Commonwealth Environmental Water Office Long Term Intervention Monitoring Project Lachlan River System
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Commonwealth Environmental Water Office Long Term Intervention Monitoring Project Lachlan River System February 2015 UNIVERSITY OF CANBERRA Commonwealth Environmental Water Office Long Term Intervention Monitoring Project Lachlan river system Version for publication: February 2015 This document has been co-ordinated by Dr Fiona Dyer and includes contributions from Mr Ben Broadhurst and Professor Ross Thompson (UC); Dr Kim Jenkins and Dr Kate Brandis (Centre for Ecosystem Science, UNSW); Dr Patrick Driver (NSW-Office of Water); Dr Neil Saintilin, Dr Sharon Bowen and Mr Paul Packard (NSW Office of Environment and Heritage); Dr Dean Gilligan , Dr Jason Thiem and Mr Martin Asmus (NSW Department of Primary Industries, Fisheries); Ms Carmen Amos and Dr Andrew Hall (CSU) Mr Fin Martin and Dr Joanne Lenehan (Central Tablelands LLS). Inquiries regarding this document should be addressed to: Dr Fiona Dyer Phone: 02 6201 2452 e-mail: [email protected] This monitoring project was commissioned and funded by Commonwealth Environmental Water Office with additional in-kind support from The University of Canberra, NSW Environment and Heritage, and NSW Department of Primary Industries. Copyright © Copyright Commonwealth of Australia, 2015 Long Term Intervention Monitoring and Evaluation Plan Lachlan river system is licensed by the Commonwealth of Australia for use under a Creative Commons By Attribution 3.0 Australia licence with the exception of the Coat of Arms of the Commonwealth of Australia, the logo of the agency responsible for publishing the report, content supplied by third parties, and any images depicting people. For licence conditions see: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/au/ This report should be attributed as Long Term Intervention Monitoring and Evaluation Plan Lachlan river system, Commonwealth of Australia 2014. The Commonwealth of Australia has made all reasonable efforts to identify content supplied by third parties using the following format ‘© Copyright, [name of third party] ’. Disclaimer The views and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Australian Government or the Minister for the Environment. While reasonable efforts have been made to ensure that the contents of this publication are factually correct, the Commonwealth does not accept responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of the contents, and shall not be liable for any loss or damage that may be occasioned directly or indirectly through the use of, or reliance on, the contents of this publication. Document history and status Version Date Issued Reviewed by Approved by Revision Type Draft 1 28 February 2014 Ross Thompson Fiona Dyer Internal Draft 2 28 March 2014 Erin Murrihy Fiona Dyer External FINAL 17 April 2014 Elizabeth Drummond Fiona Dyer Internal FINAL Revised 30 October 2014 Erin Murrihy Fiona Dyer External FINAL 9 February 2015 Ben Broadhurst Fiona Dyer Internal Revised2 Final for 20 February Ebony Coote Fiona Dyer External publication Distribution of copies Version Type Issued to FINAL Electronic Commonwealth Environmental Water Office Contents CONTENTS .............................................................................................................. I LIST OF TABLES ..................................................................................................... IV LIST OF FIGURES .................................................................................................... V ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS ........................................................................ VI 1 BACKGROUND .................................................................................................... 1 2 LACHLAN RIVER CATCHMENT – SELECTED AREA .................................................. 2 3 COMMONWEALTH ENVIRONMENTAL WATERING ............................................... 4 3.1 Current environmental watering in the Lachlan River ............................................................ 4 3.1.1 Environmental conditions in 2008/9-2012/13 .................................................................... 5 3.2 Proposed watering .................................................................................................................. 7 3.2.1 Assumptions for watering options ...................................................................................... 7 3.2.2 Expected watering within the next five years ..................................................................... 7 3.3 Target sites and expected outcomes ...................................................................................... 8 3.4 Watering practicalities .......................................................................................................... 11 3.4.1 Delivery of environmental water ...................................................................................... 11 3.4.2 Typical watering action ..................................................................................................... 11 3.5 Information needed to inform monitoring activities ............................................................ 12 4 BASIN EVALUATION .......................................................................................... 13 4.1 Basin indicators ..................................................................................................................... 13 4.2 Basin Evaluation approach .................................................................................................... 13 5 SELECTED AREA EVALUATION ........................................................................... 17 5.1 Selected Area outcomes ....................................................................................................... 17 5.1.1 Stakeholder priorities ........................................................................................................ 17 5.1.2 Understanding ecosystem responses ............................................................................... 18 5.1.3 Summary ........................................................................................................................... 18 5.2 Selected Area indicators ....................................................................................................... 21 5.2.1 Indicator selection............................................................................................................. 21 5.2.2 Prioritisation ...................................................................................................................... 21 5.2.3 Selected Area priority indicators ...................................................................................... 23 5.2.4 Funding.............................................................................................................................. 24 5.3 Area Evaluation approach ..................................................................................................... 26 i 5.3.1 Zones and sites .................................................................................................................. 26 5.3.2 Evaluation: Ecosystem type .............................................................................................. 29 5.3.3 Evaluation: Vegetation ..................................................................................................... 30 5.3.4 Evaluation: Fish ................................................................................................................. 33 5.3.5 Evaluation: Waterbirds (Optional Indicator) ..................................................................... 36 5.3.6 Evaluation: Stream metabolism ........................................................................................ 38 5.3.7 Evaluation: Other vertebrates .......................................................................................... 40 6 SELECTED AREA SCHEDULE OF MONITORING .................................................... 43 6.1 Overview of monitoring ........................................................................................................ 43 6.2 Sampling regime and monitoring schedule .......................................................................... 43 7 COMMUNICATION AND ENGAGEMENT ............................................................. 46 7.1 Internal project communications .......................................................................................... 46 7.1.1 Lines of communication .................................................................................................... 47 7.1.1 Communication activities.................................................................................................. 48 7.2 External stakeholder engagement ........................................................................................ 52 7.2.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 52 7.2.2 List of stakeholders ........................................................................................................... 53 7.2.3 Overview of key relationships ........................................................................................... 56 7.2.4 Foundational analysis for planning communication and engagement activities ............. 59 7.2.5 Methods of engagement and proposed schedule of communication and engagement activities 59 7.2.6 General protocols for consistent