Catchment Science

Informing DecisionsEvaluating Outcomes

Protecting Water Quality

Why Science?

• Sound science underpins credible decisions (eg will a rectification action be effective?)

• Testing assumptions and preconceived ideas (eg are kangaroos a health threat/water quality issue?)

Scope of Science at the Sydney Catchment

Authority• Small, dedicated science

unit• Research and development

outsourced to universities, CSIRO and CRCs– Collaborative Research

Program– CRC for Water Quality

and Treatment, and Freshwater Ecology

– AWWA Research Foundation

Collaborative Research Projects• 3 year research and development

projects focussed on specific needs• Partner with leading university or

research agency• SCA provides

– Knowledge of catchment issues– Funding, support and field access

• Researcher provides– World-class research and

development expertise in specific science areas

• SCA and researcher– Transfer knowledge into the

organisation to meet its strategic and tactical needs

Sydney Catchment Authority

Research Themes 2003-06• Climates and rainfall variability• Nutrients and sediments• Pathogens in animals• Pathogen budgets• Fire and catastrophic events• Water quality planning

Climate and Rainfall Variability

Probabilistic Forecasting (Uni of NSW)

• Why? Scenario planning for inflow variability to SCA reservoirs

• How? Multi-site statistical modelling to rainfall variability

Climate and Rainfall Variability

Forecasting streamflows – seasons to decades (Uni of Newcastle)

• Why? Want to predict changes in streamflow into reservoirs several years ahead

• How? Correlate streamflow with changes in ocean circulation and develop prediction techniques

Nutrients and SedimentsIdentify major sources of sediments

and nutrients in Burragorang reservoir (CSIRO)

Why? Understand source areas and erosion processes for targeted rectification

How? Field mapping, nutrient and sediment tracing, geochemistry, catchment scale modelling

Nutrient source tracing (Uni of Western Sydney)

Why? Understand impacts of types of land use

How? Evaluate models that incorporate sediment and nutrient data

Nutrients and Sediments

Sediment budgeting in Metropolitan catchments (Uni of Wollongong)

Why? Estimate sources and rate of sedimentation into reservoirs

How? Detailed modelling of specific catchments, field coring, age dating

Pathogens in AnimalsNative animals as potential

pathogen sources (Uni of NSW)

Why? Map location, number and faecal deposition of kangaroos in the catchment

How? Field observation, tagging, satellite tracking (over months/years)

Native animals as risks to health (Macquarie Uni)

Why? Investigate whether kangaroos carry Cryptosporidium

How? Collect droppings – analyse quantity, distribution and genotype for variability

Pathogens in Animals

Cryptosporidium genotypes in kangaroos (Macquarie Uni)

Why? Are there several types of Cryptosporidium? Which ones infect humans? Do kangaroos carry them?

How? Genotyping and infectivity studies in cell cultures in laboratory

Pathogen BudgetsPathogen budgets for SCA

subcatchments (Uni of NSW)Why? Prioritise land use and rectification

actions to minimise human health riskHow? Study relative quantities of

Cryptosporidium, Giardia and E-coli in streams as a function of land use. Initial focus on Wingecarribee

Molecular methods for tracing faecal bacteria (Uni of NSW)

Why? Develop tools to trace (and ‘fingerprint’) sources of bacterial pathogens

How? Molecular genotyping of different hosts (eg cattle, sheep, pigs, kangaroos)

Pathogen Budgets

Molecular methods for tracing faecal viruses (Uni of NSW)

Why? Develop tools to trace (and ‘fingerprint’) sources of viruses that cause gastroenteritis

How? Molecular identification of genomes

Fire and Catastrophic Events

Catastrophic events and sedimentation in the Holocene (last 10,000 years) (Uni of NSW)

Why? What does the geological record show about the effects of wildfire, climate and landslides on sedimentation?

Impact of post-wildfire erosion on sedimentation and nutrient release (CSIRO)

Why? To understand the importance of wildfires on sedimentation and nutrients

How? Detailed study of Nattai catchment, coring, age dating and reconstruction

Water Quality Planning

Integrated water quality planning (Uni of Technology, Sydney)

Why? Need a framework to inform the Rectification Action Planning process

How? Decision support system to choose the option that provides maximum benefit at least cost

$-

$200

$400

$600

$800

0% 25% 50% 75% 100% 125%

Percentage of target value

$/kg/yr RAPs –how far?

Offsets

In Summary

Why research?Inform Decisions

Evaluate OutcomesProtect Water Quality

Photography Credits

The photographs used in this presentation are reproduced with kind permission of the copyright owners:

University of NSW, University of Newcastle, CSIRO, University of Wollongong, Macquarie University, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney Catchment Authority.