Dr Todd Wallace

• Biography/ Background

  Todd Wallace has 20 years working experience in freshwater and marine environments. This includes more than a decade of experience in the Murray-Darling Basin providing scientific leadership, and in building and maintaining productive relationships with natural resource managers and community groups including irrigators. From 2006-11 he was the Officer in Charge of the Murray-Darling Freshwater Research Centre in Mildura. He is currently a Research Fellow at The University of Adelaide, and the Director of Riverwater Life Pty Ltd. Todd has long-standing working relationships and collaboration with key researchers at research institutes including SARDI, CSIRO, SA Water, La Trobe University and Flinders University. These relationships facilitate a multi-disciplinary view of ecological processes. Since 2006 Todd has co-supervised 6 research students and been lead or co-author on more than 60 technical reports and 9 refereed articles on management of floodplain and aquatic environments. 

  In the capacity of providing advice to support management, over the last five years he has assisted the South Australian Government’s Department for Environment and Water, The Victorian Environmental Water Holder and the Commonwealth Environmental Water Office with assessments of likely outcomes of planned environmental watering management actions at the wetland, floodplain and landscape scale. This includes development of operating and risk management plans, and monitoring programs for large scale constructed infrastructure designed to enable the managed inundation of wetlands and floodplains ranging in size from tens to thousands of hectares.

   

• Research Interests

  A key area of Todd’s research is the ecological processes that determine outcomes resulting from the use of environmental water. This involves furthering our understanding of the linkages between key ecological attributes of lowland rivers and their floodplains, and the hydrological, and biogeochemical processes that underpin their condition. This incorporates biogeochemical processes that need to occur for the condition of higher order trophic levels (e.g. fish, birds, vegetation) to improve, and the impacts that failure to manage for biogeochemical processes can have on ability to meet management objectives. Specific foci include (i) linkages between soil water availability ↔ tree physiology ↔ tree visual condition to develop multiple lines of evidence to support management decisions, (ii) investigation of changes in water quality associated with cease to flow conditions and reconnection flows in lowlands rivers, (iii) investigation of water quality dynamics during and following delivery of environmental water allocations, (iv) investigation of productivity responses during environmental watering; and (v) new approaches to management of flow to improve nutritional quality of biofilms in lowland rivers.

• Publications

  Refereed Publications:

   

  Wallace, T.A. Ganf, G.G. and Brookes, J.D. (2016) Sediment oxygen demand in a constructed lake in south-eastern Australia. Journal of Environmental Management 181, 449-454

  Wallace, T.A., and Furst, D. (2016) Open water metabolism and dissolved organic carbon in response to environmental watering in a lowland river–floodplain complex. Marine and Freshwater Research http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/MF15318

  Wallace, T.A., Ganf, G.G. and Brookes, J.D. (2014) Rapid utilisation of storm water-derived dissolved organic carbon and its fractions in an urban lake. Marine and Freshwater Research. MF 12287. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/MF12287

  Moran, N., Ganf, G.G. Wallace, T.A. Brookes, J.D. (2013) Flow variability and longitudinal characteristics of organic carbon in the Lachlan River, Australia. Marine and Freshwater Research MF 12297.R2. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/MF12297

  Souter, N.J.  Wallace, T.A., Walter, M, and Watts, R. (2013). Raising river level to improve the condition of a semi-arid floodplain forest. Ecohydrology DOI: 10.1002/eco.1351

  Baldwin, D.S., Wilson, J.S., Colloff, M.J., Whitworth, K.L. Pitman, T.L., Rees, G.N. and Wallace, T.A. (2013) Provisioning of bioavailable carbon between the wet and dry phases in a semiarid floodplain Oecologia. 172:539-550

  Souter, N.J. Cunningham, S., Little, S. Wallace, T., McCarthy, B., and Henderson, M. (2010) Evaluation of a visual assessment method for tree condition of eucalypt floodplain forests. EcologicalManagement and Restoration, 11(3), 210-214

  Wallace, T.A., Ganf, G.G. and Brookes, J.D. (2008) A comparison of phosphorus and DOC leachates

  from different types of leaf litter in an urban environment. Freshwater Biology 53, 1902-1913.

