5.60 - Production Release (June 2025)
eWater is pleased to release Source 5.60, which captures improvements and enhancements from October 2024 to June 2025, key activities include:
Environmental Flows:
Replaced old EF Node with new Spell Observer logic.
Introduced node-level/action-level account deduction modes.
Improved recorder accuracy and UI usability.
Rule-Based Orders:
New recorder tracks priority-based volumes at each timestep.
Non-Extractive Supply Points:
New logic supports flow-through behaviour, account sharing, and constraint handling.
Storage Filling Curve Plugin:
Accepts inflows in ML/day and ML, with auto unit conversion.
New AARS Plugin:
Improves low-flow simulation with integrated groundwater–river storage modelling.
Results & Outputs:
Enhanced chart tools, res.csv/NetCDF updates, and CLI support for run names and overrides.
Plus numerous UI fixes, assurance rules, and validation improvements.
Enhancements to rule based ordering:
Enhanced the handling of Rule-Based Orders in scenario transfers. Previously, upstream scenarios with limited priority levels would only display those priorities in the recorder, even if additional priorities existed in downstream scenarios. This would require users to manually reconcile total water volumes between upstream and downstream configurations. Now, the system ensures that the total water volume delivered reflects the full sum of all downstream priorities, while the recorder will display only the priorities defined in the configuration. This reduces manual reconciliation efforts and improves clarity in reporting.
Added a new recorder Rule Based Order>>Priorities>>n: This recorder represents the total volume of water ordered to meet the demand with the Priority Order n at this Network Element in the Minimum Travel Time number of timesteps from the current timestep. This value is determined during the order phase.
The sum of water volumes allocated across all priority levels (Rule Based Orders >> Priorities 1 to n) at each user site matches the total volume calculated under Rule Based Orders >> Orders >> Minimum Travel Time.
With Scenario Transfer Functionality, the "Rule Based Order >> Priorities>>n" recorder displays only the priority levels defined within its own configuration. It does not reflect additional priorities present in downstream scenarios.
Enhancements to non-extractive supply points:
The following changes were made to the non-extractive supply points :
For non-extractive supply points, the min constraint will now be set to the max (u/s min constraint, supply point demand).
If the Extract water checkbox at the supply point configuration is disabled, water will not be extracted and water will pass downstream. i.e. the supply point will become non-extractive. When the supply point is set to non-extractive and the attached water user has Account Sharing enabled, the amount debited can be limited using the "Specify Maximum Account Deduction" check box and an appropriate function. By default, the amount debit from a non-extractive supply point will be the min (Flow at the Supply point, Water user demand).
When a supply point is set to non-extractive, the following functionality does not apply, overbank threshold, overbank pump capacity and diversion threshold.
When the maximum extraction rate is enabled, it applies to both extractive and non-extractive supply points. If required, the minimum constraint will be adjusted during to match the maximum extraction rate.
Distribution loss will still be applied when the supply point is set to non-extractive. Orders by the supply point are increased to accommodate the distribution loss, and will then be increased again by the over order factor (if configured).
Changes to Storage Filling Curve plugin:
Changes to allow the Storage Filling Curve plugin to accept historical inflow data in both volume (ML) and rate (ML/day) units, with automatic unit conversion and compatibility checks to prevent errors during the model run.
Changes to the Storage Filling Curve plugin to address issues where unexpected or missing plugin values were calculated for dates outside the 1st of the month or the filling season. This fix has been passed to the user for review.
Updated the built-in function "ProbabilityOfExceedanceFlow" to use the PERCENTRANK.INC algorithm, aligning it with the "ProbabilityOfExceedancePercentage" function for consistency in percentile calculations across Source.
Alluvium As a River Storage (AARS) plugin:
CSIRO developed the AARS model as part of the MDBA WERP program. This model was coupled with the AWRA model, written in C, and wrapped in R. eWater has been tasked with extracting the components relevant to the AARS model and developing this into a Source groundwater plugin, usable at the link level. The new plugin will help modelers to improve the simulation of low flows in comparison to the conventionally used simple piecewise-linear flow-loss relationship, which ignores the antecedent conditions of the river reach.
Once the plugin is loaded, 'AARS' can be enabled from the 'Groundwater' tab of the storage routing link in Source and users can input climate data and other parameters related to alluvium and aquifer.
Environmental Flows - Improvements:
The old Environmental Flow Node logic is now replaced by a new Spell Observer logic. Users are requested to configure the spell observer for the EF Actions as the old EFN logic will soon be retired. With the intent of allowing some time for users to fully transition their models to the new spell observer logic, the old logic can still be accessed from the “Experimental/Redundant features” of “Application settings”. Please refer to “https://ewater.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/SD560/pages/696057883“ page for detailed information about the UI & logic changes and how it affects your models.
At the Environmental Flow Node, users can now specify a function-based account deduction.
Now, when creating a new project or when opening an old project this setting will be disabled by default unless the checkbox is checked. Once checked users can choose between the following two options:
Account deduction at the node level
Account deduction at the action level
1. Account Deduction at the Node Level
When this option is selected, users can specify a function at the node level to deduct water from the Environmental Flow Manager Portfolios of the node’s actions.
