Catchment Datasets and Sources
Collation and interpretation of catchment datasets is part of the assessment of groundwater and surface water systems and their interactions. Certainly, access to hydrological data has been seen as a high priority in Australia, even prior to federation over a century ago:
"On entering our duties we found...that information available regarding our rivers was meagre and fragmentary, and that in some important points public opinion was in danger of being misled by statements and theories which there was ample evidence to refute.
...we beg to recommend that the maintenance of river gauge records as extended by us should be made still more complete, and the records kept continuously and in a careful and systematic manner."
Parliament of the Colony of New South Wales (1887)
This priority has gained momentum over the last decade, reflected in the development of initiatives to facilitate web-based access to a range of datasets at the national level to support catchment management. Similarly, State and Territory governments have moved towards establishing data infrastructures to provide better access to their comprehensive holdings of natural resource data (including water). This recognises that State governments largely have the constitutional mandate for water resource management in Australia, and that they have had the historic role in collecting and maintaining key water resource data. There are also initiatives to collate and disseminate a wide range of hydrological data to provide a global perspective of water resources and processes.
The key datasets useful in assessing connectivity can be conveniently subdivided into the following categories:
- catchment mapping, relating to topography, drainage, land use, geology and vegetation;
- climate data, particularly rainfall and evaporation monitoring and derived datasets;
- ecology, relating to macroinvertebrates, fish, plants and algae, most typically collected for monitoring and evaluation of river/wetland/catchment/aquifer health;
- hydrogeology relating to the characterisation of aquifers and other geological features;
- hydrology datasets such as water level, volume, flow velocity or pressure that relate to the movement of water. These cover a broad range of water features such as rivers, dams, wetlands, groundwater, storm water or industrial effluent;
- water quality, relating to the physical, chemical and biological condition of water; and
- water management, such as allocation, sustainable yield estimates and water use that form the basis of management, policy and regulation of water resources.
Further Information
Investigation and Assessment
Assessment Strategy
International data infrastructure
National data infrastructure
State/Territory data infrastructure