Field Trip Report on Water Management
Introduction
The Water Management Act 2000’s key objectives entail the provision of integrated and sustainable management of the state water sources to ensure that the sources benefit the current and prospective generations. In this regard, the Water Management Act 2000 has described the water source to imply either the entire or any given part of one or many rivers, estuaries and lakes, as well as the state coastal waters and one or numerous places in which water occurs either below or on the ground surface such as the water that flows overland or lies on the land for the time being. Based on this, the paper has been written with the objective of presenting a report to provide evidence for the determination on whether a watercourse or river, based on the definitions of the Water Management Act 2000 are present, run through and have their origins in properties of 14 and 16 found on Wyatt Avenue, Belrose, NSW.
Discussion
Based on the visit and observations made in relation to properties of 14 and 16 found on Wyatt Avenue, Belrose, NSW. Based on the visit to the properties as mentioned above, we observed that the two properties had many features indicating that they were sources or origin of watercourses. For instances, the properties had a number of channels suggesting that either flowing or static water formed them. While a number of the channels contained stagnant water, others were flowing with a smaller amount of water. [unique_solution]
Also, we noticed that most of the water found on the properties had underground sources indicating that their origins were below the properties.
It was also observed that the properties had several small galleys formed by flowing water and that the galleys had patches of lush and riparian vegetation, which are also considered as the vital indication of water sources and availability on the properties. According to (McKay, 2017), the hydrophilic plants are essential indicators of the watercourses and source and are mainly found in the plant communities and habitats along the watercourses and around water sources.
One may, therefore, conclude that the properties are located on watercourses given that the observational study indicates that the properties have natural channels in which water flows within banks that are both less and more defined. Nevertheless, at some point, it was noted that the watercourse had spread over the ground and did not have any defined banks before flowing again through sell defined channels. Even so, it was also noted that the flow is not constant in given parts of the properties and that the channels had become lasting landmarks.
Many water flows are also visible on the two properties. For instance, we noticed that the properties had water that was flowing through rocks from an elevated point. Based on the definitions offered by Nelson (2018) with regards to the determinant of watercourses, channels via which that water flows may either be enclosed underground or open. In this regard, the observed flow through the rocks was free and within aptly defined banks indicating the existence of water channels. However, given the smaller amount of water flowing through the channels, it may be concluded that the properties have ordinary watercourses, as well as that the properties may be located on the headstream of one of the rivers in NSW. As such, this is evidenced by the observation that the properties had water that flowed from a higher point as was seen at the point where water was flowing through the rocks downwards.
The properties also have marshes and meet the definition of watercourse as expounded by Curran and Mascher (2016) who asserts that, at time the watercourse or even the remote tributary source is found in a location within regions that are increasingly marsh-like, and which the remote part of the upper section of the marsh is likely to be the actual source of the water. At the point in which the water flow is seen to move through a channel formed between the rocks, it can be observed that the area has marsh-like vegetation and also has lush green trees compared to other parts of the property.
Conclusion
Based on the above observation, it can be concluded that the available evidence along with the observational study of properties of 14 and 16 found on Wyatt Avenue, Belrose, NSW indicated that they are located on a watercourse. The properties meet the Water Management Act 2000 NSW’s description and classification of the watercourse. Regardless of the little amount of water that is either flowing of stagnant on the properties, it can be noted that the land contains natural channels formed by water, hydrophilic plants and marsh-like vegetation that indicate existence of riparian vegetation, as well as dump patches that indicate that the properties might contain water collection points where water collects prior to flowing out of the land. Based on the findings and the observations, that properties of 14 and 16 found on Wyatt Avenue, Belrose, NSW are vital watercourses that might also be tributaries of other rivers in the regions, as such we recommend that the property should be conserved and any human activity and occupation on the properties that might affect the watercourse and the water quality negatively be stopped.
References
Curran, D., & Mascher, S. (2016). Adaptive management in water law: evaluating Australian (New South Wales) and Canadian (British Columbia) law reform initiatives. McGill Int’l J. Sust. Dev. L. & Pol’y, 12, 177.
McKay, J. (2017). Australian jurisprudence of justice in water management: present limitations, future issues and law reform suggestions. Natural Resources and Environmental Justice: Australian Perspectives, 174.
Nelson, R. L. (2018). Regulating Cumulative Impacts in Groundwater Systems: Global Lessons from the Australian Experience. Reforming Water Law and Governance: From Stagnation to Innovation in Australia, 237-256.