Developing a seasonal environmental watering tool

Abstract

There is significant pressure on freshwater systems worldwide as consumptive demands for water increase relative to the available resource, severely affecting flow regimes, and hence negatively impacting river ecosystems. A key element of Australia's approach to improve the ecological health of these systems has been large public investment in water entitlements. Management of these entitlements to achieve the best possible environmental outcomes requires ongoing active decision making on a season by season basis. These decisions include the delivery of water to competing environmental assets, the timing of these deliveries, the carryover of water to provide for the next season or the trade ..