Desktop review - Impact of bushfires on water quality

Hugh Smith, Jane Cawson, Gary Sheridan and Patrick Lane - The University of Melbourne, 2011

Preamble

In late 2009, the then Australian Government Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts commissioned academics from The University of Melbourne to conduct a review of existing literature focussing on the water quality impacts of bushfires in Australia. The review was subsequently peer reviewed by a number of independent experts to confirm that the findings were consistent with contemporary science, policy and practice.

The Desktop review considers the water quality impacts of bushfires on various uses and values, including drinking water, aquatic ecosystems, agriculture, industrial water, recreation and aesthetics, and water resource infrastructure. The Desktop review makes several recommendations for management actions before, during, and after a fire to minimise impacts on water quality, while also identifying substantial knowledge gaps.