Water resources

Satellite view of two rivers with many tributaries and surrounded by red earth

Editorial: CSIRO's Warwick McDonald looks at the importance of water research in Australia and what it has yielded so far. Australia's world leading research is now informing water management around the globe.

Two mean leaning on fence next to a bore coming out of ground and gas well in background with flames emerging

Injecting massive amounts of water purified after coal seam gas has been extracted may provide the irrigation water of the future as it seeps slowly through ancient sandstone rocks, according to CSIRO research.

A helicopter with a large ring suspended from it hovering over landscape

It’s predicted that there will be a three-fold increase in water demand in South Australia between 2010 and 2019 by the mining and energy sector. Using world first techniques combining geophysical data and topographical maps, scientists are exploring if the water is there to support demand.

Close up of big tree trunk with river and vegetation in background

New 7-day streamflow forecasts are able to predict water flows for rivers and streams, allowing for more accurate and efficient management of water resources.

The aquifers below Perth and its surrounds store an important source of water for the city that is running low. Researchers are now exploring the potential of these aquifers to store, transport and even further treat wastewater that is currently being discarded, to provide a secure source of water into the future.

Stand of trees with a water mark part way up the trunks

New research has examined over 100 years of historical data on Murray-Darling Basin ecosystems to provide an indication of long-term trends in the Basin’s ecological condition.