The Commonwealth Environmental Water Office (CEWO) Monitoring, Evaluation and Research (MER) Program (Flow-MER) integrates and replaces monitoring and research activities under the Long-Term Intervention Monitoring (LTIM) and Environmental Water Knowledge and Research (EWKR) projects.
The Flow-MER Program provides the critical evidence we need to understand how water for the environment is helping maintain, protect, and restore the ecosystems and native species across the Murray–Darling Basin. The program demonstrates outcomes, informs management of Commonwealth water for the environment and helps meet our legislative reporting requirements through to June 2022.
Reed Beds Wetland, Barmah-Millewa Forest. Photo by Heather McGinness (CSIRO).
The Flow-MER Program consists of evaluation, research and engagement at a Basin-scale and on ground monitoring, evaluation, research and engagement across seven Selected Areas.
For more information about the Flow-MER Program visit the website at: Flow Monitoring Evaluation Research.
Basin-scale Evaluation and Research
The Basin-scale Evaluation and Research Plan has been developed to set out the schedule of evaluation, research and engagement activities to be undertaken in the Basin to June 2022 and is available at: Commonwealth Environmental Water Office Monitoring Evaluation and Research Program: Basin Scale Evaluation and Research Plan.
Detailed “Foundation Reports” set out the approach to Basin-scale evaluation for each Basin Matter. These are available at Foundation Report Update 2021 - Commonwealth Environmental Water Office Monitoring, Evaluation and Research Program.
The Basin-scale team prepare an annual report that evaluates the contribution of Commonwealth environmental water utilising standard data collected from the Seven Selected Areas and research undertaken at the Basin-scale. The 2020 annual report is available at: Flow-MER Basin-scale Annual Report 2020.
Evaluation Reports
Selected Area Monitoring, Evaluation and Research
The Selected Areas are:
- Junction of the Warrego and Darling rivers
- Gwydir river system
- Lachlan river system
- Murrumbidgee river system
- Edward/Kolety - Wakool river system
- Goulburn River
- Lower Murray River
The areas were selected to provide maximum possible coverage of areas where environmental watering will occur and to complement monitoring activities already being undertaken by others including Basin states and the Murray-Darling Basin Authority. The CEWO has engaged the following research institutions:
| Area | Lead agency (contracted by CEWO) |
|---|---|
| Basin Scale | CSIRO |
| Junction of Warrego and Darling Rivers | University of New England |
| Gwydir river system | University of New England |
| Lachlan river system | University of Canberra |
| Murrumbidgee river system | Charles Sturt University |
| Edward-Wakool river system | Charles Sturt University |
| Goulburn river system | University of Melbourne |
| Lower Murray River | South Australian Research and Development Institute |
As part of the Flow-MER Program, quarterly newsletters provide updates of recent activities and preliminary observations and findings in the Selected Areas. This information is used by water managers to facilitate real-time adaptive management of Commonwealth environmental water.