Water Management
Catchment modelling
The key to all future living and economic development is the effective management of the quantity and quality of our water resources. To effectively manage water resources the Department undertakes detailed catchment modelling to help us better understand the complex interactions between different components of large integrated hydrological systems.
The catchment modelling and river system modelling group undertake a comprehensive scientific assessment of current and future water availability in all major water systems across NSW. These assessments provide a consistent framework for future water policy decisions. We focus on finding new, integrated ways to manage our water supply and water resources issues. This includes land use change, salinity, climate variability and climate change.
Catchment modelling delivers:
- improved hydrological models for different applications that are consistent across time and space scales
- integrated catchment models that link effectively between component modules, to guide operational and strategic decision making
- methods for assessing the impacts of climatic variability and climate change on hydrology and water resources
- methods for assessing impacts of land use change on water yield and flow characteristics for different spatial scales.