Will Australia’s largest mine cause extinction of the Doongmabulla Springs? The Doongmabulla Springs Complex (DSC) in central Queensland supports 160 nationally important wetlands. High groundwater le

Description

Will Australia’s largest mine cause extinction of the Doongmabulla Springs? The Doongmabulla Springs Complex (DSC) in central Queensland supports 160 nationally important wetlands. High groundwater levels in unaltered aquifers sustain these springs. The Carmichael Coal Mine (CCM), 8 km east of the DSC, threatens to lower groundwater levels substantially. This project aims to understand the DSC's response to CCM-induced drawdown and its impact on spring flow and ecosystem health. Outcomes include comprehensive sediment datasets, aquifer-spring-wetland models, and key assessments of legal/policy and management instruments. The project’s critical insights for spring protection, hydrogeological modelling, and adaptive management will guide evidence-based protection measures for threatened springs locally and globally.. Scheme: Linkage Projects. Field: 3707 - Hydrology. Lead: Prof Adrian Werner