  Brookes, J.D., Aldridge, K., Wallace, T., Linden, L. and Ganf, G.G. (2005). Multiple interception pathways

  for resource utilisation and increased ecosystem resilience. Hydrobiologia 552, 135-146

  Edited Book Chapters:

  Baldwin, D.S and Wallace, T.A. (2009). Biogeochemistry. Chapter 6 in: Overton, I.C., Colloff, M.J.,

  Doody, T.M., Henderson, B. and Cuddy, S.M. (eds). (2009). ‘Ecological Outcomes of Flow Regimes in the Murray-Darling Basin’. Report prepared for the National Water Commission by CSIRO Water for a Healthy Country Flagship. CSIRO, Canberra. 422p.

   

  Technical Reports:

   

  Wallace, T.A Gehrig, S.L. Doody, T.M. Davies, M.J. Walsh, R., Fulton, C., Cullen, R, and Nolan, M. (2018). A lines of evidence approach for prioritising environmental water of wetland and floodplain trees. Report produced for the South Australian Government’s Department for Environment and Water. September 2018.

  Wallace, T.A. and Fulton C. (2018). Temporal variability in algal genera, stable isotope and fatty acid profiles of biofilms in heavily regulated lowland river. A report produced for the South Australian Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources. July 2018

  Wallace, T.A and Gehrig, S. (2018). Application of floodplain Eucalypt condition score systems to support environmental watering management decisions. Report produced for the Victorian Environmental Water Holder. June 2018.

  Walsh, R., Fulton, C. and Wallace, T.A. (2018). Eckerts-Katarapko floodplain tree condition: 2018 survey results and reporting against ecological targets. Report produced by Riverwater Life Pty Ltd for the Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources, South Australian Government. May 2018

  Wallace, T.A., (2017) Chowilla Floodplain Icon Site Tree Condition survey data May 2008 to August 2016. Report produced by Riverwater Life Pty Ltd for the Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources, South Australian Government. October 2017

  Wallace, T.A and Walsh, R. (2017) Assessment of DOC release from plant material collected from Pike

  Floodplain (April 2017). Draft Report prepared for the Department of Environment, Water and

  Natural Resources South Australian Government. Version 1.0 26/06/2017.

  Denny, M., Wallace, T.A., Riches, V., Thompson, D. Purczel, C. (2017) SA Riverland Floodplain Integrated Infrastructure Programme – Pike Floodplain ecological response to groundwater management. DEWNR Technical report, December, 2017

  Wallace, T.A. (2017) Assessment of water quality outcomes associated with the 2016 unregulated flood and managed inundation of Chowilla Floodplain. Draft Report prepared for the Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources South Australian Government. Version 1.4 06/06/2017.

  Wallace, T, Denny, M, Bice, C (2016) SARFIIP Conceptual Models, Pike and Eckerts-Katarapko Floodplains. Revision 2.3, March 2016. A report produced for the South Australian Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources

  Wallace, T.A. and Cummings, C. (2016) Influence of water level manipulation on biofilm composition in a highly regulated lowland river. A report produced by The University of Adelaide and the SA Environmental Protection Agency for the Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources, South Australian Government.

  Wallace, T.A. and Cummings, C. (2016) Influence of water level manipulation on open water metabolism in a highly regulated lowland river. A report produced by The University of Adelaide and the SA Environmental Protection Agency for the Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources, South Australian Government.

  Cummings, C. Wallace, T.A. and Goonan P. (2016) Interactions between benthic primary productivity and primary consumers due to a 0.5 m water level manipulation. A report produced by the SA Environmental Protection Agency and The University of Adelaide for the Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources, South Australian Government.

