03-09-2002

Current and potential users of the Flowtube groundwater model will get opportunity for one-on-one discussions about its use and possible improvement this month.

Project coordinator, Dr Christopher Clarke from Murdoch University in WA will travel to South Australia, Queensland, the ACT, NSW and Tasmania before concluding in Victoria for discussions with programmers.

Flowtube is a very user-friendly groundwater-modelling tool, now undergoing refinement under a National Dryland Salinity Program (NDSP) research project.

The program evolved out of need in Western Australia for a 'very, very easy to run' modelling tool to assess the likely impacts of rising groundwater and treatments to control it. It was developed from the Fortran program Funnell.

Opportunities for wider use elsewhere were seen after further development and this led to funding by NDSP. Its great advantage over other programs is that it can quickly run dozens of treatments in particular catchments to assess effects on recharge and groundwater. Flowtube's advantages in simplicity for non-programmers are now becoming widely accepted.

Dr Clarke stresses that Flowtube is designed for use at catchment scale, not for particular sites or whole-farm planning.

'Some modifications are still needed to meet its aims of providing a 'click and drag' tool for most of southern Australia, enabling instant decisions,' he commented. 'But we are well on the way to that goal and the roadshow should help considerably in gaining feedback on where it can be improved.'

Generic 'flowtubes' are being developed for each State and modifications are being undertaken by Melbourne University programmer, Dr Rob Argent. Some of the best hydrologists in each State are working with current versions, enabling their experience to be captured in its development.

For further information please contact:

Please contact Land & Water Australia
Email: land&wateraustralia@lwa.gov.au
Phone: 02 6263 6000