Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources Guide
Recommended resources for Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources

Web Links: Water

See also: Salinity links page for related information.

General resources

University of Sydney Library Catalogue
Some recommended subject headings on the University of Sydney Library Catalogue are:

New South Wales resources

New South Wales Natural Resource Atlas
Published by the New South Wales Government, this atlas provides access "to maps and data for environmental management, planning, research and education". Information includes detailed satellite imagery, species identification keys and maps, daily water quality and vegetation maps. The NRAtlas replaces the Community Access to Natural Resources Information website. (See below.)

Community Access to Natural Resource Information (CANRI)
Published by the New South Wales Government, CANRI provides access to the State's environmental maps and data. CANRI has now been replaced by the New South Wales Natural Resource Atlas. (See above.)

NSW Soil and Land Information System (SALIS)
"The Soil and Land Information System (SALIS) is a database that contains descriptions of soils, landscapes and other geographic features from across NSW." A link is provided to SPADE(Soil Profile Attribute Data Environment).

New South Wales Water Information
Published by the NSW Department of Natural Resources this site provides access to "a range of provisional data concerning NSW rivers and water bodies". Data is provided on rivers (including water levels and flows), water quality, state water storages and groundwater bores. Information on water licences, water policy and an introduction to water management is also provided.

Healthy Rivers Commission
The Commission was set up in 1996 by the New South Wales Government. Discontinued in 2004 this page links the Healthy River Commission and its successor the Natural Resources Commission. These websites contain discussion papers, draft and final reports on 11 river systems in New South Wales. The reports recommend actions for future development of sustainable waterways.

Australian resources

Australian Natural Resources Atlas
The National Land and Water Resources Audit publish this site. The water section includes an overview of water resources in Australia; the availability, salinity and commitment of surface and ground water in Australia; Water quality issues in Australia including turbidity, pH, salinity, and nutrients; Water resource management and development in Australia and change in water use since 1985 including current allocation of surface and ground water.

Australian Spatial Data Directory (ASDD)
"The ASDD is an essential component of the Australian Spatial Data Infrastructure (ASDI). The gateways to the ASDD is maintained by Geoscience Australia on behalf of ANZLIC - the Spatial Information Council, as part of its broader Australian Government responsibility for the ASDI." The ASDD provides a search interface to find geospatial dataset descriptions throughout Australia.

Victorian Water Resources Data Warehouse
The Victorian Water Resources Data Warehouse is dedicated to disseminating up-to-date information on Victoria’s water resources. "The site gives access to both raw and summary data on both water quality and quantity throughout Victoria, and is a central repository for published documents produced from this data."

The Nerrigundah Catchment
The "Nerrigundah Catchment" is a 6ha experimental catchment located in the Williams River catchment on a property called Nerrigundah, approximately 11 km north-west of Dungog, NSW, Australia. The site provides detailed small catchment scale soil and water information.

The Tarrawarra Soil Moisture Data Set
"The Tarrawarra data set is a detailed set of hydrological data from a catchment experiment that aimed to investigate the spatial pattern of soil moisture at the small catchment scale."

Murray Darling Basin Initiative
Published by the Murray Darling Basin Commission (MDBC), the Murray Darling Basin Initiative is a partnership between the Commonwealth government, relevant State governments and the community. It "is the largest integrated catchment management program in the world, covering the watersheds of the Murray and Darling rivers, an area of over one million square kilometres."

The Great Artesian Basin (GAB)
The Great Artesian Basin is one of the largest artesian groundwater basins in the world. It underlies approximately one-fifth of Australia. This site, published by the Queensland Government, provides information, including facts and figures, about the GAB.

Cooperative Research Centre for Water Quality and Treatment
The mission of this CRC is " to assist the Australian water industry to produce high quality drinking water at an affordable price." The site provides access to the Centre's publications, including the Consumer's Guide to Drinking Water published in 2002.

Australian River Assessment System (AUSRIVAS)
"AUSRIVAS is a rapid prediction system used to assess the biological health of Australian rivers. AUSRIVAS was developed under the National River Health Program (NRHP) by the Federal Government in 1994, in response to growing concern in Australia for maintaining ecological values".

The National River Health Program
"Under the National River Health Program, Australia has undertaken a national assessment of the health of the nation's inland waters. The program is helping to identify priorities to protect and repair Australia's unique riverine, floodplain and wetland ecosystems. Crucial research and monitoring are determining how to identify and establish environmental flow requirements for our rivers."

National Water Quality Management Strategy (NWQMS)
"The National Water Quality Management Strategy (NWQMS) was introduced by the Commonwealth, State and Territory Governments in 1992 as a response to growing community concern about the condition of the nation's water bodies and the need to manage them in an environmentally sustainable way". The site provides access to documentation on water quality guidelines and monitoring guidelines.

Waterwatch Australia
"Waterwatch is a national community water quality monitoring network that encourages all Australians to become involved and active in the protection and management of their waterways and catchments."

Land & Water Australia
The Land and Water Resources Research and Development Corporation (LWRRDC) publish this site. The Corporation is principally concerned with sustainable natural resource management. Many Land & Water Australia publications are freely available. Access is also provided to Streamline - a natural resource management database.

International Resources

Australian Development Gateway (ADG): Water
The water section of the ADG provides links to resources on water management and technology for supply and sanitation, in Asia Pacific countries. "Gender and cultural issues, and appropriate technologies for community-based projects, are considered. Governance and policy issues in relation to water supply are examined."

Water Quality Information Center
This web site is maintained by the U.S. National Agricultural Library and was produced in collaboration with the U. S. Agricultural Research Service and the U. S. Department of Agriculture. It contains an extensive list of links to water resources for agriculture as well as links to 40 water-related databases.

Pacific Institute
The Pacific Institute is dedicated to protecting our natural world and encouraging sustainable development, through independent research, published reports and recommended solutions.

Science in Your Watershed
This website by the U.S. Geological Survey organises scientific information on a watershed basis. Watersheds can be searched for by Hydrologic Unit Code, by name, the names of nearby places, or with maps. The website provides information on projects, publications, and databases related to watersheds. It shows how to use scientific data to understand watersheds. There are case studies, explanations of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology, a water glossary and a calendar of conferences and events.

Government Departments

Organisations and Associations