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Tracking how groundwater goes with the flow
Groundwater pumping will reduce flows to rivers, and in many cases this has not been considered in surface water management. Traditionally, this has been one of the most difficult parts of the water balance to quantify, and our inability to measure it has impeded the move to conjunctive management of surface water and groundwater resources. However, researchers from the Water for a Healthy Country Flagship, working with the New South Wales Department of Water and Energy, have developed a new method of quantifying water movement between rivers and underlying groundwater systems.
Radon is produced by the decay of radium, which is present in all rocks and soils, and dissolves in groundwater. However, when groundwater discharges to rivers, the radon decays and is lost to the atmosphere. By tracking changes in radon concentration along the river researchers can map the location and magnitude of groundwater inflow. Measurements of radon concentration within the biologically productive hyporheic zone beneath streambeds can also be used to quantify rates of water movement through this zone. Led by Dr Peter Cook, from CSIRO Land and Water, researchers have been able to quantify groundwater discharge to the Cockburn River, a semi-permanent stream draining a catchment of about 1130 km2 in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales. Measurements of radon activity in surface waters were made along a 33-km reach of the river. "Accurate quantification of the exchange between surface water and groundwater is essential to managing both resources properly," says Dr Cook. "Policy makers are starting to take note of this issue. We must continue to refine our measurement techniques so policy makers can take proper account of these important processes. "This work will underpin our ability to better manage our rivers and basins into the future." Contact: Peter Cook, CSIRO Land and Water
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| Water for a Healthy Country Flagship CSIRO Editor: Leane Regan CSIRO Black Mountain Laboratories, Canberra, ACT, 2601 Phone: +61 2 6246 4565 Fax: +61 2 6246 5560 editor.healthycountry@csiro.au www.csiro.au/healthycountry/ |
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