A statistical analysis of flood hydrology and bankfull discharge for the Daly River catchment, Northern Territory, Australia.

Paul Rustomji, 2009
CSIRO: Water for a healthy country flagship report series, 09/2009
This report presents a flood frequency analysis for ten gauging stations within the Daly River catchment.

Visions of Tropical River Futures for Northern Australia

N. Collier, Coast 2 Coast Conference, Darwin 2008
Potential scenarios for the Daly River region are explored using a systems modelling approach engaging multiple stakeholders.
http://www.track.gov.au/publications/registry/144

TRaCK Project: 1.1: Scenarios for tropical rivers and coasts: integrating the TRaCK research program

The future of tropical rivers: which vision is the most sustainable?

Garnett, S and Collier N. 2008
RiPRaP (River and Riparian Lands Management Newsletter) n. 33 pp.41-42.
http://lwa.gov.au/products/pn20694
TRaCK Project 1.1: Scenarios for tropical rivers and coasts: integrating the TRaCK research program

Exploring scenarios for a tropical river catchment using systems dynamics modelling

River Symposium Conference, Brisbane 2008.
Potential scenarios for the Daly River region are explored using a systems modelling approach engaging multiple stakeholders.
http://www.track.gov.au/publications/registry/158
see TRaCK project 1.1 Scenarios for tropical rivers and coasts: integrating the TRaCK research program

River floodplain - foodweb subsidies

Stuart Bunn
This project will describe how seasonal flooding of rivers over their floodplains contributes to changes in the foodweb as feeding grounds for aquatic fauna expand and contract and determine how some current land management practices are affecting the floodplain food webs of northern rivers. The primary focus for the project will be the Mitchell River floodplain in Queensland. Some components of the project will also take place in the Daly River floodplain in the Northern Territory.
http://www.track.gov.au/research-projects/503

Dry season stream flows in the Daly/Katherine rivers, 2008

S. J. Tickell
NRETAS, Natural Resources Division

Dry season stream gaugings and water quality sampling were done on the Daly River and some major tributaries in July and September/October 2008. During the dry season the Katherine/Daly rivers are largely fed by groundwater discharge from aquifers in the Daly Basin. Late dry season stream flows were relatively high compared to historic measurements.

Environmental flow tools for tropical rivers

D. Warfe and P. Davies
University of WA, CDU, Griffith University
This project will combine knowledge derived from other TRaCK projects and previous research to produce a set of 'rules' to determine environmental flow requirements for tropical rivers. This will facilitate development of water allocation plans and management of tropical rivers.
http://www.track.gov.au/research.html

Engagement of Wangamaty Landcare Group in catchment management issues

Wangamaty Landcare Group
Community monitoring of water quality and pest control in Daly River catchment. Group have a number of NRM projects currently being implemented in the Lower Daly but these are not research based.

Collaborative Water planning in Australia's tropical north

P.-L. Tan, M. Ayre, J. Mackenzie, S. Jackson, P. Oliver and W. Proctor
CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems
This research project aims to provide clear accessible ways for people to contribute to decisions on water use by identifying pathways for comunity participation in water use.
http://www.track.gov.au/research.html

Valuing tropical river ecosystem services

A. Straton
CSIRO
This project is identifying and valuing tropical river ecosystem services and some non-market uses of tropical rivers to enable comparison of the impacts of management scenarios. This project is taking place through 3 case studies: the Daly in the NT, the Fitzroy in WA, and the Mitchell in Qld. This project will contribute to the broader research agenda of the TRaCK research hub.
http://www.track.gov.au/research.html

People and the economy: socio-economic activity and water use in the tropical rivers region

N. Stoeckl, O. Stanley, D. Carson, A. Taylor, S. Campbell, S. Larson and K. Alexandridis
This project will provide socio-economic background and population projects for river catchments across northern Australia. Socio-economic profiles and tourism will be developed for catchments in the TRaCK region.
http://www.track.gov.au/research.html

Nutrients in rivers: towards understanding the impacts of land management on productivity in the Daly and Flinders rivers

B. Robson
This project will investigate how plant growth in tropical rivers respond to increased amounts of sediment and nutrients, with significant effort devoted to sampling in the Daly river during the wet season.
http://www.track.gov.au/research.html

Katherine and Daly River catchment Water Quality Monitoring Framework

L. Risby, S. Townsend and M. Douglas
CDU
Development of a framework that will guide the planning and implementation for water quality monitoring.

