High Ecological Value Aquatic Ecosystem (HEVAE) Instream Value of freshwater rivers in NSW

The NSW riverine High Ecological Value Aquatic Ecosystem (HEVAE) project aims to identify and define a range of instream values and levels of importance for freshwater river reaches in NSW. These values will assist in the prioritisation of areas for focused water management, to assist with water sharing between water users and the environment. The water management options include assessment of access and trade rules within Water Sharing Plans (WSPs). The HEVAE product enables NSW DCCEEW Water to better meet water management requirements under the Water Management Act 2000 and Murray-Darling Basin Plan 2012.\r\n\r\nThe HEVAE Framework was developed by the Commonwealth Government as part of the Australian Aquatic Ecosystem Toolkit and has been adopted by NSW DCCEEW Water as a progressive step to replace other NSW instream value assessments with a National approach. Although the HEVAE Framework advocates using five key criteria (Aquatic Ecosystems Task Group 20102a), NSW DCCEEW Water has adopted four criteria, diversity, distinctiveness, naturalness and vital habitat. Vital habitat data not able to be determined in the coastal HEVAE assessment due to lack of suitable data. Lack of State-wide data prevented inclusion of the fifth criterion (representativeness). Each of the four criteria relies on state-wide or regional availability of instream value data, to enable the production of consistent spatial mapping outcomes. Mapping outputs were derived at the river reach scale and the overall HEVAE scores identify where the best instream values occur within a catchment. The overall riverine HEVAE outcomes can be examined to determine which particular individual values (e.g. a threatened fish species in the Distinctiveness criteria) are influencing the final HEVAE scores.\r\n\r\nThis HEVAE report provides the rationale and describes the methods adapted from the Commonwealth HEVAE Framework for instream value and for each of the four criteria used. Details are provided on the weightings used, and scoring approaches, providing the overall HEVAE scores for each river reach.\r\n\r\nThis dataset contains polyline features defining NSW freshwater riverine instream value. The dataset enables the inclusion of the most up-to-date instream value or asset information to inform water planning needs in NSW. It also spatially enables the identification of contemporary instream value data at the river reach scale, that can then inform water sharing rules at different scales required (e.g. management zone or surface water source), The dataset facilitates the generation of HEVAE outcomes to inform the risk assessment process and associated strategies in WSPs and WRPs, which are requirements under NSW legislation, as well as the Basin Plan.\r\n\r\n-----------------------------------\r\n\r\nNote: If you would like to ask a question, make any suggestions, or tell us how you are using this dataset, please visit the NSW Water Hub (within SEED) which has an online forum you can join.

新南威尔士州（New South Wales, NSW）河流型高生态价值水生生态系统（High Ecological Value Aquatic Ecosystem，HEVAE）项目旨在识别并明确新南威尔士州内淡水河段的一系列河道内价值及其重要性等级。上述价值将助力划定重点水管理区域的优先级，以协调用水户与生态环境之间的水资源分配。水管理方案涵盖对《水共享计划》（Water Sharing Plans, WSPs）内的取水与交易规则开展评估。HEVAE成果可帮助新南威尔士州DCCEEW水务局（NSW DCCEEW Water）更好地满足《2000年水管理法》（Water Management Act 2000）及《2012年墨累-达令盆地计划》（Murray-Darling Basin Plan 2012）规定的水管理要求。

HEVAE框架由澳大利亚联邦政府作为《澳大利亚水生生态系统工具包》的组成部分开发，现已被新南威尔士州DCCEEW水务局采用，作为以国家级方法取代新南威尔士州其他河道内价值评估工作的渐进式举措。尽管HEVAE框架倡导采用五项核心评估准则（水生生态系统任务组，2010年2a版），但新南威尔士州DCCEEW水务局仅采用了其中四项：多样性、独特性、自然性以及关键生境。因缺乏合适数据，沿海HEVAE评估无法确定关键生境相关数据；受限于全州范围的数据不足，第五项准则（代表性）未能纳入评估体系。四项准则均依赖全州或区域级别的河道内价值数据，以生成一致性的空间制图成果。制图成果以河段尺度为基准生成，综合HEVAE得分可明确流域内河道内价值最优的区域。通过分析综合河流型HEVAE评估结果，可确定哪些具体的单项价值（例如“独特性”准则下的受威胁鱼类物种）对最终HEVAE得分产生影响。

本HEVAE报告阐述了项目的理论依据，并介绍了针对河道内价值及所采用的四项准则、改编自联邦政府HEVAE框架的评估方法。报告详细说明了所使用的权重赋值与评分方案，并给出了每个河段的综合HEVAE得分。

本数据集包含用于定义新南威尔士州淡水河道内价值的折线要素。该数据集可纳入最新的河道内价值或资产信息，以满足新南威尔士州的水资源规划需求。同时，其空间属性可支持在河段尺度上识别最新的河道内价值数据，进而为不同尺度下的水资源分配规则（例如管理分区或地表水水源）提供依据。本数据集可辅助生成HEVAE评估成果，为《水共享计划》（WSPs）与《水资源计划》（Water Resource Plans, WRPs）中的风险评估流程及相关策略提供支撑，而此类要求符合新南威尔士州立法及墨累-达令盆地计划的规定。

注意：若您有疑问、提出建议或希望分享该数据集的使用场景，请访问SEED平台内的新南威尔士州水务局枢纽（NSW Water Hub），该平台设有可加入的在线论坛。