Tracking the effectiveness of gully management at reducing bioavailable nutrients

Modelling dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) generation from eroded sediment helps inform on-ground management interventions such as gully rehabilitation in Great Barrier Reef catchments. This project contributed to the development of a standard methodology for estimating DIN generation from eroded sediment for application across a range of Paddock to Reef catchment monitoring programs. Led by the Catchment and Riverine Processes team Department of Environment and Science (DES), the project was a collaborative effort from numerous organisations: Department of Natural Resources, Mines and Energy, TropWATER, James Cook University; Precision Erosion and Sediment Management Research Group, Griffith University; CSIRO; Greening Australia; Fruition Environmental; NQ Dry Tropics; Great Barrier Reef Catchment Loads Monitoring Program, DES; Chemistry Centre, DES; Howley Environmental Consulting; Cape York Monitoring Partnership; and the Burdekin Bowen Integrated Floodplain Management Advisory Committee Inc.

 

Visualisation of coupled economic and Queensland water quality models

This project will develop a cloud-based platform to couple water quality and economic models to assess natural resource management investment options for the Great Barrier Reef region. Truii Pty Ltd (in collaboration with the Office of the Great Barrier Reef) are developing this platform based on two existing custom tools: the Great Barrier Reef Foundation Reefonomics tool and the Seqwater Catchment Investment Decision Support System. The platform will use data management functionality to enable revision and updating of the latest available water quality and economic modelling data.

 

Model data portal to deliver catchment modelling data to end users

Successful modelling programs receive constant requests from end users for model results. These requests often require intensive processing. Truii Pty Ltd, in collaboration with the Office of the Great Barrier Reef, will develop a web-based model data portal to enable the delivery of catchment modelling results from the Paddock to Reef program. Data requesters will be able to create and record data queries which will generate data summaries for visualisation and download.

 

Addressing uncertainty in coupled water models using machine learning techniques

Linking models of varying complexity and scope can lead to uncertainties from each individual model, magnifying the uncertainty of final predictions. Data driven models and ensemble machine learning techniques can be used to improve predictions of water quality model outputs. BMT are leading this project in partnership with the University of Western Australia and Healthy Land and Water. The outcome is to develop capability hybridising process-based and data driven water models to improve predictions of model outputs in the context of a south-east Queensland catchment.

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Queensland Water Modelling Network (QWMN) Fellow

Based at the Australian Rivers Institute, Griffith University, the QWMN Fellow will undertake research that improves model functionality and capability between the catchment and its receiving water environments, having consideration for the influence of land use/land management, climate change and policy interventions to sustain the Great Barrier Reef. The work is initially focusing on the riverine and estuarine environment, building on knowledge, capacity and models that have been developed for the Great Barrier Reef to establish strategic estuarine, gully and streambank modelling capability.

 

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