  Wallace, T., McCullough, D., Esprey, L., and Montazeri, M. (2016).  An assessment of the potential differences in ecological outcomes associated with two infrastructure height options (13.5 and 13.9 mAHD) at the Katarapko Floodplain. September 2016

  Wallace, T.A., (2016) Chowilla Floodplain Icon Site Tree Condition survey data May 2008 to August 2016. Report produced by Riverwater Life Pty Ltd for the Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources, South Australian Government. September 2016

  Wallace, T.A., (2015) Chowilla Floodplain Icon Site Tree Condition survey data May 2008 to November 2015. Report produced by Riverwater Life Pty Ltd for the Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources, South Australian Government. December 2015

  Wallace, T.A., (2015) Chowilla Floodplain Icon Site Tree Condition Report – 2008-15 surveys. Report produced by Riverwater Life Pty Ltd for the Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources, South Australian Government.

  Wallace, T.A., (2015) SARFIIP Conceptual Models, Pike and Eckerts-Katarapko Floodplains. Working Draft_Version 1.January 2015. Report produced by Riverwater Life Pty Ltd for the Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources, South Australian Government

  Wallace, T.A., (2015) Chowilla Floodplain Icon Site Tree Condition survey data May 2008 to November 2015. Report produced by Riverwater Life Pty Ltd for the Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources, South Australian Government.

  Wallace, T.A., Furst, D., Upadhyay, S and Daly, R. (2015) Science to inform operational decisions of major environmental infrastructure on the Chowilla Floodplain and other regulated floodplains in the SA River Murray, Goyder Institute for Water Research Technical Report Series.

  Cummings, C.R., Wallace, T.A., Goonan,.P.M., Mettam, M., and Mosley, L.M. (2015) Biofilm, primary consumer and water quality responses to the 2014 weir pool raising event in the lower River Murray. Report prepared for the Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources by the Environment Protection Authority and the University of Adelaide, 96pp.

  Wallace, T.A., and Whittle, J. (2014) Chowilla Floodplain – Operations Plan for Chowilla Creek Regulator and ancillary structures. Version 2.0 April 2014

  Wallace, T.A., and Whittle, J. (2014) Chowilla Floodplain – Monitoring Strategy for Operation of the Chowilla Creek Regulator and ancillary structures. Version 2.2 May 2014.

  Wallace, T.A., and Whittle, J. (2014) Chowilla Floodplain – Event Plans and Hazard Mitigation strategy for operation of the Chowilla Creek Regulator and ancillary structures. Version 2.2 May 2014.

  Wallace, T.A., Daly, R., Aldridge, K.T., Cox, J., Gibbs, M.S., Nicol, J.M., Oliver, R.L., Walker, K.F., Ye, Q., Zampatti, B.P. 2014, River Murray Channel: Environmental Water Requirements: Ecological Objectives and Targets, Goyder Institute for Water Research Technical Report Series No. 14/4, Adelaide, South Australia.

  Wallace, T.A., Daly, R., Aldridge, K.T., Cox, J., Gibbs, M.S., Nicol, J.M., Oliver, R.L., Walker, K.F., Ye, Q., Zampatti, B.P. 2014, River Murray Channel Environmental Water Requirements: Hydrodynamic Modelling Results and Conceptual Models, Goyder Institute for Water Research Technical Report Series No. 14/5, Adelaide, South Australia.

  Wallace, T.A. (2014) A discussion paper on establishing an extraction limit for the Pike River anabranch. Report prepared by Riverwater Life Pty Ltd for the Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources South Australian Government. April 2014. 31 pp.

  Wallace, T. (2013) An assessment of the capacity for variation in flows to influence biofilms in the lower Darling River. July 2013. Report prepared by The University of Adelaide for the Murray Darling Basin Authority.

  Wallace, T. and Whittle, J. (2013) Chowilla Floodplain Environmental Regulators Operations Plan Development Draft. July 2013. 

