Murray-Darling Basin floodplain vegetation mapping, Condamine-Balonne - VIS_ID 4453

The Murray-Darling Basin Plan (available at http://www.comlaw.gov.au/Details/F2012L02240) was developed under the Commonwealth Water Act 2007and aims to deliver a coordinated approach to water use by States and Territories in the Murray-Darling Basin (MDB), underpinned by a commitment to restoring the long-term health of rivers and wetlands in the Basin. To achieve this, the Basin Plan sets a long term average Sustainable Diversion Limit (SDL) for surface water and groundwater use across the major valleys in the MDB, and incorporates an Environmental Watering Plan (EWP) that ensures surplus water beyond SDLs is made available for the natural floodplain and wetland systems. The EWP is central to the Basin Plan as it aims to achieve the best possible environmental outcomes in its use of environmental water, in terms of size, timing and nature of river flows. The EWP is supported by the Environmental Water Recovery Strategy, a voluntary water buyback instrument (SEWPAC 2012).\r\n\r\nThe long term average SDL for surface water flow is currently set by the Basin Plan at 10,873 gigalitres per year (GL/y). This includes 3,468 GL/y for the northern Basin, which establishes a water ‘saving’ of 390 GL/y from water allocations previously set under the Living Murray initiative (MDBA 2011). These savings are available as ‘environmental water’ which is regulated by the Commonwealth Environmental Water Office (CEWO) via the EWP.\r\n\r\nWater allocations in the northern Basin are currently under review via the Northern Basin Review, which is due for finalisation in mid-2016. This review is expected to improve environmental science in relation to floodplain systems in the Condamine-Balonne and Barwon-Darling River systems, and may recommend changes to the Basin Plan accordingly. A key part of the Review is to improve knowledge about environmental assets within river systems of the northern Basin (e.g. floodplain and wetland vegetation, fish, water birds), and how they respond and interact to fluctuations in surface water flow. Improved knowledge about the native vegetation of inland floodplain systems is fundamental to the Northern Basin Review.\r\n\r\nTo improve information about the distribution and extent of floodplain and wetland vegetation types in the northern Basin, Eco Logical Australia (ELA) was commissioned by the Murray Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) to map the distribution of plant community types (PCTs) within a large section of the Darling floodplain west of Louth, and within the Condamine-Balonne system south of the NSW-Queensland border. An improved knowledge about the distribution and extent of floodplain PCTs will inform how environmental water allocations might be refined, and is thus an important component of the Northern Basin Review.\r\n\r\nAttributes:\r\nPCT_ID = NSW Plant Community Type Code \r\nPCT_LABEL = Plant Community Type Label \r\nBROAD_VEG = Broad Vegetation Type\r\nHYDROL_ECOL = Hydro-Ecological Functional Group\r\nVEG_FORMAT = Vegetation Formation\r\nVEG_CLASS = Vegetation Class\r\nFloodplain = Floodplain vegetation (yes or no)\r\nMAP_LABEL = Short vegetation label suitable for display on map products\r\nRE = Regional Ecosystem Code\r\nRE_LABEL = Regional Ecosystem Label\r\nACCURACY = Attribute accuracy (values 1 to 5)\r\n5 - Verified in the field by either full floristic, rapid or API (observational) site \r\n4 - Not verified in the field but likely to be correct due to extrapolation from similar verified pattern or verified in field but uncertain of boundary\r\n3 - Probably correct although could be one of a few related communities\r\n2 - Possibly correct but might be one of several other communities\r\n1 - Unlikely to be correct\r\n\r\nFor more information please refer to the technical report. Eco Logical Australia 2015. Vegetation of the Barwon-Darling and Condamine-Balonne floodplain systems of New South Wales: Mapping and survey of plant community types. Prepared for Murray-Darling Basin Authority. VIS_ID 4453\r\n\r\n

墨累-达令流域计划（Murray-Darling Basin Plan）可于http://www.comlaw.gov.au/Details/F2012L02240查阅，其依据《2007年联邦水法》制定，旨在协调墨累-达令流域（Murray-Darling Basin，MDB）内各州与领地的用水行为，核心承诺是恢复流域内河流与湿地的长期健康。为实现该目标，本流域计划设定了墨累-达令流域各主要流域的地表水与地下水长期平均可持续取水限额（Sustainable Diversion Limit，SDL），并纳入环境补水计划（Environmental Watering Plan，EWP），确保超出SDL的富余水量可用于自然洪泛平原与湿地生态系统。环境补水计划是流域计划的核心，其旨在通过优化环境用水的规模、时机与河流流态，达成最优的生态环境效益。该计划得到环境水回收策略的支撑，后者是一项自愿性水回购工具（SEWPAC 2012）。

目前，流域计划将地表水长期平均可持续取水限额设定为每年10873吉升（GL/y），其中北部流域占3468 GL/y，较此前《活跃墨累》倡议设定的用水配额减少了390 GL/y的水资源“节约量”（MDBA 2011）。这些节约水量将作为“环境用水”，由联邦环境水办公室（Commonwealth Environmental Water Office，CEWO）通过环境补水计划进行监管。

北部流域的用水配额目前正通过《北部流域审查》进行评估，预计将于2016年中期完成。该审查旨在优化康达迈恩-巴朗恩与巴旺-达令河系统洪泛平原的生态环境科学研究，并可能据此对流域计划提出修订建议。审查的核心内容之一是加深对北部流域内河生态资产的认知，例如洪泛平原与湿地植被、鱼类、水鸟，以及它们对地表水流量波动的响应与交互机制。提升对内陆洪泛平原本土植被的认知，是北部流域审查的基础环节。

为补充北部流域洪泛平原与湿地植被类型的分布与范围信息，生态逻辑澳大利亚公司（Eco Logical Australia，ELA）受墨累-达令流域管理局（Murray-Darling Basin Authority，MDBA）委托，对劳斯以西大片达令河洪泛平原区域以及新南威尔士州-昆士兰州边界以南的康达迈恩-巴朗恩系统内的植物群落类型（Plant Community Types，PCTs）分布进行测绘。掌握洪泛平原植物群落类型的分布与范围信息，可为环境用水配额的优化提供依据，因此是北部流域审查的重要组成部分。

属性说明：
PCT_ID = 新南威尔士州植物群落类型编码
PCT_LABEL = 植物群落类型标签
BROAD_VEG = 广义植被类型
HYDROL_ECOL = 水文生态功能群
VEG_FORMAT = 植被群系
VEG_CLASS = 植被纲
Floodplain = 洪泛平原植被（是/否）
MAP_LABEL = 适用于地图产品的简短植被标签
RE = 区域生态系统编码
RE_LABEL = 区域生态系统标签
ACCURACY = 属性精度（取值范围1至5）
5 - 经野外实地验证，验证方式包括完整植物区系调查、快速调查或API（观测）样点
4 - 未经过野外实地验证，但基于相似已验证模式的外推结果可信度较高；或经野外实地验证但边界存在不确定性
3 - 大概率正确，但可能属于数个相关群落之一
2 - 可能正确，但也可能属于其他数个群落之一
1 - 可信度极低

如需了解更多信息，请参阅技术报告：Eco Logical Australia 2015. 新南威尔士州巴旺-达令河与康达迈恩-巴朗恩洪泛平原系统植被：植物群落类型测绘与调查。为墨累-达令流域管理局编制。VIS_ID 4453