Waterway management

What we are doing

Our scientists work in partnership with decision makers to answer questions about managing our waterways. We gather on-ground observations and provide expert advice about the health of our rivers and wetlands, and movements of wildlife that depend on our waterways. Our technical knowledge helps guide actions that support threatened aquatic species recovery.

Increasingly, we are combining ecological expertise with contemporary computer modelling to predict outcomes of alternative management scenarios for waterway managers. Our end-to-end capabilities are informing decisions about flow management, invasive species control, restoring critical breeding habitats, and improving connectivity between riverine and floodplain systems.

Our waterways

The health of our waterways is crucial for both wildlife and local Victorian communities that depend on them. Rivers, wetlands, floodplains and estuaries provide habitat for a variety of species, including plants, fish, aquatic invertebrates, birds, amphibians, and reptiles. Most of Victoria’s waterways are highly regulated, therefore the movement of water is often a decision to specifically meet the needs of agriculture, communities, the environment and increasingly Traditional Owners. This makes for complex decision-making and the role of ARI science in informing such decisions is paramount.

ARI’s research supports waterway managers and governments to predict and evaluate the impacts of management options in enhancing outcomes for our aquatic environment.