  Kirby M, Bice C, Doody TM, Hemming S, Holland KL, Jolly ID, Mason K, McGinness H, Muller KL, Nicol JM, Pollino CA, Rigney D, Wallace TA, Ye Q. (2013) Preliminary Systems Inventory and Project Scoping River Murray Catchment, Goyder Institute for Water Research Technical Report Series No. 13/9, Adelaide, South Australia. ISSN: 1839-2725

  Wallace, T. (2013) An assessment of changes in water quality associated with a release of environmental water from a temporary wetland. Report prepared for the Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources South Australian Government. May 2013. 25 pp.

  Wallace, T.A. (2013) Assessment of River Red Gum and Black Box population demographics at the Chowilla Floodplain Icon Site. Report prepared by Riverwater Life Pty Ltd for the Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources South Australian Government. June 2013. 11 pp.

  Wallace, T.A. (2012) Monitoring strategy for long and short term biotic and abiotic responses associated with management of Pike River Floodplain. Report prepared for the Department for Water, South Australian Government. June 2012.

  Wallace, T.  (2012) An ecological assessment of benefits and risks associated with the proposed management actions for the Eckerts Creek-Katarapko Creek floodplain complex. A report prepared for the Department for Environment and Natural Resources, South Australian Government.

  Aldridge, K. A., Wedderburn, S., Barnes, T. and Wallace, T. A. (2012). A rapid assessment of the condition of selected wetlands. Final report. Produced by the University of Adelaide for the Department for Water, the Government of South Australia, February 2012.

  Wallace, T. (2012) A discussion paper regarding the proposed decommissioning of  existing structures and construction of new structures at the Pike Floodplain. Report prepared for the Department for Water, South Australian Government. February 2012.10 pp.

  Lamontagne, S., A. K.T., K. L. Holland, I. D. Jolly, J. Nicol, R. L. Oliver, D. C. Paton, K. F. Walker, T. A. Wallace and Q. Ye. (2012). Expert panel assessment of the likely ecological consequences in South Australia of the proposed Murray-Darling Basin Plan. Goyder Institute for Water Research Technical Report Series No. 12/2.

  Wallace, T.A. and Rengasamy, P. (2011) An assessment of the distribution and magnitude of sodic and salinised soils on the Pike River Floodplain. Report prepared for the Department for Water, South Australian Government. December 2011. 34 pp.

  Wallace, T. (2011) An ecological assessment of benefits and risks associated with the proposed management actions for the Pike River and its floodplain. Report prepared for the Department for Water, South Australian Government. November 2011. 190 pp.

  Wallace, T. Baldwin D, Stoffels R, Rees G, Nielsen D, Johns C, Campbell C and Sharpe C (2011). "Natural‟ versus "Artificial‟ watering of floodplains and wetlands. Report prepared for the Murray-Darling Basin Authority by The Murray-Darling Freshwater Research Centre, MDFRC Publication 10/2011, June, 28pp.

  Wallace, T. (2011) A monitoring strategy to understand the long and short term biotic and abiotic responses associated with operation of the Chowilla Regulator. Report prepared for the Department for Water, South Australian Government. June 2011. 90pp.

  Wallace, T. and Bindokas, J. (2011) The impact of drought on water quality and fish communities within refuge pools in the Lachlan River. Report prepared for the Lachlan Catchment Management Authority. June 2011. 107pp.

  Wallace, T. (2010) A summary of the relative abundance and size-class distribution of large-bodied fish in the lower Murray River in the period 2002-10. A report prepared for Department of Primary Industries, Fisheries Victoria

  Wallace, T., and Lenon, E. (2010) Assessment of water quality risks associated with managed flooding

  of a large-scale floodplain-wetland complex. Report prepared for the South Australian Murray-Darling Basin Natural Resources Management Board and the Murray-Darling Basin Authority by The Murray-Darling Freshwater Research Centre, MDFRC Publication 24/2010, July, 26pp.

