Andrew Barton

Federation University

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Investigating Changes to Irrigation Scheme

JE Sargison Andrew Barton

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Importance of environmental flows in the Wimmera catchment, Southeast Australia

Limnological Review (2020)

Ehsan Atazadeh Andrew Barton Jafar Razeghi

Abstract In this paper the environment, climate, vegetation, indigenous and European settlement history, stream flow patterns, water quality and water resources development in western Victoria, Australia are studied. The last part of the paper focuses on the MacKenzie River, a tributary of the Wimmera River located on the northern slopes of the Grampians Ranges in western Victoria, Australia. Water release along the MacKenzie River was regulated to improve water quality, stream condition and river health especially in the downstream reaches. The upstream section tends to receive water most days of the year due to releases to secure the requirements of water supply for the city of Horsham and its recreational and conservation values, which is diverted into Mt Zero Channel. Below this the middle and downstream sections receive a more intermittent supply. Annually, a total of 10,000 dam 3 of water is released from Wartook Reservoir into the MacKenzie River. Of this volume, only about 4,000 dam3 was released explicitly for environmental purposes. The remaining 6,000 dam 3 was released to meet consumptive demands and to transfer water to downstream reservoirs. The empirical data and models showed the lower reaches of the river to be in poor condition under low flows, but this condition improved under flows of 35 dam 3 per day, as indicated. The results are presented to tailor discharge and duration of the river flows by amalgamation of consumptive and environmental flows to improve the condition of the stream, thereby supplementing the flows dedicated to environmental outcomes. Ultimately the findings can be used by management to configure consumptive flows that would enhance the ecological condition of the MacKenzie River.

Main river

10.2478/limre-2020-0018

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Identification of five bryozoan species in the Northern Mallee Pipeline, Australia

New Zealand Journal of Zoology (2012)

Robin Mitra Andrew Barton Steven P. Briggs John D. Orbell

Abstract Five species of freshwater bryozoans were identified in the Northern Mallee Pipeline (NMP) system in Victoria, Australia, from statoblast morphology using scanning electron microscopy. The five species were Plumatella emarginata, Fredericella australiensis, Plumatella reticulata, Rumarcanella minuta and Fredericella sultana. The latter three of these have never previously been reported as occurring on the Australian continent and samples have been preserved for safekeeping at Victoria University. The statoblasts were isolated from samples collected as intact colonies from filters and membranes at a number of different locations.

Northern territory

Bryozoa

Morphology

10.1080/03014223.2012.674538

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Multi-Objective Optimisation Method for Water Resources Management: A Multi-Reservoir System Case Study

Engineers Australia eBooks (2012)

Walter Godoy Andrew Barton BJC Perera

Competing interests to water have traditionally been addressed through consultative processes often supported by surface water simulation modelling. Whilst such models are highly effective in demonstrating the effect of changes in system operation, the modelling process is limited to finding one solution at a time for a given set of conditions. Moreover, such traditional approaches have been challenged by the need to develop sustainable water management plans which attempt to meet the need of all users by searching for the optimal operating rules. In recent times there has been growing interest in linking optimisation techniques with simulation models in order to build on the strengths of both modelling approaches in the search for optimal solutions. The modelling approach adopted for this study uses the Elitist Non-dominated Sorting Algorithm (NSGA-II) as the optimisation engine and the REource ALlocation Model (REALM) software as the simulation engine. This optimisation-simulation model is applied to the Wimmera-Mallee Water Supply System which is a complex multireservoir system located in Western Victoria (Australia). The aim of this study is to demonstrate the effectiveness of using an optimisation-simulation modelling approach to develop long-term optimal operating rules. A base case scenario representing the current operating regime is used as a reference point to compare the optimal operating rules produced by the modelling procedure. The results show that by changing certain rules within the current operating regime, the reliability of supply of environmental flows can be improved without affecting consumptive users' reliability of supply, in order to achieve globally optimal operating rules.

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Loss of heather Calluna vulgaris moorland in the Scottish uplands: the role of red grouse Lagopus lagopus scoticus management

Wildlife Biology (2001)

Peter Robertson Kirsty J. Park Andrew Barton

Scottish upland moorland dominated by heather Calluna vulgaris is the primary habitat for red grouse Lagopus lagopus scoticus, and has been declining since the 1940s. At the same time red grouse numbers have also fallen. We compared land cover change on sites managed for grouse shooting (1945–1990), and on sites which were managed for grouse in the 1940s but on which management had stopped by the 1980s. Land cover type for sites (N = 229) containing >10% heather cover in the 1940s were examined during the 1940s, 1970s and 1980s. Grouse management existed on 49% of sites in the 1940s, a number which had fallen to 20% by the 1980s. In the 1940s there were no significant differences in land cover type between areas that were managed for grouse, and areas that were not. However, differences emerged during the 1970s and 1980s; areas where grouse management had ceased by the 1980s showed an expansion in woodland cover from 6% in the 1940s to 30% in the 1980s, and a reduction in heather cover from 53 to 29%. In areas where active grouse management had been maintained, woodland increased from 3 to 10% and heather decreased from 51 to 41% during the same period. These changes may be, in part, a consequence of government agricultural and forestry policy. When profitable, grouse management reduces the attractiveness of such subsidies and thereby results in a slower loss of heather.

