2.6.1.1.1 Surface water model choice

The conceptual model for the Clarence-Moreton bioregion (reported in companion product 2.3 for the Clarence-Moreton bioregion (Raiber et al., 2016)) indicates that coal seam gas (CSG) development has the potential to directly affect the regional groundwater system and that this direct effect may propagate through to the alluvium of the Richmond River systems. Any impact on the groundwater in the alluvium of those rivers in turn has the potential to affect streamflow (and therefore surface water resources) in the Richmond River.

The Richmond River does not have major surface water storages that exert high levels of regulation on the system. As a result, the simulation of river management or routing of streamflow through the river network with a river model is not necessary as the salient features of streamflow can be simulated solely with a rainfall‑runoff model (see companion submethodology M06 for surface water modelling (Viney, 2016)). In the absence of significant regulation and consumptive water use, there is little benefit in implementing the Australian Water Resources Assessment river model (AWRA‑R).

For these reasons, surface water resources in the Clarence‑Moreton bioregion are modelled using the Australian Water Resources Assessment landscape model (AWRA‑L) (version 4.5; Viney et al., 2014) (Bioregional Assessment Programme, Dataset 1). Gridded output from AWRA‑L is accumulated to the model nodes without any lagged routing. That is, there is no explicit transmission delay algorithm.

In all other respects, the surface water modelling in the Clarence‑Moreton bioregion follows the methodology set out in companion submethodology M06 (Viney, 2016).

Last updated:
18 October 2018
Thumbnail images of the Clarence-Moreton bioregion

Product Finalisation date

2016