  Sharpe, C. Wallace. T., Rehwinkel, R., and Bindokas, J. (2010). Fish-Habitat relationships in the lower Darling River. A technical report prepared for the Lower Murray Darling Catchment Management Authority by The Murray-Darling Freshwater Research Centre

  Ellis, I., Sharpe, C. and Wallace, T. (2009). Assessment of snag-habitat and fish community relationships in the Pomona Priority Habitat Reach, Lower Darling River. A technical report prepared for the Lower Murray Darling Catchment Management Authority by The Murray-Darling Freshwater Research Centre

  Beyer, K, Marslan, K.B., Sharpe, C., Wallace, T.A. Zampatti, B.P., Nicol, J.M. (2009). Fish and fish habitats of the Pike River Anabranch and Floodpalin Complex. A report prepared by The South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI ) and The Murray-Darling Freshwater Research Centre for the South Australian Murray Darling Basin Natural Resources Management Board (MDFRC). Draft Report (December 2009)

  Wallace, T. (2009). The Living Murray: Condition Monitoring Program design for Chowilla Floodplain and the Lindsay, Mulcra and Wallpolla Islands. A report produced for the Murray-Darling Basin Authority by the Murray-Darling freshwater Research Centre (Version 2.0_October 2009)

  Wallace, T. (2009). The Living Murray: Condition Monitoring Program design for Hattah Lakes. A report produced for the Murray-Darling Basin Authority by the Murray-Darling freshwater Research Centre  (Version 2.0_October 2009)

  Souter, N., Cunningham, S., Little, S., Wallace, T., McCarthy, B., Henderson, M., and Bennets, K. (2009) Ground-based survey methods for The Living Murray assessment of condition of river red gum and black box populations. Version 11 (8^th September 2009). A technical report produced for the Murray-Darling Basin Authority.  

  Wallace, T., Walters, S., Ellis, I. and Tucker, M (2009). Ecological outcomes of managed flooding and control structures at Webster’s Lagoon. Report prepared for the Murray Darling Basin Authority, June 126pp

  Henderson, M., Campbell C., Johns, C., Sharpe, S., Kattel, G. and Wallace T. (2009). The Living Murray Condition Monitoring at Lindsay, Mulcra and Wallpolla Islands 2008/09. Report prepared for the Department of Sustainability and Environment by The Murray-Darling Freshwater Research Centre, July, 261pp.

  Kattel, G., Campbell, C., Johns C., Sharpe, C., Henderson, M. and Wallace, T. (2009). The Living Murray Condition Monitoring at Hattah Lakes 2008/09. Report prepared for the Department of Sustainability and Environment by The Murray-Darling Freshwater Research Centre, July, 237pp.

  Sharpe, C., Wallace, T., Fraser, P. and Vilizzi, L (2009). The impact of drought on the distribution of fish communities in the Mullaroo-Creek – Lindsay River complex. A technical report prepared for the Murray-Darling Basin Authority by The Murray-Darling Freshwater Research Centre.

  Wallace, T.A. (2009) An assessment of Tree Condition at the Pike Floodplain (South Australia). A report prepared by The Murray-Darling Freshwater Research Centre for the South Australian Murray Darling Basin Natural Resources Management Board. Draft Report (May 2009)

  Wallace, T.A. (2008) Water quality within two contrasting wetlands at Chowilla Floodplain following ponded flooding. Report to the SA Murray-Darling Basin Natural Resources Management Board. Murray-Darling Freshwater Research Centre, Mildura.

  Wallace, T.A., Sharpe, C., Fraser, P., Rehwinkel, R., and Vilizzi, L. (2008). The impact of drought on water quality and fish communities within refuge pools on the lower Darling River. A technical report prepared for the Lower Murray Darling Catchment Management Authority. Murray-Darling Freshwater Research Centre, Mildura.

