The 2019/2020 Australian bushfires (or wildfires) burned the largest forested area in Australia's recorded history, with major socio-economic and environmental consequences. Among the largest fires was the 280 000 ha Green Wattle Creek Fire, which burned large forested areas of the Warragamba catchment. This protected catchment provides critical ecosystem services for Lake Burragorang, one of Australia's largest urban supply reservoirs delivering ~85% of the water used in Greater Sydney. Water New South Wales (WaterNSW) is the utility responsible for managing water quality in Lake Burragorang. Its postfire risk assessment, done in collaboration with researchers in Australia, the UK, and United States, involved (i) identifying pyrogenic contaminants in ash and soil; (ii) quantifying ash loads and contaminant concentrations across the burned area; and (iii) estimating the probability and quantity of soil, ash, and associated contaminant entrainment for different rainfall scenarios. The work included refining the capabilities of the new WEPPcloud-WATAR-AU model (Water Erosion Prediction Project cloud-Wildfire Ash Transport And Risk-Australia) for predicting sediment, ash, and contaminant transport, aided by outcomes from previous collaborative postfire research in the catchment. Approximately two weeks after the Green Wattle Creek Fire was contained, an extreme rainfall event (~276 mm in 72 h) caused extensive ash and sediment delivery into the reservoir. The risk assessment informed on-ground monitoring and operational mitigation measures (deployment of debris-catching booms and adjustment of the water supply system configuration), ensuring the continuity of safe water supply to Sydney. WEPPcloud-WATAR-AU outputs can prioritize recovery interventions for managing water quality risks by quantifying contaminants on the hillslopes, anticipating water contamination risk, and identifying areas with high susceptibility to ash and sediment transport. This collaborative interaction among scientists and water managers, aimed also at refining model capabilities and outputs to meet managers' needs, exemplifies the successful outcomes that can be achieved at the interface of industry and science. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2021;17:1151–1161. © 2021 The Authors. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC).

中文翻译：

---

设计工具来预测和减轻澳大利亚 2019/2020 年野火后对水质的影响：来自悉尼最大供水集水区的见解

2019/2020 年澳大利亚丛林大火（或野火）烧毁了澳大利亚有记录以来最大的森林面积，造成了重大的社会经济和环境后果。其中最大的火灾是 280 000 公顷的 Green Wattle Creek Fire，它烧毁了 Warragamba 流域的大片森林地区。这个受保护的集水区为 Burragorang 湖提供关键的生态系统服务，Burragorang 湖是澳大利亚最大的城市供水水库之一，提供大悉尼地区约 85% 的用水。Water New South Wales (WaterNSW) 是负责管理 Burragorang 湖水质的公用事业单位。其火灾后风险评估是与澳大利亚、英国和美国的研究人员合作完成的，涉及 (i) 确定灰烬和土壤中的热源污染物；(ii) 量化整个燃烧区域的灰负荷和污染物浓度；(iii) 估计不同降雨情景下土壤、灰分和相关污染物夹带的概率和数量。这项工作包括改进新的 WEPPcloud-WATAR-AU 模型（水侵蚀预测项目云-野火灰烬运输和风险-澳大利亚）的能力，以预测沉积物、灰烬和污染物运输，并借助先前在集水。在 Green Wattle Creek 火灾被控制后大约两周，一次极端降雨事件（72 小时内约 276 毫米）导致大量灰烬和沉积物进入水库。风险评估为地面监测和运营缓解措施（部署垃圾收集栅栏和调整供水系统配置）提供了信息，确保了悉尼安全供水的连续性。WEPPcloud-WATAR-AU 输出可以通过量化山坡上的污染物、预测水污染风险以及识别对灰烬和沉积物运输高度敏感的区域来优先考虑恢复干预措施，以管理水质风险。科学家和水管理人员之间的这种协作互动也旨在完善模型能力和输出以满足管理人员的需求，体现了可以在工业和科学的界面上取得的成功成果。WEPPcloud-WATAR-AU 输出可以通过量化山坡上的污染物、预测水污染风险以及识别对灰烬和沉积物运输高度敏感的区域来优先考虑恢复干预措施，以管理水质风险。科学家和水管理人员之间的这种协作互动也旨在完善模型能力和输出以满足管理人员的需求，体现了可以在工业和科学的界面上取得的成功成果。WEPPcloud-WATAR-AU 输出可以通过量化山坡上的污染物、预测水污染风险以及识别对灰烬和沉积物运输高度敏感的区域来优先考虑恢复干预措施，以管理水质风险。科学家和水管理人员之间的这种协作互动也旨在完善模型能力和输出以满足管理人员的需求，体现了可以在工业和科学的界面上取得的成功成果。Integr Environ Assess Manag 2021；17:1151–1161。© 2021 作者。综合环境评估和管理由 Wiley Periodicals LLC 代表环境毒理学与化学学会 (SETAC) 发布。