A new stream and nested catchment framework for Australia
Nationally framed assessment and planning assists coordination of resource management activities across jurisdictional boundaries and provides context for assessing the cumulative effects of impacts that can be underestimated by local or regional studies. However, there have been significant shortco...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2014-05-01
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| Series: | Hydrology and Earth System Sciences |
| Online Access: | http://www.hydrol-earth-syst-sci.net/18/1917/2014/hess-18-1917-2014.pdf |
| _version_ | 1818540626304565248 |
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| author | J. L. Stein M. F. Hutchinson J. A. Stein |
| author_facet | J. L. Stein M. F. Hutchinson J. A. Stein |
| author_sort | J. L. Stein |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Nationally framed assessment and planning assists coordination of
resource management activities across jurisdictional boundaries and
provides context for assessing the cumulative effects of impacts
that can be underestimated by local or regional studies. However,
there have been significant shortcomings in the existing spatial
frameworks supporting national assessment and planning for
Australia's rivers and streams.
<br><br>
We describe the development of a new national stream and nested catchment
framework for Australia that includes a fully connected and directed stream
network and a nested catchment hierarchy derived using a modified Pfafstetter
scheme. The directed stream network with associated catchment boundaries and
Pfafstetter coding respect all distributary junctions and topographically
driven surface flow pathways, including those in the areas of low relief and
internal drainage that make up over half of the Australian continent. The
Pfafstetter coding facilitates multi-scale analyses and easy tracing and
query of upstream/downstream attributes and tributary/main stem
relationships. Accompanying the spatial layers are 13 lookup tables
containing nearly 400 attributes describing the natural and anthropogenic
environment of each of the 1.4 M stream
segments at multiple spatial scales (segment, sub-catchment and catchment).
<br><br>
The database supplies key spatial layers to support national water
information and accounting needs and assists a wide range of
research, planning and assessment tasks at regional and continental
scales. These include the delineation of reporting units for the
Australian Water Resources Assessment, the development of an
ecohydrological environment classification for Australian streams
and the identification of high conservation value aquatic ecosystems
for northern Australia. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T21:57:51Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ea4afbb95241466a8fd17ceea5c3db5d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1027-5606 1607-7938 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T21:57:51Z |
| publishDate | 2014-05-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Hydrology and Earth System Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-ea4afbb95241466a8fd17ceea5c3db5d2022-12-22T00:49:14ZengCopernicus PublicationsHydrology and Earth System Sciences1027-56061607-79382014-05-011851917193310.5194/hess-18-1917-2014A new stream and nested catchment framework for AustraliaJ. L. Stein0M. F. Hutchinson1J. A. Stein2Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, AustraliaFenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, AustraliaFenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, AustraliaNationally framed assessment and planning assists coordination of resource management activities across jurisdictional boundaries and provides context for assessing the cumulative effects of impacts that can be underestimated by local or regional studies. However, there have been significant shortcomings in the existing spatial frameworks supporting national assessment and planning for Australia's rivers and streams. <br><br> We describe the development of a new national stream and nested catchment framework for Australia that includes a fully connected and directed stream network and a nested catchment hierarchy derived using a modified Pfafstetter scheme. The directed stream network with associated catchment boundaries and Pfafstetter coding respect all distributary junctions and topographically driven surface flow pathways, including those in the areas of low relief and internal drainage that make up over half of the Australian continent. The Pfafstetter coding facilitates multi-scale analyses and easy tracing and query of upstream/downstream attributes and tributary/main stem relationships. Accompanying the spatial layers are 13 lookup tables containing nearly 400 attributes describing the natural and anthropogenic environment of each of the 1.4 M stream segments at multiple spatial scales (segment, sub-catchment and catchment). <br><br> The database supplies key spatial layers to support national water information and accounting needs and assists a wide range of research, planning and assessment tasks at regional and continental scales. These include the delineation of reporting units for the Australian Water Resources Assessment, the development of an ecohydrological environment classification for Australian streams and the identification of high conservation value aquatic ecosystems for northern Australia.http://www.hydrol-earth-syst-sci.net/18/1917/2014/hess-18-1917-2014.pdf |
| spellingShingle | J. L. Stein M. F. Hutchinson J. A. Stein A new stream and nested catchment framework for Australia Hydrology and Earth System Sciences |
| title | A new stream and nested catchment framework for Australia |
| title_full | A new stream and nested catchment framework for Australia |
| title_fullStr | A new stream and nested catchment framework for Australia |
| title_full_unstemmed | A new stream and nested catchment framework for Australia |
| title_short | A new stream and nested catchment framework for Australia |
| title_sort | new stream and nested catchment framework for australia |
| url | http://www.hydrol-earth-syst-sci.net/18/1917/2014/hess-18-1917-2014.pdf |
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