MIKE SHE Public Data Catalog – State Supplement¶
Tasmania¶
Version: 0.1 test template
Purpose: State-specific data sources and hydrological context for MIKE SHE models in Tasmania
Complements: MIKE SHE Public Data Catalog – Australia (national datasets are not repeated here)
1. Hydrological Context¶
1.1 Climate¶
- very wet west coast (more than 2,500 mm per year)
- Central Highlands with seasonal snow
- dry rain-shadow Midlands and east coast (around 500–600 mm per year)
- temperate maritime climate
1.2 Landscape¶
- Central Plateau with numerous lakes and hydropower storages
- steep, rugged western catchments
- Midlands valleys and the Tamar and Derwent estuaries
1.3 Key Modelling Challenges¶
- highly regulated rivers due to hydropower operations
- expanding irrigation schemes in the Midlands
- locally important groundwater use (Coal River Valley, Launceston Tertiary Basin)
- karst systems and groundwater-dependent ecosystems
- strong orographic rainfall gradients
2. Major Aquifer Systems¶
| Aquifer / System | Type | Modelling Relevance |
|---|---|---|
| Tertiary sedimentary basins (Launceston, Coal River, Longford) | Sedimentary | Irrigation |
| Jurassic dolerite and Tertiary basalt | Fractured rock | Springs, baseflow |
| Ordovician Gordon Limestone (e.g. Mole Creek) | Karst | GDEs, cave systems |
| Coastal sands (north-east coast, Bass Strait islands) | Unconfined sand | Local water supply |
3. State Data Sources¶
| Component | Source | Content | MIKE SHE Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water information | NRE Tasmania – Water | Water Information System of Tasmania (WIST), water management plans | Streamflow calibration, zonation |
| Groundwater | Mineral Resources Tasmania | Groundwater Information Access Portal (GIAP), geology | Heads, bore logs, layering |
| Spatial data | theLIST | LiDAR, TASVEG vegetation, land use, land capability | DEM refinement, vegetation, soils |
| Hydropower storages | Hydro Tasmania | Storage levels, operations | River boundaries |
| Irrigation schemes | Tasmanian Irrigation | Irrigation districts | Irrigation zones |
4. Water Management and Regulation¶
- water is managed under the Water Management Act 1999
- catchment-based Water Management Plans define allocation rules
- Tasmania is not part of the Murray-Darling Basin
5. Modelling Notes¶
- use a fine model grid in steep catchments
- activate snowmelt in the Central Highlands
- check SILO against local stations, as orographic gradients are strong
- represent hydropower releases as regulated boundaries
- consider karst preferential flow where limestone is present
6. Checklist¶
- relevant Water Management Plan identified
- WIST gauges and GIAP bores selected
- TASVEG used for vegetation zones
- hydropower regulation assessed