Well-defined environmental limits have long been and will continue to be at the heart of sustainable natural resource management. Whilst some limits are rightfully set at national level, tailoring water quality and quantity boundaries to local circumstances at regional or catchment level can deliver better outcomes in many instances.
Determination of optimal water quantity and quality limits and targets and the actions required to achieve these often requires:
- A good understanding of current state, trends
and loads - Knowledge of lag times between load change at source
(e.g. land use intensification or restoration) and measurable results in water
bodies - Reliable flow and water quality modelling
- Understanding of climatic variability and possible
future changes - Coherent and trustworthy science communication
- Effective collaboration with key parties
KSL Capabilities
KSL has proven capabilities in provision of excellent science for environmental limit-setting and allocation, founded on the following capabilities:
- Knowledge gap analysis and investigation design
- State and trend analysis
- Transport pathway evaluation
- Nitrate attenuation assessment
- Lag time analysis
- Groundwater recharge assessment and water balance modelling
- Management of Structured Expert Judgement workshops to deliver fast-turnaround assessments
- Numerical groundwater modelling
- Flow naturalisation
- Science communication