Fired Up: Bushfire Hydrology – Surface Water Solutions: Consulting and Software Training

Bushfire hydrology resources

Whether you call them bushfires, wildfires, or forest fires – wherever you are in the world – the severity, frequency, and consequences of bushfires is likely to increase over time due to climate change, development, and other factors. Improved understanding of the impacts to aquatic wildlife, vegetation, water quality, and hydraulic structures can inform planning decisions that protect vital resources.

Hear a summary of the latest research from expert presenters on our 125th Australian Water School webinar covering bushfire hydrology:

Here is a link to the presenter details:

Additional resources:

Erosion in burned catchments in Australia, AFAC 2014

Impact of bushfire and climate variability on streamflow from forested catchments in southeast Australia, CSIRO/Hydrological Sciences Journal 2014
FINDINGS FACTSHEET: The impacts of bushfire ash and sediment on freshwater fauna, TSR Hub 2021
REPORT: Impacts of post-fire ash and runoff sediment on the physiological tolerances of Australian freshwater aquatic fauna, Rebecca Cramp, Callum Mulvey, Jarrod Cameron, Matthew Wintour, Daniel Gomez Isaza and Craig Franklin, May 2021
REPORT: Summary of the 2019/20 bushfire impacts on freshwater fish and emergency conservation response in south-eastern Australia, J.J. Shelley , T.A. Raadik and M. Lintermans, August 2021

ICEWaRM

The ICEWaRM website “Managing the Impacts of Bushfires on Water” summarises climate change impacts and other factors around bushfire hydrology:

eWater resources

The eWater website “Bushfire Impacts on Hydrology” includes the following reference documents:

Kuczera, G. A. 1985, Prediction of water yield reductions following a bushfire in Ash- Mixed Species Eucalypt Forest, Melbourne Metropolitan Board of Works, Water Supply Catchment Hydrology Research, Rep. No. MMBW-W-0014

Langford, K. J. 1976, Change in yield of water following a bushfire in a forest of Eucalyptus reganas, Journal of Hydrology, Vol. 29, pp. 87-114

Murray-Darling Basin Commission, Risks to Shared Water Resources, Impact of the 2003 Alpine Bushfires on Streamflow: Modelling the impacts of the 2003 bushfires on water quality in catchments in Victoria and New South Wales, 2007

Sheridan, G.J. et al. 2007, Quantification of hillslope runoff and erosion processes before and after wildfire in a wet Eucalyptus forest, Journal of Hydrology, Vol 323, pp. 12-28

Please support the Australasian Institute of Emergency Services, a professional organisation that supports emergency service workers who respond to bushfires, floods, and other emergencies.