  Henderson, M., Wallace, T.A., Campbell, C., McCarthy, B., Vilizzi, L., and Sharpe, C. (2008). The Living Murray Condition Monitoring of Lindsay, Mulcra and Wallpolla Islands 2007/08.Report to the Mallee Catchment Management Authority. Murray-Darling Freshwater Research Centre, Mildura. Technical report No. 06/2008.

  McCarthy, B., Tucker, M., Campbell, C., Henderson, M., Vilizzi, L., Wallace, T. and Walters, S. (2008). The Living Murray Condition Monitoring of Hattah Lakes 2007/08. Report to the Mallee Catchment Management Authority. Murray-Darling Freshwater Research Centre, Mildura. Technical Report No. 07/2008,

  Campbell, C.J., and Wallace, T. (2007). The Darling Anabranch Adaptive Management Monitoring Program: Establishment of monitoring sites, field data sheets and data management protocols. A report prepared for the Lower Murray Darling Catchment Management Authority by The Murray-Darling Freshwater Research Centre

  Wallace, T.A. , McGuffie, P., Scholz, O. , Nielsen, D.L. , Bowen, T. , Sharpe, C. , Baldwin, D. , Reid, J., and McCarthy, B. (2007). The Darling Anabranch Adaptive Management Monitoring Plan: Condition and Intervention Monitoring Program. A report prepared for the Lower Murray Darling Catchment Management Authority by The Murray-Darling Freshwater Research Centre. Report 11/2007

  Brookes, J., Burch, M., Wallace, T., and Baldwin, D. Risk Assessment of Cyanobacteria and Blackwater events in Chowilla Floodplain (2007).Report to the South Australian Murray-Darling Natural Resources Management Board. 61p.

  Scholz O., Reid J.R.W., Wallace T. and Meredith S. (2007). The Living Murray Initiative: Lindsay/Mulcra/ Wallpolla Islands and Hattah Lakes Icon Sites condition monitoring program design. Report to the Mallee Catchment Management Authority. Murray-Darling Freshwater Research Centre.

  Wallace, T.A. Gawne, B., Baldwin, D., McCarthy, B., Nielsen, D., Vilizzi, L. (2007) A standardised protocol for assessing the suitability of permanent wetlands for disconnection. A report prepared by The Murray-Darling Freshwater Research Centre for the Murray Darling Basin Commission. 40pp.

  Vilizzi, L, Wallace, T., Conallin, A, Sharpe, C, Ellis, I, Engledow, K, Fraser, P, Meredith, S, and McCasker, N. (2007).  Native Fish Recruitment and Flood Pulse Water Quality Monitoring on Lindsay and Wallpolla Islands.  Murray-Darling Freshwater Research Centre Technical Report prepared for the Mallee Catchment Management Authority.

  McGuffie,P., Fraser, P., Wallace, T.  and Ellis, I. (2007). Native Fish Protection at Lindsay Island: Development of fishing diaries and creel surveys. Technical Report 07/2007. Murray-Darling Freshwater Research Centre.

  Wallace, T. (2006) Chowilla Monitoring Framework. Working Document (version 1.6). A development draft produced by the Department of Water, Land and Biodiversity Conservation.

  Wallace, T. (2006) A manual of field procedures for ecological monitoring on Chowilla. Working Document (version 1.6) A development draft produced by the Department of Water, Land and Biodiversity Conservation.

  Wallace, T., Ganf, G.G. and Brookes, J.D. (2004). The impact of urbanisation on the bioavailability of organic carbon in tributary streams of the River Torrens. Report to Torrens Catchment Water Management Board, Adelaide. 39pp.

  Wallace, T. and Ganf, G.G. (2003) Review of Water Quality Management Options for Kensington Park Lake. Report prepared for the Australian Water Quality Centre. 11pp.

  Wallace, T., Ganf, G.G. and Brookes, J.D. (2002). Sources of Organic Carbon in the Torrens River Catchment: Report to Torrens Catchment Water Management Board, Adelaide. 23pp.

   

   

Entry last updated: Thursday, 26 Jan 2023

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