K. and Norris, R.H. (2005)Setting Expectations for the EcologicalCondition of Streams: The Concept ofReference Condition. Annual conferenceof the North American BenthologicalSociety, 22-27/5/2005, New Orleans,Louisiana, USA.

Tewman, M., Walsh, C. and Tsyrlin, E.Impacts of stormwater treatment wetlandson stream macroinvertebrates: could webe degrading streams to reduce pollutantloads? Australian Society for Limnology,43rd Annual Congress, Adelaide 29November –4 December 2004.

Tewman, M., Walsh, C. and Tsyrlin, E. (2004)Impacts of stormwater treatment wetlandson stream macroinvertebrates: could webe degrading streams to reduce pollutantloads? Australian Society for Limnology,43rd Annual Congress, Adelaide 29November – 4 December 2004.

Thiem, J., Ebner, E., Johnston, L. andBroadhurst, B. (2005) Home-range of alarge endangered Percichthyid: the effectof temporal resolution Australian Societyfor Fish Biology Conference, Darwin July13–15, 2005.

Thoms, M. (2005) A continua or a series ofpatches — the downstream morphologyof a large dryland river system. 53rdAnnual meeting, North AmericanBenthological Society, New Orleans,USA, May 2005.

Vanderkruk, K., Hart, B. and Grace, M. (2004)Hyporheic nutrient dynamics inCreightons-Branjee Creek, Victoria.Australian Society for Limnology, 43rdAnnual Congress, Adelaide 29 November– 4 December 2004.

Vogel, M., Nielsen, D.L., Petrie, R. and Brock,M.A. (2004) The impact of saline water onwetland seed germination and aquaticplant growth. Australian Society forLimnology, 43rd Annual Congress,Adelaide 29 November – 4 December.

Wallace, T., Ganf, G. and Brookes, J. (2004)Kinetics and bioavailability of dissolvedorganic carbon leached from autumn leaflitter and garden waste. AustralianSociety for Limnology, 43rd AnnualCongress, Adelaide 29 November –4 December 2004.

Walsh, C. (2004) Setting objectives forstormwater management to protectstream ecosystems. StormwaterWorkshop, Auckland Regional Council,21–22 October 2004, Auckland, NZ.

Walsh, C.J. (2004) The costs of not changingthe way we manage stormwater. Waterthe precious drop. Stormwater IndustryAssociation of Victoria Seminar,3 November 2004.


Walsh, C.J. and Padgham, M. (2005) Aninter-city comparison ofmacroinvertebrate assemblage responseto urban land use in south-easternAustralia. Joint meeting of the NorthAmerican Benthological Society andAmerican Geophysical Union, NewOrleans 23–27 May 2005.

Webb, J.A. (2004) Incorporation ofuncertainty into the outputs ofprobabilistic risk assessment: what do weknow about what we don’t know?Australian Society for Limnology, 43rdAnnual Congress, Adelaide 29 November– 4 December 2004.

William, J., Baldwin, D., Rees, G. andWatson, G. (2004) Microbial diversity in astream impacted by sand slug — effectsof ‘rehabilitation’. Australian Society forLimnology, 43rd Annual Congress,Adelaide 29 November – 4 December2004.

Wilson, G., White, M., Khan, T. and Khan, M.(2004) Fish community structure across afloodplain terminal wetland system: theNarran Lakes, north-west NSW.Australian Society for Limnology, 43rdAnnual Congress, Adelaide 29 November– 4 December 2004.

Wright, A., Balcombe, S., Fawcett, J. andBunn, S. (2004) Floodplain use by thefish assemblages of Cooper Creek, LakeEyre Basin, Australia. Australian Societyfor Limnology, 43rd Annual Congress,Adelaide 29 November – 4 December2004.

Documents

Cooperative Research Centre for Freshwater Ecology · 2015-05-26 · Annual Report 2004–2005 CRC for Freshwater Ecology 3 Foreword It is exciting to be writing the last Foreword