Project Name:
Documentation of Baseline Statistics for the Shepparton Irrigation Region Sub-surface Drainage Program Implementation
Client:
Goulburn-Murray Water
Project Description:
The mission of the Shepparton Irrigation Region Catchment Implementation Strategy (SIRCIS) Sub surface Drainage Program (SSDP) is:
“to work with community to provide innovative groundwater and salt management services which support sustainable agricultural practices and protect environmental assets across targeted areas of the Shepparton Irrigation Region.”
This mission has been partly achieved by the implementation and operation of salinity and groundwater management systems, such as public groundwater pumps, private groundwater pumps and tile drainage systems. It was deemed important that the implementation, operation and area served by these systems be recorded for reporting purposes. However, the data management systems in which this data was recorded was not centralised and there was some discrepancy between the data sources.
The need to have greater certainty associated with the number of salinity and groundwater management systems and areas served at the start of the SSDP was recognised, and as a result, Hydro Environmental was engaged to assist Goulburn-Murray Water to determine the underlying (baseline) statistics associated with the implementation of the SSDP. These statistics included the area at risk of salinisation, area that should be targetted for protection, area serviced by SSDP works, etc.
Hydro Environmental prepared a report which presented these baseline statistics.
Key Skills Applied:
Stakeholder consultation and engagement, knowledge management, irrigation practices, water accounting, water regulatory framework, project management, target setting, data management, report writing and communication.