Lower Derwent Environmental Flows Current Knowledge and Gaps

Abstract

This document reviews the state of knowledge in relation to the setting of environmental flow regime for the 'lower Derwent River' i.e. that section of the river and its estuary downstream of Meadowbank Dam. The report starts by briefly describing the nature of the lower Derwent. Issues pertaining to setting an environmental flow regime are described, and conceptual models of how flow drives key processes and ecological conditions in the lower Derwent are proposed. Current and published work relevant to those conceptual models is briefly reviewed, and key knowledge gaps are identified for each section of the lower Derwent. A suite of assessment and/or research activities are then proposed to address those gaps and develop a risk assessment framework aimed at defining an environmental flow regime for the lower Derwent.