Indigenous values and river flows

S. Jackson, M. Finn and E. Woodward
This project will work with Aboriginal communities to document the social significance of water and quantify the economic benefits households derive from their use of aquatic resources. The identification of the value of river flows and river health to indigenous people will be used to assess the potential impacts of altered flow regimes.
http://www.track.gov.au/research.html

Diversity of river life: bioregionalisation, conservationpriorities and predictive models of aquatic biodiversity

J. Hughes and B. Cook
Models will be developed relating the patterns of aquatic biodiversity to environmental drivers such as hydrology, climate, landform, riparian and aquatic habitat. This will help with predicting the effects of development scenarios in river catchments on biodiversity. Networks of areas with high biodiversity will be identified for conservation priority. This project will cover as many catchments as possible in northern Australia
http://www.track.gov.au/research.html

Estuarine fish: flow impacts on estuarine finfish fisheries of the Gulf of Carpentaria

I. Halliday
This project aims to increase our understanding of how freshwater flows in tropical rivers affect the abundance of some key estuarine fish species. Data collection will occur in the Gulf of Carpentaria and key catchments adjoining the gulf, including the Daly river.
http://www.track.gov.au/research.html

River foodwebs: bottom up and top down control of tropical river food webs

M. Douglas
Using experiments researchers will identify the sources of organic matter underpinning tropical river foodwebs, factors controlling plant growth in tropical rivers and which consumers (animals) exert the most influence on the ecosystem. Work, commencing in the Daly river, will build on previous research activity.
http://www.track.gov.au/research.html

Water Budgets: catchment water budgets and water resource assessment

R. Doble, P. Cook and J. McCallum
This project will use modelling and field methods to investigate surface – water groundwater processes in tropical river systems. The Fitzroy River (WA) and the Daly River will be used as a case study. The aims of the project are to:
1. Develop an understanding of bank storage processes in tropical rivers, and the relative importance of regional groundwater discharge in sustaining dry season flows and permanent water holes;
2. Model representative cross sections of the Fitzroy River to understand the relationships between groundwater and surface water regimes during wet and dry season fluctuations, using field data to support the modelling; and
3. Determine to what extent river water analyses are able to represent the integrated impacts of groundwater systems draining to the river.
In the Daly River, fieldwork will include groundwater sampling using existing NRETA boreholes at Oolloo Crossing to determine:
1. How floods influence groundwater next to the river, causing it to rise and fall. This will be determined by measuring the height of groundwater in the bores.
2. How the floods influence the salinity of the groundwater. This is determined by measuring the groundwater salinity (or electrical conductivity) in the bores, and will tell us how far in to the aquifer the river water flows during floods.
http://www.track.gov.au/research.html

Environmental flows and ecological assets: flow-ecology relationships for biodiversity and ecosystem processes

P. Davies
This research will investigate the relationships between flow and fish, habitats, foodwebs and ecosystem processes in tropical rivers. It will build on work already done as part of the "Daly river fish and environmental flows" project. The project will develop models and tools which evaluate the environmental consequences of flow alteration.
http://www.track.gov.au/research.html

Building better indigenous participation : new ways of involving indigenous people in planning for our water and land resources

N. Collier and H. Hunter-Xenie
CDU
This research will enable governments and catchment authorities to more clearly understand indigenous aspirations within mainstream water planning processes, leading to more inclusive policy making. Pilot study will be with indigenous people in the Daly River Catchment.
http://www.track.gov.au/research.html