Melbourne’s protected forested water supply catchments provide a high quality, low risk, low energy, low cost water supply for Melbourne. This is largely due to the restriction on human activities in these catchments. There are basically two forest types in these protected catchments, and the risks to streamflow yield and water quality from each of the two dominant forest types are quite different.

For both forest types, fire can have a major impact on water supply from these forests. Logging can have similar negative impacts on streamflow yield in Mountain Ash forests. Dr Shane Haydon (‪@MelbourneWater‬) provides a brief exploration of the long term research addressing these impacts.

About the speaker:

Dr Shane Haydon started work at Melbourne Water in 1990 as a research hydrologist, examining the impact of logging and fire on water yield and water quality in Mountain Ash forests. He has managed the drinking water research program since 2007, which has focused on drinking water quality and quantity impacts from fires, and pathogens in forested catchments.

Produced by the Royal Society of Victoria for "The Future of Victoria's Native Forests: A Public Symposium" with the support of the Alluvium Foundation. The symposium was delivered in partnership with the Alluvium Foundation, Friends of the Earth Melbourne and the Victorian National Parks Association.