Latest science

Read about our latest surface water science work by our resident scientists.

Baffled fishway made with rocks allowing movement of migratory native fish species.

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27 Jan 2026

The Surface Water Science team has published a series of technical reports on the Menindee weir pool as part of the Restoring the Darling–Baaka  program, initiated in response to the independent...

Menindee weir pool
25 Jul 2025

The Murray Darling Basin Authority has recently published the NSW 2024 reports on environmental outcomes at the asset scale (Matter 8) and progress towards water quality targets (Matter 12).

Kalyarr National Park, Hay, Lachlan River Visitor Area. Image courtesy of Jess Murphy
27 Mar 2025

The Surface Water Science team developed an eDNA assay and method allowing for the detection of the endangered giant dragonfly in upland swamp discharges.

A giant dragonfly.
26 Nov 2024

Our latest research prioritises flow-dependent stream frog species that can be used to monitor the environmental outcomes of water management rules and policies aimed at protecting flowing habitats.

Wilcoxii stream frog on a rock.
27 Aug 2024

Andrew Brooks (Surface Water Science) in collaboration with PhD student Handoko Wahjudi (now working at BCS), Prof Barbara Downes and Dr Wim Bovill from The University of Melbourne, have recently...

Searching for eggs. Image courtesy of Sarah Wahjudi.
20 May 2024

The Surface Water Science team has recently published its annual state-wide water quality monitoring reports for 2022-2023.

Decorative map
18 Jan 2024

In September 2023, the Surface Water Science team installed monitoring equipment and collected data in the weir pools of the Darling-Baaka River to understand how flow velocities effect thermal and...

Scientist kayaking on river
07 Nov 2023

The department has used the latest research from the University of New England to develop water requirements for the endangered Bell’s turtle.

Hatchling Bells turtles in shallows.
06 Jul 2023

The Surface Water Science team are developing new environmental DNA techniques for monitoring the Giant dragonfly to help protect this endangered species.


 

Male giant dragonfly on hand
28 Jun 2023

The Surface Water Science team are using Baited Remote Underwater Videos (BRUVs) to survey freshwater turtle populations.

DPE scientists use a kayak to deploy the Baited Remote Underwater Video (BRUV) into the middle of a pool within the river channel.
16 Sep 2022

The NSW Government is collaborating with Macquarie University to trial new technology for measuring water quality in NSW rivers.


 

Showing river health. Credit; Tim Haeusler
09 Sep 2022

The Murray Darling Basin Authority has recently published the NSW 2020 reports on environmental outcomes at the asset scale (Matter 8) and progress towards water quality targets (Matter 12).

Kalyarr National Park, Hay, Lachlan River Visitor Area. Image courtesy of Jess Murphy
23 Jun 2022

We studied water flows needed through Barwon-Darling (Barka) pools to keep the river healthy, reduce thermal stratification, toxic algae and fish deaths.

Bourke weir.
20 Jun 2022

The NSW Government are collaborating with the University of New England to track how different river flows impact the movement of freshwater turtles through the Northern Murray-Darling Basin.

Water staff in canoe
20 Jun 2022

Tributary inflows play an important role in delivering resources such as organic matter and nutrients to the mainstem of a river. Our study showed how essential food resources from the Mehi and Namoi...

Bottles
26 Apr 2022

Scientists from the department's Surface Water Science team, are conducting field work to monitor the health of plant communities in the Northern Murray Darling Basin.

Floodplain vegetation in the Gwydir catchment.
21 Feb 2022

The Surface Water Science team used hydrological data to assess how effective cease-to-pump rules are at protecting low and base flows in rivers.

Goobarragandra, New South Wales
21 Feb 2022

We used satellite imagery to monitor the replenishment of remnant pools and low flow connectivity during a protected environmental flow event in the most recent drought.

Sun sets over the Barwon-Darling River.
01 Sep 2021

In April 2021, the Water Science team collected data on how environmental flows may overcome the impacts of Snowy Hydro Scheme weirs and dams on aquatic ecosystems within the Snowy mountains.

Snowy mountains