Climate Change Reduces Darling River Water Levels by Decreasing Eastern Australian Rainfall

S. Speer, M; M. Leslie, L

Climate Change Reduces Darling River Water Levels by Decreasing Eastern Australian Rainfall

S. Speer, M M. Leslie, L

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Publisher:: Open Access Pub
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Journal of Water, 1, (3), pp. 48-57

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	S. Speer, M
dc.contributor.author	M. Leslie, L
dc.contributor.editor	Das, J
dc.date.accessioned	2024-11-29T04:45:24Z
dc.date.available	2024-11-29T04:45:24Z
dc.identifier.citation	Journal of Water, 1, (3), pp. 48-57
dc.identifier.issn	2769-2264
dc.identifier.issn	2769-2264
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/182138
dc.description.abstract	<jats:p>Significantly decreased rainfall run-off into the dams that feed the Darling River in eastern Australia during the Millennium (1997–2009) and Tinderbox (2017 –2019) Droughts coincided with reduced river levels along the Darling River. The rainfall reduction was due to accelerated global warming since the mid-late 1990s. During this period, unmonitored river water extraction from the streams that feed the Darling River was diverted to crops, on-farm dams, and to storage in the Menindee Lake system. This practice exacerbated the effect of the two droughts because streamflow that reaches the Darling River ceased in several upstream rivers, and in the Darling River. Using Darling River height levels, before and after the mid-late 1990s, it is shown that global warming is the key factor reducing Darling River levels in the last 53 years, even allowing for river water diversion and extraction. Between the periods 1972-1997 and 1998-2024 the Darling River mean heights, in the towns of Bourke, Wilcannia and Menindee, were all found to drop by statistically significant amounts. The catchment area rainfall has found to be decreasing due to global warming induced atmospheric circulation changes. Reducing water extraction either before or after it reaches the Darling River is unlikely to stop the short-medium term decline in Darling River levels.</jats:p>
dc.language	en
dc.publisher	Open Access Pub
dc.relation.ispartof	Journal of Water
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.14302/issn.2769-2264.jw-24-5269
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.title	Climate Change Reduces Darling River Water Levels by Decreasing Eastern Australian Rainfall
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	1
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science/School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences
utslib.copyright.status	open_access	*
dc.date.updated	2024-11-29T04:45:22Z
pubs.issue	3
pubs.publication-status	Published online
pubs.volume	1
utslib.citation.issue	3

Abstract:

Significantly decreased rainfall run-off into the dams that feed the Darling River in eastern Australia during the Millennium (1997–2009) and Tinderbox (2017 –2019) Droughts coincided with reduced river levels along the Darling River. The rainfall reduction was due to accelerated global warming since the mid-late 1990s. During this period, unmonitored river water extraction from the streams that feed the Darling River was diverted to crops, on-farm dams, and to storage in the Menindee Lake system. This practice exacerbated the effect of the two droughts because streamflow that reaches the Darling River ceased in several upstream rivers, and in the Darling River. Using Darling River height levels, before and after the mid-late 1990s, it is shown that global warming is the key factor reducing Darling River levels in the last 53 years, even allowing for river water diversion and extraction. Between the periods 1972-1997 and 1998-2024 the Darling River mean heights, in the towns of Bourke, Wilcannia and Menindee, were all found to drop by statistically significant amounts. The catchment area rainfall has found to be decreasing due to global warming induced atmospheric circulation changes. Reducing water extraction either before or after it reaches the Darling River is unlikely to stop the short-medium term decline in Darling River levels.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/182138