All actions within the node must have the same portfolio configuration to enable this mode. This does not require actions to be attached to the same group, but if different groups are used, they must have identical portfolio configurations. An "identical portfolio configuration" means that the actions have the same set of portfolios with identical priorities and shares. If the node’s actions have different portfolio configurations, an error message is displayed, and the setting cannot be saved. Adding new actions, deleting actions, or disabling actions triggers a reevaluation of the feasibility of enabling account deduction at the node level.
When node-level account deduction is enabled:
Spell-based actions continue to order water according to their spell configurations.
Account deduction is based on the function specified at the node level.
The deduction volume is distributed across water accounts based on the priority and share of the portfolios and their associated accounts.
Recording System:
Action-level recorders (Environmental Flow Manager > Group x > Action y > Portfolio z > Account a > Debited Volume) will display NaN when this setting is enabled, as account deductions do not occur at the action level.
The node-level recorder (e.g., Environmental Flow Node x > Total Volume Debited) will capture the total volume deducted by the function.
An assurance rule validates the portfolio configurations of all actions at runtime to ensure compatibility with this setting. This prevents users from running the model if the portfolio configurations become inconsistent after enabling node-level account deduction.
Users can configure node-level account deductions through Scenario Input Sets. See the below screenshot for an example configuration.
2. Account Deduction at the Action Level
When this option is selected, users can view a list of spell-based actions in the node and:
Select which actions participate in action-level account deduction.
Specify functions for the account deduction of participating actions.
To enable account deduction at action level, actions in the node do not need identical portfolio configurations.
For actions participating in action-level account deduction, account deduction occurs according to the specified function, regardless of whether the action orders water in a given timestep.
For non-participating actions (e.g., actions not selected for this option like Spell Based Action 3 in the above screenshot), account deduction occurs normally based on actual ordered volumes and received water at the node
Recording System:
Action-level recorders (Environmental Flow Manager > Group x > Action y > Portfolio z > Account a > Debited Volume) reflect the deductions caused by the specified function for each action, portfolio, and account.
The node-level recorder (Environmental Flow Node x > Total Volume Debited) captures the total volume deducted for all actions in the node.
Users can configure action-level account deductions through Scenario Input Sets. See the below screenshot for an example configuration.
To all the Environmental Flow Nodes that are not attached to the Environmental Flow Manager, these settings explained above will not take any effect.
There are 3 minor enhancements delivered to Environmental Flows space. They are as follows:
Displaying NaN value in the “Debited Volume” recorder in EFM when the Volume ordered exceeds the deduction cap set in “Specify Maximum Account Deduction”.
Previously the EFM and EFN “Debited Volume” Recorders did not show correct values when accounts that are being debited ran out of water. This has been fixed now & the recorders now show the correct values.
Auto populating the settings of spell observer with their respective spell ordering values in case the user checks the checkbox that says “use same value as ordering”.
Updated the feature table to reflect the latest changes made to the Environmental Flow Node (EFN), including the settings of new spell observer logic.
Added an option to select ‘None' for the 'Rise and Fall’ method in the UI, aligning with the “None” value set via scenario input sets.
“.Nodes.Environmental Flow Node Name.Action Name.Rise And Fall Method=None”
Fixed a bug in the EFM Debited Volume recorders which caused some modelled variable tests to fail.
Other Enhancements & Bug Fixes:
Other enhancements and bug fixes include:
Added a new recorder “Farm Dam Surface Area” to “Onstream Farm Dam” node to record the farm dam surface area. The default recorder unit is same as default input unit which is Ha .
The original method for Spillable Water, “Total Water - Use”, did not consider water added to accounts via triggers. This method has been adjusted to be consistent with the “Carryover - Use” method where Spillable Water = Carryover Balance. Now, Spillable Water for “Total Water - Use” = Carryover Balance + Balance. This adjustment has been passed to the user for review.
NetCDF time series export files will now have a unique ID, as we have modified the “Station IDs” to ensure each node/link in the network is uniquely mapped.
Added consistency across zoomed charts, tables, data and statistics in Results Manager. The table data and statistics will now only be displayed for the zoomed part of the chart.
Added the ability to load and merge custom charts using a newly added icon in the Results Manager window. Also, users can now manually select and merge one custom chart with another by selecting one of the saved custom charts.
Added a new Option in the Chart Drop-Down Menu in Results Manager: “Sum All” will sum all time series plots with commensurate units.
Added the ability to compare multiple time-series in the bivariate statistics comparison by selecting “Total Table” from the top left drop-down.
To resolve varying concentration levels in the Marker Constituent Routing system, MDBA provided a series of recommended patches for the Marker code, addressing issues like discrepancies between upstream and downstream concentrations at confluences. The patch has been reviewed and approved for implementation. Note : Further work may be required to fully address the related issues.
Addressed a bug where owners without any storage capacity who had target refill factor less than 1 were incorrectly generating orders. The model now skips refill calculations for such owners, preventing unintended order volumes.
Updated the Flow Calibration Wizard UI for better clarity. The label 'End Warmup this Gauge' has been changed to 'Start Calibration this Gauge', and 'End' has been renamed to 'End Calibration this Gauge'. Additionally, the Simulation Runner plot's y-axis label has been wrapped for Objective Functions with long names to improve readability.
Added a new assurance rule to ensure that variables with the Time of Evaluation (T.o.E.) set to Environmental Flow Prioritization have their Date Range set to Current Iteration. Variables intended to evaluate during this phase (or set to "Use Function T.o.E." with the associated function’s Time of Evaluation) must follow this rule. As a best practice, it is recommended to create a separate variable for exclusive evaluation during the Environmental Flow Prioritization phase, with its T.o.E. and Date Range set appropriately.
The validation logic for the loss node configuration has been restored to ensure a monotonically increasing relationship, with a message displayed if the configuration is incorrect.
A new feature allowing users to define a custom run name for model executions. This is applicable in Operations mode from the UI and several run configurations from the command line.
Updates include a new input field in the Warm Up Configuration window for specifying the run name.
Fixes to ensure the run name is properly exported in res.csv and netCDF outputs.
And, a new
--runNameparameter has been added for command line configurations such as Single Analysis, Run with Warmup, Flow-based Calibration, Replicate Analysis, and Linked Analysis.Enforced validation on the Run Name field in the Warm Up Configuration window for Operations mode in the Source GUI, preventing the run name from being left blank. This ensures users always specify a valid run name prior to execution.
Enhancement to Update FunctionImporterExporterTool community plugin, so that it is now capable of exporting and importing bilinear variables.
Updates to the res.csv file format, ensuring that when a run is renamed via the Result Manager in the Source UI, the updated run name is reflected in the exported results. Additionally, the new version of the res.csv format includes the 'Today' date, applicable only in Operations mode.
Improved Input Set selection in the Warmup Configuration window, now using a tree view. This update aligns with the behavior of Scenario Input Sets in the single run configuration window, enhancing consistency and usability.
Fixed the issue where run names in charts did not update after importing renamed timeseries. Renamed run names now correctly reflect in charts within the Results Manager and Chart Settings.
Improved the "Load a Folder of Result Files" feature, allowing users to load an entire folder containing both
.res.csvand.bmd.csvfiles at once. Additionally, we've fixed an error that occurred when loading multiple.bmd.csvfiles simultaneously using the "Load Time Series" option.In the results manager - graphs, added the ability to persist the selection of charts or series in the plot legend. When a new time series is added, the previously selected series remain visible alongside the new one, rather than resetting the selection.
Single charts (Line, Cumulative, Exceedance, Residual Mass, Histogram, Cumulative Frequency, Mountain) share the same state for the checkboxes, meaning that if a series is selected or deselected in one of these charts, the selection persists across all single charts.
Individual charts (Difference, Addition, Scatter, Double Mass, Total Addition) maintain the state of checkboxes independently, meaning that changes to series visibility in one individual chart do not affect the selections in other individual charts.
Addressed an issue where the vertical and horizontal scroll bars in the Tabular Editor sometimes disappeared, as observed in the RiverMurrayOps model. The scroll bars now appear as expected once the "Done" button in the Run status bar is clicked.
Extended Log Reporter support to Operations Mode. Log Reporter is now automatically saved after Operations Mode runs (e.g., Warm Up configurations) when enabled in Scenario Options.
This functionality was originally limited to Single Job runs. Once the project is saved with the correct setting, it will also create a Log Reporter file when run from the command line. The UI has been updated to reflect this expanded functionality.When a run is renamed using the Rename feature in Results Manager, the updated run name now appears immediately in the UI and is correctly included in the exported .res.csv output files.
res.csv files exported from Results Manager will now include the ‘RunDisplayName’ field if the run was renamed.
Auto-saved output files include the ‘RunDisplayName’ field, but it remains empty.
Overrides can now be exported automatically on project save from the UI. This can be enabled via a new setting in the Project Options menu.
Override export now includes additional columns to help users identify recorders when GUIDs are unknown.
Improved unit handling in overrides:
The Unit column now correctly displays the display unit.
When importing overrides, unit conversion is now correctly handled. Source assumes that the unit and value match as displayed.
Full backward compatibility is maintained:
Older override files can still be imported/exported in Source 5.52.
Source will not throw errors when working with older versions of override files.
Added new command line options to support override workflows:
--importOverrides <path>: Imports overrides from the specified .csv file.
--exportOverrides [optional path]: Exports overrides to a .csv file. If no path is specified, the parameter must be placed last.
These command line options are currently supported only in In Process mode (not in Client-Server mode).
Enhanced handling of weir outlet overrides: Minimum travel time is now correctly considered when pass-through orders at weirs are enabled, ensuring overridden releases align with expected downstream flow timings.
Regression testing
There is no tolerance in our regression test suite to allow for earlier identification of results being different on different machines or versions of operating systems.
See: 5.60 Regression Test Changes
Full release documentation