Murraylands and Riverland Landscape Board 2021-22 Annual Report tabled 7th March 2023

Murraylands-and-Riverland-Landscape-Board-2020-21-Annual-Report

NOTE: This dataset has been superseded by Hydrogeological Landscapes for the Eastern Murray Catchment: May 2015 (Second Edition) – https://iar.environment.nsw.gov.au/dataset/46f7bf5b-eebf-4b6e-9d8e-e45d3c7e2c52. The Hydrogeological Landscape (HGL) concept provides a structure for the understanding of how salinity manifests itself in the landscape and how differences in salinity are expressed across the landscape. A HGL spatially defines areas of similar salt stores and pathways for salt mobilisation. The process of HGL determination relies on the integration of a number of factors: geology, soils, slope, regolith depth, and climate; an understanding of the differences in salinity development; and the impacts (land salinity/salt load/water electrical conductivity) in landscapes. Information sources such as soils maps, site characterisation, salinity site mapping, hydrogeological conditions and surface and groundwater data are combined to develop standard templates for each HGL. The focus of this dataset is the Eastern Murray study area upstream of Corowa. It comprises introductory information on HGLs; HGL templates; and maps and digital spatial data developed for the project, including derivative maps to assist in land management decision making in the Eastern Murray study area. This includes information on salinity management from the perspectives of land use design, scales and types of management, landscape function, management strategies, actions and outcomes, as well as land use to be avoided.

In 1986, the River Murray Riparian Vegetation Survey was initiated by the Murray-Darling Basin Commission (MDBC) to assess the present status of the vegetation along the River Murray, to identify causes of degradation, and to develop solutions for its rehabilitation and long term stability. The Study area was the floodplain of the River Murray and its anabranches, including the Edward-Wakool system, from below Hume Dam to the upper end of Lake Alexandrina, a total of nearly 9,000 square kilometres (900,000 hectares). The survey was conducted by Margules and Partners Pty Ltd, P and J Smith Ecological Consultants, and the then Victorian Department of Conservation, Forests and Lands (DCFL). The results were then compiled by DCFL, a report published (see References) and a GIS was constructed. Please note that the vegetation mapping uses a mixed floristic/structural classification. VIS_ID 4156

documented the presence of 5 freshwater mussel species in the lower reach of Abrams Creek. No state or federally-protected species were observed. Densities were generally low; however, the presence of juvenile mussels indicate that reproduction is occurring in the stream. The low overall densities are likely the result of limited habitat within the stream. The substrate of the surveyed reach of Abrams Creek is dominated by bedrock, boulder, and large cobble. These substrates are generally too course to support high densities of freshwater mussels. Small habitat patches that were dominated by sand, small gravel, and silt were observed to contain the highest densities of freshwater mussels.

A reprinting with minor revisions including additions to the species list. THOMAS, J. and BENSON, D.H. (updated 1991) Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney (unpublished) Coverage: 1:250 000 topographic map: Sydney. (VIS_ID 2322; ANZNS0263000176)

This vegetation dataset covers a rectangle area of the central section of the Upper Murray River Catchment that falls within NSW. The rectangle encompasses Bogandyera Nature Reserve, Clarkes Hill Nature Reserve and Jingellic Nature Reserve. The map was finalised in 2005. There is also another dataset VIS_ID 4196 where this rectangle area of vegetation has been clipped to the three reserve boundaries. NPWS Snowy Mountains Region, Upper Murray Area had sought tenders for vegetation mapping of these three new reserves in September 2003. The vegetation maps of the reserves were based on the analysis of pre-existing survey data (including Southern Comprehensive Regional Assessment CRAFTI mapping), new survey data acquired as part of this project, aerial photo interpretation, and field and office validation of the results of the air photo interpretation. The attribute table does not contain textual descriptions so its useability is questionable without a report or look up table. VIS_ID 4197

Timeseries data from 'MURRAY RIVER NEAR THE MOUTH' (ca_hydro_07FB002)

Hydrographic and Impairment Statistics (HIS) is a National Park Service (NPS) Water Resources Division (WRD) project established to track certain goals created in response to the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 (GPRA). One water resources management goal established by the Department of the Interior under GRPA requires NPS to track the percent of its managed surface waters that are meeting Clean Water Act (CWA) water quality standards. This goal requires an accurate inventory that spatially quantifies the surface water hydrography that each bureau manages and a procedure to determine and track which waterbodies are or are not meeting water quality standards as outlined by Section 303(d) of the CWA. This project helps meet this DOI GRPA goal by inventorying and monitoring in a geographic information system for the NPS: (1) CWA 303(d) quality impaired waters and causes; and (2) hydrographic statistics based on the United States Geological Survey (USGS) National Hydrography Dataset (NHD). Hydrographic and 303(d) impairment statistics were evaluated based on a combination of 1:24,000 (NHD) and finer scale data (frequently provided by state GIS layers).

These data were compiled to provide satellite remote sensing observations of landcover in the vicinity of wetlands fed by geothermal springs in Dixie Meadows, Nevada, USA. Objectives of the study were to map landcover of water, vegetation, and soil between January 26, 2022 and November 27, 2023 using available imagery from the Sentinel-2 mission, thereby extending previously published data from October 5, 2015 to January 21, 2022 (Bransky et al., 2023). The US Geological Survey's Southwest Biological Science Center (SBSC) and Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center (GCMRC) processed 36 Sentinel-2 satellite images representing bottom of atmosphere surface reflectance and classified them within Google Earth Engine (GEE) using threshold values of the Green Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (gNDVI) and its inverse relationship to the Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI). The classified image data represent the area covered by five distinct landcover types: open water; mixed shallow surface water, saturated soil, and vegetation; dense green vegetation; moist soil with sparse or small vegetation; dry soil with sparse upland vegetation. These data can be used to evaluate the areal extent of each of the landcover types classified in this study as well as changes in the areal extent of these landcover types between January 26, 2022 and November 27, 2023. Additionally, these data may be used as baseline conditions to evaluate future changes in the areal extent of landcover owing to land use changes or climatic fluctuations.