What a great webinar – Thank you Dana Windle

Our sincere thanks to Dana Windle from ERM who presented a fantastic webinar to our community.  Dana’s depth of knowledge is outstanding; here are a few takeaways from her presentation.

1.  Groundwater and surface water behave differently

• Surface water responds quickly to rainfall and is easier to observe but can be ephemeral and challenging to access safely during high flows.
• Groundwater responds more slowly and is harder to monitor, yet its variability strongly influences flow directions and interactions with surface water.

2.  Seasonal cycles drive interaction dynamics

• Start of the wet season: “First flush” events often see surface water dominating; water quality can be poor (high turbidity, acidity, metals).
• Mid–late wet season: Increased flows dilute contaminants; groundwater levels rise, increasing baseflow to rivers.
• Dry season: Surface water may recede to isolated or groundwater-fed pools; groundwater levels fall, sometimes exposing acid sulfate sediments.

3.  Monitoring requires careful timing and design

• Capturing transitions between wet and dry seasons—or tidal cycles in coastal zones—is essential for understanding system dynamics.
• Accessibility and safety challenges highlight the importance of planning and durable instrumentation.

4.  Continuous monitoring enhances understanding

• Dataloggers and telemetry enable high-resolution, real-time data that can reveal short-term variability and improve conceptual models when integrated with manual sampling.

5.  Major ion chemistry helps trace water sources and mixing

• Major ions provide insight into groundwater and surface water mixing processes.
• Tools like Piper, Schoeller, and Durov plots help visualise geochemical relationships and identify flow paths and contaminant movement.

6.  Robust conceptual models are essential

• Integrating hydrogeochemical data, hydraulic gradients, and monitoring results supports accurate site conceptualisation.
• Improved understanding informs better monitoring strategies, management decisions, and targeted investigations

If you weren’t able to tune-in you can rewatch it from our Webinar Library.