Assessing the health of Ephemeral Rivers

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Assessing the geomorphic and hydrologic aspects of ephemeral rivers is an important part of measuring their health. Ideally, a few accurate, repeatable, rapid measurements would describe their condition and allow changes to be assessed over time.

Researchers and managers have developed a large number (hundreds) of hydrologic and geomorphologic indicators which are summarised in this review. Often a suite of indicators, developed by a management agency, will be applied to streams in a particular State or region. The geomorphic and hydrologic indicators from these approaches are discussed, focussing particularly on those suitable for ephemeral streams.