Monitoring, Evaluation and Research
Turtles at Gingham Waterhole. Photo: Mark Southwell, Eco Logical Australia
Monitoring and evaluating the use of water for the environment is helping to build knowledge about the best way to improve the health of the rivers and wetlands of the Basin, based on what works and what doesn’t work.
The Commonwealth Environmental Water Office (CEWO) works with Basin states, the Murray-Darling Basin Authority, scientists and the local community to build this knowledge. There are a number of programs currently underway in the Gwydir.
Some recent examples of learnings include:
- Delivering water for the environment based on natural flow cues and ecological needs is effective in maintaining ecological communities in the lower Gwydir catchment.
- Water for the environment delivered in winter and spring helps to improve water quality, and stimulate native fish movement through the system.
- Water for the environment delivered to wetlands in the Gwydir catchment is helping to support healthy vegetation communities and waterbird populations.
CEWO MER Program
The CEWO Monitoring, Evaluation and Research (MER) (Flow-MER) Program integrates and replaces monitoring and research activities under the Long-Term Intervention Monitoring (LTIM) and Environmental Water Knowledge and Research (EWKR) projects.
A detailed MER Plan has been developed for the Gwydir river system which sets out the schedule of activities to be undertaken in the Gwydir to June 2022.
Monitoring, Evaluation and Research Activities and Reports
| Link to report | Description | Date | Link to relevant program |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gwydir River Selected Area 2021-22 Annual Summary Report | This report presents the monitoring and evaluation results from the third year of the Monitoring, Evaluation and Research project at the Gwydir River. | 2021-22 | |
| Gwydir River Selected Area 2020-21 Annual Summary Report | This report presents the monitoring and evaluation results from the second year of the Monitoring, Evaluation and Research project at the Gwydir River. | 2020-21 | MER Gwydir Flow-MER |
| Gwydir River Selected Area 2019-20 Annual Summary Report | This report presents the monitoring and evaluation results from the first year of the Monitoring, Evaluation and Research project at the Gwydir River. | 2019-20 | MER Gwydir Flow-MER |
| Gwydir MER Program Newsletter | Newsletters detailing recent monitoring activities, ecological observations and findings, and case studies. | 2019-current | MER Gwydir Flow-MER |
| Gwydir River System Selected Area Five Year Evaluation Report and Appendices |
Gwydir River System monitoring and evaluation report |
2019 |
LTIM |
| Monitoring, Evaluation and Research Program: Gwydir River System |
Schedule of monitoring, evaluation and research activities to be undertaken in the Gwydir river system June 2019 – June 2022 |
2019 |
MER Gwydir Flow-MER |
| LTIM Project Gwydir River System Selected Area 2017-18 Annual Evaluation Report |
Gwydir River System monitoring and evaluation report |
2018 |
LTIM |
| LTIM Project 2016-17 Gwydir River System Selected Area Annual Evaluation Report |
Gwydir River System monitoring and evaluation report |
2017 |
LTIM |
| LTIM Project Gwydir River System Selected Area – 2015-16 Evaluation Report |
Gwydir River System monitoring and evaluation report |
2016 |
LTIM |
| LTIM Project Gwydir River System Selected Area – 2014-15 Evaluation Report |
Gwydir River System monitoring and evaluation report |
2015 |
LTIM |
Short Term Intervention Monitoring
The Commonwealth Environmental Water Office monitored and evaluated the short-term (annual) environmental response of selected watering actions in the Gwydir river system during the 2013-14 water year.
The final short term monitoring report can be found at: