Northern Basin 2019-20 Summary This fact sheet highlights the use of Commonwealth Environmental Water in the 2019-20 water year in the northern Murray-Darling Basin - August 2020

Useful links

Highlights from CEWO’s 2019-20 engagement with Current water availability: communities in the Northern Basin http://www.environment.gov.au/water/cewo/

• The Gwydir case study: planning with and learning from about/water-holdings Aboriginal communities about how to work more effectively on Country. Water Management Plan 2020-21: • Presentations on and to Collarenebri http://www.environment.gov.au/water/cewo/ Central School and Moree Secondary College. publications/water-management-plan-2020-21

• Sharing information at Agquip. Catchment summaries for 2020-21: • Visiting wetlands with various bird groups. https://www.environment.gov.au/water/cewo / • Providing information and activities at fishing publications/overview-water-mgt- competitions at Collarenebri and Mungindi. planning-2020-21 • Providing radio interviews on 2WEB Outback Radio.

• Presenting at the NSW Mayors conference in Sydney, the Lower Balonne flow 2020:

Murray-Darling Association conference in Toowoomba http://www.environment.gov.au/water/cewo/

and to the Goondiwindi Regional Council. catchment/lower-balonne-updates

• Assisting the Toomelah- community with Gwydir valley refuge pool flow: Northern Basin Aboriginal Nations Aboriginal Waterways http://www.environment.gov.au/water/cewo/ Assessment. catchment/gwydir-valley-river-refuge-pool-flow • Meeting with community members and visiting On the back of three record-breaking drought years, where water for the environment (both Commonwealth and

catchments. NSW) was used in 2018 and 2019 to reconnect major northern basin rivers, water availability in 2019-20 began Gwydir recovery flows: • extremely low. Sharing information through email, including flow http://www.environment.gov.au/water/cewo/ updates and the latest monitoring stories. catchment/gwydir-recovery-flows Thankfully, widespread rain in early 2020 resulted in some long-awaited unregulated flows and along with it, the opportunity for CEW to maximise environmental and community benefits of rivers reconnecting. The portion of inflows from the , , , and the accounted against Local Engagement Officers Commonwealth licences made up around 5-10% of the flow into the during Summer and Autumn The CEWO has two Local Engagement Officers based 2020. While the drought had not fully broken by the end of June 2020, the early signs of recovery looked regionally in the northern Murray–Darling Basin, who can promising. be contacted for further information: Left: Downstream of Bora Well, in Jane Humphries (Moree) 0437 141 495 March 2020. Photo: Paul [email protected] Keyte, NSW Department of Jason Wilson (Walgett) 0418 210 389 Planning, Industry and [email protected] Environment Environment Minister Sussan Ley and the Managing water for the environment is a collective and Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder Jody Right: Back Lake (within the collaborative effort, working in partnership with Swirepik with the Mayor of Moree Katrina Humphries Narran Lakes System) in communities, Traditional Owners, scientists and at her fish and chip shop in 2019 April 2020. Photo: Joanne Ocock, NSW National Parks government agencies. Their contributions are gratefully The CEWO acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the and Wildlife Service acknowledged. Murray-Darling Basin and their continuing connection to

land, sea and community. We pay our respects to them, to their cultures and to their elders both past and present.

T: 1800 803 772 E: [email protected] W: www.environment.gov.au/water/cewo Northern Basin 2019-20 Summary This fact sheet highlights the use of Commonwealth Environmental Water in the 2019-20 water year in the northern Murray-Darling Basin - August 2020

Gwydir Border Rivers In the Summer of 2019-20 the CEWO and NSW each Unregulated entitlements contributed 3.2 GL of Condamine-Balonne provided 6 GL of replenishment flows to key refuges CEW to help replenish permanent waterholes with Highlights from monitoring in the Northern Basin The Lower Balonne recorded the Commonwealth’s in the Gwydir system. The Gwydir Recovery Flow also high value refuge and fish habitat to support local during 2019-20 largest single watering event in the northern basin, provided 3.1 GL of Commonwealth environmental when 163 gigalitres (GL) of Commonwealth water movement and habitat access for native fish. • Native fish larvae were observed in the Warrego and water to rivers and wetlands across the Lower Gwydir, Darling rivers. for the environment was used in early 2020. This Gingham and Mallowa systems. Later, unregulated water helped reconnect rivers and floodplains along • Drought refuge waterholes were replenished, flows helped further in greening up the riverine the Culgoa and Bokhara systems and to reconnect including in the Gwydir system. landscape. important waterholes that provided refuges for • Juvenile eel-tailed catfish detected in the Gwydir. native fish. After seven years of dry, around 90 GL of • Lignum, a shrub that many waterbirds nest on, water flowed into the internationally significant flowered and improved in health at Narran Lakes and Narran Lakes (Dharriwaa). Up to half of this water on the western floodplain at Toorale. was either our licenced water, or water made • A radio-tagged straw-necked ibis (Laurie) flew from available through a Commonwealth grant (9 GL). to Narran Lakes and across to the Yantabulla Swamp in the Paroo system. • Over 30 waterbird species were observed at Narran Lakes and over 35 were observed in the Gwydir The . Photo: Neal Foster, CEWO wetlands. • Nankeen night heron, pelicans, grey teal, black- Juvenile (an endangered species) in the Other fronted dotterel, yellow-billed spoonbills, royal Gwydir. Photo: NSW DPI Fisheries spoonbills and brolgas were all seen in the Warrego CEW was triggered in the Warrego River in both during 2019-20. and NSW in 2019-20. The CEW in Macquarie • Fish larvae (including yellowbelly) were detected in Queensland flowed down the Warrego, and much monitoring in the Warrego River. Several unregulated flow events below Burrendong headed west into the and topped up Dam helped restore the condition of some important wetlands there. The 16.2 GL of CEW in Sunset over Clear Lake (within the Narran Lakes areas within the internationally significant Macquarie the NSW Warrego added important flows to the System) in April 2020. Photo: Joanne Ocock, NSW Marshes. The CEWO worked with NSW delivery Darling. CEW in the Moonie River contributed 4.5 National Parks and Wildlife Service partners to deliver 3.9 GL of Commonwealth and 0.7 GL to the Barwon. There was also 1.9 GL of CEW GL of NSW supplementary water to the Marshes. accounted in Nebine Creek. There was no CEW available for delivery in the Namoi or Peel Flows provided under water sharing plan rules also catchments in 2019-20. contributed additional volumes.

Narran pelicans. Photo: Neal Foster, CEWO Barwon-Darling Flowering lignum plant on the in CEW licences in the Barwon- left 28.6 Black swan taking off on the Warrego. Photo: 2rog early 2020. Photo: University of New England GL instream, which provided greater connectivity, Further detail on current activities can be found in the Water improved food sources and movement Management Plan and flow updates (links provided on the opportunities for fish, and improved water quality. The Macquarie downstream of Warren, February back page of this fact sheet). 2020. Photo: Jason Wilson, CEWO

T: 1800 803 772 E: [email protected] W: www.environment.gov.au/water/cewo