Client: East Gippsland Catchment Management Authority
Location: Snowy River Estuary, Victoria

Key Services Provided:

• Physical Data Collection Program
• Estuarine Behaviour Modelling
• Geomorphologic Sensitivity Assessment
• Coastal/Estuarine Processes

Overview

Water Technology in association with Environmental Coastal Consultants P/L was commissioned by the East Gippsland Catchment Management Authority (EGCMA) to undertake a hydrodynamic study of the Snowy Estuary. The overall objective of the project is to improve the understanding of the hydrodynamic behaviour of the estuary so that the impacts of the predicted changes to the catchment hydrology and sea level rise can be better understood over a management timeframe of 20-30 years.  To achieve this objective a numerical modelling tool of the estuary hydrodynamics has been developed.

To support the development of the models and to support the investigations more generally, a field data collection program was  undertaken to develop up to date and continuous data sets capturing the physical form, hydrodynamics and physical water quality of the estuary.

To provide context to the hydrodynamic assessment and understanding of the broader processes operating in the estuary, a conceptual model of the main physical processes/drivers that influence the hydrodynamics of the estuary and the feedback loops that exist between different estuary processes has been developed.  The individual components of the conceptual model include geomorphology, climate, entrance conditions, catchment inflow, estuary hydrodynamics, salinity, sediment transport, agricultural productivity, estuary ecology and assets and infrastructure.