Griffith University is leading a major new research initiative aimed at tackling nutrient pollution in our rivers.
Backed by $924,000 in Australian Research Council (ARC) Linkage Project funding, the three-year study will help answer a critical question: how well can rivers process nutrient runoff from human activities such as agriculture, urban development, and wastewater discharge?
This process, known as “assimilative capacity,” is essential to healthy waterways – but is still poorly understood, creating major uncertainties for restoration efforts and emerging nutrient trading schemes.
Led by Professor Michele Burford and supported by teams from The University of Western Australia, Southern Cross University, Sydney Water, the Department of Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation, the Council of Mayors (SEQ), and Healthy Land and Water, the project will combine state-of-the-art modelling with real-world experiments and long-term monitoring data.
“Without clear knowledge of how nutrients move and are processed in rivers, it is difficult for governments and water managers to confidently invest in solutions,” Professor Burford said.
“Our goal is to fill that gap, and build the scientific foundation for targeted, cost-effective catchment rehabilitation.”
The team will focus on key rivers including the Logan River in South East Queensland and the Hawkesbury-Nepean in New South Wales – two critical waterways facing multiple stressors, from sewage inputs to land-based runoff.
By linking scientific insight with practical management tools, the research will also support the development of nutrient markets – similar to carbon trading – which create financial incentives for landholders and industries to reduce pollution.
“Understanding river assimilative capacity under current and future conditions – like population growth and climate change – is vital to ensuring water security and ecosystem health,” Professor Burford said, who is a member of Griffith’s Australian Rivers Institute.
The project is underway with lab and field experiments across multiple sites.
Early results will inform both scientific publications and on-ground restoration strategies.
The research will pave the way for smarter regulation, improved environmental modelling, and greater confidence in nature-based investments that benefit both people and planet.
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Michele Burford
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