Pressure - Hydrology

Sources of change to the hydrology:

Water extraction (both surface and groundwater) and impoundment reduce the amount of water entering a wetland
Point sources can increase water flows to wetlands
Livestock (both domestic and feral) can reduce the amount of water present in a wetland through drinking and disturbance (resulting in increased evaporation)
Activities that change the wetland form, such as excavation, drainage, infrastructure and land-forming/reclamation, result in altered hydrology of the wetland
Clearing of vegetation and soil compaction/impervious surfaces (urbanisation) result in increased surface water flow and often decreased groundwater recharge

Pressure (Source) indicators
Pressure indicator:% of wetland disturbed by livestock and feral pigs
Pressure indicator: presence of drainage modifications within wetland/fringing zone
Pressure indicator:% of fringing zone modified
Pressure indicator:% of median annual flow impounded and extracted (surface and groundwater) (floodplain systems) OR% of water yield from rainfall in catchment impounded or extracted (non-floodplain systems)
Pressure indicator:% of catchment modified

Pressure (Direct) indicators
Currently under investigation

Last updated: 21 February 2012