Climate variability, water allocation and land use change impacts on surface-groundwater interactions and salinity discharge

This project aims to quantify the impact of long term climate variability, water allocation and land use change on surface-groundwater interactions and salt discharge in two contrasting sub-catchments of the nationally important Hunter and Murray Rivers and to provide strategies to improve integrated surface-groundwater management and salinity mitigation. Surface and groundwater systems have been mostly managed separately and the impacts of long-term variability and separate water allocation and use on their interaction and on salinity discharge are seldom considered. Knowledge gained in this project will improve management and allocation of connected surface-groundwater systems subject to variability and change and to train students.