Hydrologic Reference Stations

An extensive stakeholder engagement program was carried out to gain insight into the impacts or drivers of streamflow availability and data quality across multiple catchments. It provided a platform to assess, rank and prioritise streamflow stations for use in seasonal and long-term forecasting of streamflow availability across Australia.

The key objectives of the consultation were:

1. To inform the aim, objective and proposed outcome of the Australian Network of Hydrologic Reference Stations (HRS),
2. To identify any additional reference stations that have not been considered in the preliminary station selection process, and
3. To identify any impacts within the upstream catchment of the proposed streamflow reference stations that could compromise the quality of monitored streamflow.

Seventy participants from state and territory agencies and water authorities across Australia and Regional Hydrology Managers of the Bureau provided feedback on impacts in the upstream catchments of each streamflow station identified in the preliminary analysis.

Each participant responded to a number of questions relating to diversions upstream, irrigation structures within the catchment, point source discharges upstream, past land use (farm dams, clearing, forestry, urbanisation, fire and water resource development) and potential future impacts (see the Station Selection Guidelines page). Stakeholders also commented on the importance (water supply or ecological) and hydrological quality of each streamflow station.

The stakeholder consultation program identified an additional 116 streamflow stations across Australia for consideration to include into the Australian Network of Hydrologic Reference Stations.

A consistent classification of stations provided us with a network of 259 hydrologic reference stations across Australia. After applying criteria for length and quality of record, 221 reference stations were identified and are presented in this web portal. A full report on the stakeholder consultation process is available from Turner and Bari (2011).