With the help of a state-of-the-art drone, the Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority is capturing high-quality images along vast stretches of the river in ‘‘a fraction of the time of surveying in the field’’.
According to a GBCMA video, the drone technology from the US will track bank erosion and vegetation changes related to unseasonally high flows in the Goulburn River.
The drone will collect data while the flows continue throughout summer.
Geomorphologist Geoff Vietz in the video said this would allow the opportunity to quantitatively compare maps ‘‘of things such as bank erosion and changes in vegetation types’’.
‘‘We can capture such a large area of information and repeat that time and time again,’’ Dr Vietz said.
‘‘And so that comparison allows us so much more data to work with.
‘‘We’ll come here once flows get to certain levels to be able to recapture.
‘‘So we understand the influence of various characteristics of the flow regime over the next five to six months.’’
GBCMA’s Simon Casanelia said the drone was part of a review into the impacts of unseasonal high flows over summer and autumn on bank erosion and vegetation on the lower banks of the Goulburn River.
He said it would lead to a ‘‘robust scientific understanding of the impacts of unseasonal high flows on the vegetation and bank condition of the Goulburn River’’.
‘‘This information will then be used to inform future management of water delivery in the river,’’ Dr Vietz said.
‘‘The information will also be used to understand whether these unseasonal high flows are reducing the positive environmental gains that we have achieved by delivering water for the environment.’’
Greater Shepparton councillor Dennis Patterson said the work that had been under way was ‘‘exactly what we asked for’’.
‘‘It’s what has to happen... we have to have scientists come up with the results,’’ Cr Patterson said.
Last month, a spokesperson from the GBCMA said flows were expected to range between 2000ML/day to 3000ML/day during the next few months.
‘‘As the flows are well above the recommended 800ML/day for this time of the year, GBCMA has asked the river operators to deliver the water as a series of pulses through the lower Goulburn River, rather than a steady flow, to help minimise damage to the river bank,’’ they said at the time.
Last year a holistic review into the impacts of running commercial water down the river in summer was endorsed as a resolution at the national conference of the Murray Darling Association.
Cr Patterson had at the time voiced concern longer periods of higher water in the Goulburn River were causing significant damage to riverbanks and habitat.
In calling for action to be taken, he and the council moved a motion at the MDA national conference that pushed for water ministers and water authorities to investigate environmental impacts of running commercial water down the Goulburn River during summer periods.
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