Land and Water Link

16 - May 2004

Healthy Working Rivers

‘River health’ is something we hear a lot about these days, especially in relation to the environment. But what makes a river ‘healthy’? Rivers and Estuaries Research Director Dr Peter Gehrke shares his thoughts in this article.

Research at CSIRO Land and Water led by Dr Peter Gehrke aspires to deliver solutions for rivers and estuaries that sustain healthy ecosystems and thriving communities, which are valued and managed for future generations.

‘To achieve our vision, we have to look towards a broader perspective of river health that incorporates social and community values’, says Dr Gehrke. ‘Working together with regional communities, we intend to measure river health in ways that people can understand and accept.’

Over the last decade there have been some dramatic advances in the sciences contributing to river health. Technological improvements in environmental measure-ment have developed in parallel with recognition of the importance of broader ‘systems components’ that together make up the big picture of healthy river systems – including catchments, wetlands, floodplains and estuaries, as well as coastal waters. Scientists now use enhanced modelling capabilities to identify the sources of poor health and also to predict responses to management interventions. And there is a wider range of river health indicators.

Along with these scientific advances, the Government has responded with initiatives such as National Research Priorities, water reform and the Council of Australian Government (CoAG) National Water Initiative. The onus on river scientists has shifted from demonstrating river health impacts, to investigating solutions and demonstrating the benefits of specific practices on river health.

‘River health is on the decline in many parts of Australia’, as Dr Gehrke explains ‘and cumulative impacts mean that this decline is likely to continue for some time if we keep development at current levels. In other regions, rivers are in good health and local communities depend on the natural values of the river for their way of life.

‘Therefore it is important that we establish indicators for river health that are realistic and workable, and set targets for what we want to achieve.’

One concept that has become important is that of a healthy working river. ‘This is an environmentally healthy river that also supports community and agricultural livelihoods, water supplies and recreation’, says Dr Gehrke. ‘The concept has brought into play some of the social and economic issues that are contrary to some conservation-focused definitions of a healthy river. Unfortunately we have seen conflict and polarised opinions over declining river health in spite of recent advances in river and estuary science.’

Where do conflicts come from? ‘Community expectations don’t always match the commonly-used river health indicators that reflect environmental condition’, explains Dr Gehrke. ‘We can talk about the physical, chemical and ecological condition of a river, but people are just as concerned about whether there is water available for agriculture, whether there is a reliable town water supply, or whether they can take the kids swimming or catch a fish that isn’t a carp.’

Keeping river systems sustainable in the future will require broad consensus on river health targets within and among rivers, and including downstream systems. ‘It is important to set targets for river health that balance environmental values with social values and economic growth’, says Dr Gehrke. ‘We can assess natural, historical and contemporary reference points with targets to set benchmarks for developing river health solutions.’

This situation presents a tremendous challenge for water scientists, regional communities, industry and government sectors. ‘We see the role of science as providing knowledge to inform public debate, policy and decision making’, says Dr Gehrke. ‘Our challenge as water scientists is to seek knowledge that reflects human values as well as environmental values. Then we can search for management strategies that preserve our rivers and estuaries for environmental, social and economic wellbeing.’

CSIRO Contact:
Dr Peter Gehrke