Skip to Navigation
Home ›

National Program for Sustainable Irrigation Projects

2008 NPSI/ IAL Travel Fellow - Matthew Shanahan

Matthew Shanahan is a young, enthusiastic and committed irrigation industry professional currently working with RM Consulting Group (RMCG) in the fields of recycled water and sustainable irrigation management.

A 'Ready Reckoner' to Determine Under What Circumstances an Evaporation Reduction System Would be Economical

The Goulburn Broken region faces significant challenges and opportunities. Issues such as free-trade agreements, climate change, water reform, and technological developments will have a significant influence on the future.

Adaptive learning through five strands of root-zone knowledge

This project will demonstrate how the collection of five independent strands of irrigation data via a novel sensor and logging platform will link irrigator experience with measured data, link atmospheric scheduling with soil based monitoring, and link water management with solute management.

Changing Irrigation Systems and Management in the Harvey Irrigation Area

Project DAW45 was conducted over the Harvey irrigation seasons 2003-04 and 2004-05. Seasons in Harvey are relatively consistent extending usually from October to May.

The project was conducted in two stages to ensure adequate consideration of the issues and planning for the case study, along with integration with other related research work, prior to the commencement of the case study.

Changing patterns of salt distribution in irrigated soils

The compilation of a clearer picture of the changing patterns of salt distribution in irrigated soil by Flinders University of SA student Megan Sebben under the supervision of the head of the South Australian Research and Development Institute’s Water Resources and Irrigated Crops Unit, Jim Cox.

Channel Evaporation Mitigation

The project will develop the application of monolayers to reduce evaporation from irrigation channels.

Coordinating Deep Drainage Research in the Northern Darling Basin

This project will provide coordination and information exchange as necessary between the various stakeholders to optimise the various deep drainage projects outcomes. This task will be achieved by having 2 groups.

Delivering Sustainability through Risk Management

This project was designed to achieve an improved level of adoption of ecological risk assessment and risk management methods in the Australian irrigation industry and in regulatory agencies. Adoption of risk-based approaches is considered to be vital if the industry is to achieve its goal of long-term sustainability.

Design criteria for tailwater input wetland systems

Amber Webster will be developing design criteria for tailwater input wetland systems in the Burdekin River Irrigation Area (BRIA) as part of her final year of undergraduate studies at James Cook University.

Effect of irrigation management on nitrate movement

Kimberley Althause will be investigating the effect of irrigation management on nitrate movement in a lettuce crop as part of her final year of an undergraduate degree at the University of Southern Queensland.