River Management: The Australasian Experience

Only in Australasia can the effect of technological societies onriver systems be truly analysed and this unique, accessible bookcovers key issues in river management from a geomorphologicalperspective.

Australia and New Zealand were colonised only 200 years ago bycentral bureaucratic administrations. For the whole period ofEuropean settlement most river management activities have beencarried out by government agencies and the record of theiractivities is relatively complete. These countries thereforeprovide good case studies for the impact of technological societieson river systems, having transformed their rivers in a short timefrom their 'natural' into a heavily managed condition.

Geomorphology provides the scientific basis for much of ourunderstanding of river behaviour and geomorphologists are nowactively involved in the management process. This book provides acollection of case studies, the first to be produced to date, whichdescribe the management of rivers covering issues of environmentalflow, stream condition, mining and extractive activities, riverchannel change, river stabilisation, river regulation and urbanstreams.

The book will prove invaluable to geomorphologists, riverengineers, stream ecologists, river managers, and environmentalimpact assessors involved in river management and restoration.