Calluna

Grouse

10.2981/wlb.2001.004

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Citations (63)

Statistical downscaling of general circulation model outputs to evaporation, minimum temperature and maximum temperature using a key-predictand and key-station approach

Journal of Water and Climate Change (2014)

D. A. Sachindra Fuchun Huang Andrew Barton B. J. C. Perera

A key-predictand and key-station approach was employed in downscaling general circulation model outputs to monthly evaporation, minimum temperature (Tmin) and maximum temperature (Tmax) at five observation stations concurrently. Tmax was highly correlated (magnitudes above 0.80 at p ≤ 0.05) with evaporation and Tmin at each individual station, hence Tmax was identified as the key predictand. One station was selected as the key station, as Tmax at that station showed high correlations with evaporation, Tmin and Tmax at all stations. Linear regression relationships were developed between the key predictand at the key station and evaporation, Tmin and Tmax at all stations using observations. A downscaling model was developed at the key station for Tmax. Then, outputs of this downscaling model at the key station were introduced to the linear regression relationships to produce projections of monthly evaporation, Tmin and Tmax at all stations. This key-predictand and key-station approach was proved to be effective as the statistics of the predictands simulated by this approach were in close agreement with those of observations. This simple multi-station multivariate downscaling approach enabled the preservation of the cross-correlation structures of each individual predictand among the stations and also the cross-correlation structures between different predictands at individual stations.

10.2166/wcc.2014.145

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Citations (5)

Verification of a numerical model for the prediction of low slope vertical slot fishway hydraulics

Australasian Journal of Water Resources (2009)

Andrew Barton RJ Keller Christos Katopodis

A numerical model has been developed to predict the three-dimensional flow character within low slope vertical slot fishways (VSFs). The model solves the three dimensional Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes equations, closed with the renormalised k-ॉ turbulence formulations. The model employs the volume of fluid method to deal with the free surface. Results are presented for velocities and surface elevations utilising two fishway designs from prototype and laboratory studies. The respective data from these studies are directly compared to the numerical model predictions forming the basis of verification. The model is shown to predict critical design velocities, slot flow characteristics, flow recirculation and water surface elevations well enough to be useful in low slope VSF design.

Hydraulics

Free surface

10.1080/13241583.2009.11465360

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Citations (15)

Ecological and statistical models to configure flow regime for environment benefit in highly engineered rivers: a case study in the MacKenzie River, Southeast Australia

Environmental Science and Pollution Research (2023)

Ehsan Atazadeh Peter Gell Keely Mills Andrew Barton Peter Newall

Detrended correspondence analysis

Periphyton

River ecosystem

Turbidity

Canonical correspondence analysis

Gradient analysis

10.1007/s11356-023-31596-0

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Development of an algal response model to inform water resource system operations

Islam Atazadeh Andrew Barton Peter Gell Keely Mills Peter Newall

An algal response model is being developed to inform the operational characteristics of a water supply system. The intent of this research is to refocus approaches to water allocations from a contest over volume, towards a cooperative approach between all users with multiple socioeconomic and environmental benefits. The algal response model will ultimately be used to aid in the development of a framework, and operational principles, to configure consumptive water transfers to complement dedicated environmental flows. A constraint imposed within this framework will be that whilst providing beneficial environmental outcomes, any flow configuration identified will not compromise consumptive water users. Field trials have begun in the MacKenzie River in western Victoria, Australia. This River has experienced a highly modified flow regime since the construction of Wartook Reservoir in 1887. Water released from the reservoir is regulated at several locations for water supply and also, more recently, for the specific provision of environmental flows. With baseline monitoring of the waterway now completed, preliminary results are available to commence evaluating the complex environmental response patterns and benefits that may accrue from flows dedicated to consumptive use. A number of artificial substrates have also been deployed to elicit the broadest range of responses from algal communities present in the waterway.

Environmental flow

Baseline (sea)

CONTEST

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Least square support vector and multi‐linear regression for statistically downscaling general circulation model outputs to catchment streamflows

International Journal of Climatology (2012)

D. A. Sachindra Fuchun Huang Andrew Barton B. J. C. Perera

Abstract This study employed least square support vector machine regression (LS‐SVM‐R) and multi‐linear regression (MLR) for statistically downscaling monthly general circulation model (GCM) outputs directly to monthly catchment streamflows. The scope of the study was limited to calibration and validation of the downscaling models. The methodology was demonstrated by its application to a streamflow site in the Grampian water supply system in northwestern Victoria, Australia. Probable predictors for the study were selected from the National Center for Environmental Prediction/National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCEP/NCAR) reanalysis data set based on the past literature and hydrology. Probable variables that displayed the best significant correlations, consistently with the streamflows over the entire period of the study (1950–2010) and under three 20‐year time slices (1950–1969, 1970–1989 and 1990–2010) were selected as potential predictors. To better capture seasonal variations of streamflows, downscaling models were developed for each calendar month. The standardized potential predictors were introduced to the LS‐SVM‐R and MLR models, starting from the best correlated three and then, others one by one, based on their correlations with the streamflows, until the model performance in validation was maximized. This stepwise model development enabled the identification of the optimum number of potential variables for each month. The model calibration was performed over the period 1950–1989 and validation was done for 1990–2010. LS‐SVM‐R model parameter optimization was achieved using simplex algorithm and leave‐one‐out cross‐validation. The MLR models were optimized by minimizing the sum of squared errors. In both modelling techniques, validation was performed as an independent simulation. In calibration, LS‐SVM‐R and MLR models displayed equally good performances with a trend of under‐predicting high flows. During validation, LS‐SVM‐R outperformed MLR, though both techniques over‐predicted most of the streamflows. It was concluded that LS‐SVM‐R is a better technique for statistically downscaling GCM outputs to streamflows than MLR, but still MLR is a potential technique for the same task. Copyright © 2012 Royal Meteorological Society

Stepwise regression

10.1002/joc.3493

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Citations (117)