Mark Rivers

Mark is a Research Scientist based at the Department of Agriculture and Food's Waroona office. He has a background and qualifications in geophysics, environmental science and agronomy and has worked for DAFWA in the area of natural resource management since 1996. He is currently working on a number of projects developing sustainable farming systems for the high rainfall farming regions of WA. Presently, he is principally focused on work with Western Australian irrigators and dairy and beef farmers at the national level on projects developing Environmental Best Management Practices for irrigated agriculture within the Harvey Irrigation Area. He is also involved in the continuing development of the National Dairy Catchments Projects which are designed to undertake farm-scale dairy sustainability research and to apply findings at the catchment scale.

His other key interest at present is the development and testing of alternative agricultural lime sources and he is managing a research project with field sites throughout the medium and high rainfall areas of WA.

He is also currently enrolled in a PhD course which is being supervised jointly through the School of Environmental Systems Engineering and the Centre of Excellence in Natural Resource Management. Mark is studying nutrient attenuation mechanisms within the internal drainage systems of Western Australian grazing properties to help better understand in-farm hydrology and how it can be utilised to reduce off-site impacts.

Mark is a member of the Environment Institute of Australia, a Certified Environmental Professional and is also qualified as a Lead Auditor of Environmental Management Systems. Mark was a member of the  Harvey Irrigation Systems Project team, which won the 2005 WA Environment Award for Water Management and Conservation for their work into the development of more water-sensitive irrigation technologies.

Selected Journal Articles, Conference proceedings and Monographs since 2002.

Rivers MR, McCrea AF, Calder G, Moore K, Kuzich R, Hanks D and Nandapi D (2006) Towards sustainable irrigation in Western Australia. In Sustainable Irrigation Management and Technologies. Wessex Institute of Technology. Southampton, United Kingdom. ISSN: 1746-448X.

Rivers, M.R. and Holz,G. (2006) Dairy Catchments Research Questions – Have we answered them? Presentation and report to the Dairy Australia Sustainable Dairy Catchments Phase II Planning Workshop, Melbourne, Victoria.

Rivers, M.R., Kuzich, R. and Moore, K. (2005) Changing irrigation systems & management in the Harvey Water Irrigation Area. National Program for Sustainable Irrigation Investor Forum. Mildura, Victoria.

Rivers, M.R. and Summers, R.N. (2005) The Peel-Harvey Catchment - Geomorphology - Land use – Sustainability. Presentation to the US and Pennsylvania Environmental Protection Agencies. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.

Summers, R.N. and Rivers, M.R. (2005) Bauxite residue (Alkaloam) controlling phosphorus pollution a win win win outcome. Presentation to the US and Pennsylvania Environmental Protection Agencies. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.

Rivers, M.R., Clarke, M.F and Calder, G. (2004) An Assessment of the regional surface water quality in the Harvey Irrigation Area – Implications for regional environmental sustainability. Proceedings of the 7th International Riversymposium. Brisbane, Queensland.

Rivers, M.R. (2004) Overview of the Peel Inlet and Harvey Estuary – genesis to water quality. Proceedings of the 7th International Riversymposium. Brisbane, Queensland.

Rivers, M.R., Fry, L., Taylor, S. and Walmsley, T. (2004) DairyCatch – the development of sustainable dairy farming systems for Western Australia. The Australian Journal of Dairy Technology. 59. No. 2.

Rivers, M.R. and Summers, R.N. (2003) Field proven Best Management Practices are the only valid basis for EMS. Proceedings of the 3rd National Conference on Environmental Management Systems in Agriculture. Tanunda, South Australia.

McCrea, A.F. and Rivers, M.R. (2003) Sustainable Irrigation – a collective effort for regional development. Proceedings of the International Conference of the Network of Regional Governments for Sustainable Development. Fremantle, Western Australia.

Rivers, M.R. (2002) A proposed process for the development of Best Management Practices in agriculture by the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia. Department of Agriculture, Western Australia.

Summers, R. N. and Rivers, M.R.(2002) Soil testing: a guide to fertiliser use. Farmnote 69/2002. Department of Agriculture, Western Australia. Perth. WA.