This event is part of
Upper Ovens Valley Landcare
General Meeting & Guest Speaker
“ALPINE WATERS FOR NORTH-EASTERN VICTORIAN CATCHMENTS”
Thursday 19th April 2007, 7pm meeting & 7:30pm presentation
Porepunkah Hall, Martley Street, Porepunkah
A light supper provided
“THE IMPORTANCE OF ALPINE WATERS FOR NORTH-EASTERN VICTORIAN CATCHMENTS”
by
Dr Ruth Lawrence
Senior Lecturer in Environmental Studies, La Trobe University
About 75% of all the water in the Murray River comes from
only 1% of the catchment - the alpine area.The rivers of north-eastern
Victoria are blessed with relatively large proportions of their catchments
being fed by alpine waters. Compared to the rest of Australia,
alpine areas produce more water in their streams, and those flows are
more reliable (less variable) than for lowland areas.
However, climate change and land use impacts can have negative effects
on alpine water production. This talk will examine the need to maximize
alpine water production in a continent where water scarcity is common.
Dr Ruth Lawrence is a Senior Lecturer in Environmental Studies at La Trobe University.
She has extensive experience in alpine environments, having examined alpine water
issues over the last 25 years. She completed a PhD thesis in 1990 entitled
The interaction between the environment, land use and hydrology of the Bogong High Plains
between 1850 and 1985 and has written many papers on alpine hydrology and history.
Last year she was engaged in a research project examining the role of peatlands on
catchment hydrology emanating from the Australian Alps.