Murrumbidgee Regional Fact Sheet

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Murrumbidgee region

Overview

The Murrumbidgee region is home The river and national parks provide to about 550,000 people and covers ideal spots for swimming, fishing, 84,000 km2 – 8% of the Murray– bushwalking, camping and bird Darling Basin. watching.

Dryland cropping, grazing and The Murrumbidgee River provides irrigated agriculture are important a critical water supply to several industries, with 42% of NSW grapes regional centres and towns including and 50% of Australia’s rice grown in Canberra, Gundagai, Wagga Wagga, the region. Narrandera, Leeton, Griffith, Hay and Balranald. The region’s villages Chicken production employs such as Goolgowi, Merriwagga and 350 people in the area, aquaculture Carrathool use aquifers and deep allows the production of Murray bores as their potable supply. cod and cotton has also been grown since 2010.

Image: Murrumbidgee River at Wagga Wagga, NSW Carnarvon N.P.

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Moonie Thrushton er National e Riv ooni Park M k Beardmore Reservoir Millmerran e er e iv r R C ir e e St George W n i Allora b e Bollon N r e Jack Taylor Weir iv R Cunnamulla e n n N lo k a e B Warwick e r C Inglewood a l a l l a g n u Coolmunda Reservoir M N acintyre River Goondiwindi 25 Dirranbandi M Stanthorpe 0 50 Currawinya N.P. r Currawinya Lakes ive a R go Kilometres ul D) C QL r ( er D e iv um iv R ar R o Culgoa N.P. es rn ro q Texas e Hungerford a R ev P iv S er Mungindi Tenterfield Elevation Goodooga Torrington State 0-200m Recreation Area er G iv wydir Rive R r Pindari Reservoir e 200-400m ri ver ir Ri B an rr Seve Na rn R 400-800m r Enngonia Lightning Ridge iver ve (NSW i er ) R iv Moree go R Warialda 800-1200m e a rr ar a h Me W ok hi River 1200-1600m Wanaaring B

M Narran Lake ac Glen Innes Inverell inty re R Nocoleche Narran Lakes r iver Legend ive Nature n R wo State borders Reserve Brewarrina Bar Walgett Copeton Reservoir Basin border Bourke Weir Bourke Wee Waa Highways Bundarra Namoi Riv Rivers/creeks er Mt. Kaputar N.P. Towns & cities Narrabri

Capital cities outside of MDB Gundabooka N.P. Louth Major water storages Pilliga West Byrock State Forest Split Rock Uralla Wetlands and natural lakes Reservoir Paroo–Darling Manilla National Park k National parks Macquarie Marshes e e r Pilliga C

s Keepit Reservoir White Cliffs r Nature x Irrigation area ive o g R Coonamble Reserve C rlin Da Gunnedah M a Paroo–Darling c Tamworth q u State Conservation Area a r i e Chaffey Reservoir Coonabarabran R i v e Warrambungle r Gulargambone N.P. Werris Creek

Wilcannia Cobar Nyngan C a s t le Warren re ag h R iver Coolah

Coolbaggie Goonoo er Broken Hill gar Riv Nature State Talbra Reserve Forest Dunedoo

Menindee Main Weir B og Tottenham an Dubbo R iv Narromine er Menindee Lakes Burrendong Menindee NEW SOUTH WALES Reservoir Wellington Weir 32 Mudgee Kinchega N.P. Tullamore

Windamere Goobang N.P. Yathong Reservoir Rylstone State Forest Round Hill h nc Ivanhoe Nature Reserve ra ab An g lin r ar ive D n R t Wi la Condobolin a llandra Creek ach re L Parkes G Lake Cargelligo Orange Danggali Portland Conservation Forbes SOUTH Park Lake Cargelligo Pooncarie Bathurst Hillston AUSTRALIA Lake Brewster r ive R ng Willandra Lakes region Carcoar Reservoir Burra rli Lake Cowal Da Oberon Mungo N.P.

Grenfell Cowra Booligal Sydney Lock 6 Morgan Riverland Goolgowi B West Wyalong la Wyangala Reservoir Lake Victoria n d Wentworth C Lock 9 re Lock 2 Lock 5 Lock 11 Cocoparra N.P. e River Murray Lock 7 k Lock 3 Great Cumbung Renmark Lock 10 Swamp Lock 8 Mallee Cliffs N.P. Banrock Station Berri Mildura Barmera Blanchetown 1 Griffith Young Lock 4 Mur rumbidg Hanwood Lock 1 ee River Murray River N.P. Hay Temora Boorowa Crookwell Loxton Fivebough– Robinvale Tuckerbil Swan Reach Leeton Cootamundra Lock Balranald Hattah– 15 Kulkyne Lakes 6 Narrandera Murray Sunset N.P. Ri ver M Billiat Conservation Hattah urra Hattah Lakes y Park Oolambeyan N.P. Adelaide Mannum Yanga N.P. Yass Hattah-Kulkyne N.P. 2 Moulamein k ree Tooleybuc o C Wagga Wagga Lake Ouyen N B nc iem illab Ya Murray Bridge ur ong Burrinjuck George Riv Cre Gundagai er Werai Forest ek Reservoir Lockhart Lake Brindabella N.P. Tailem Bend Pinnaroo Murrayville Alexandrina Tumut Canberra E Swan Hill dw Milang Lower Lakes ar and Coorong d R Jerilderie Blowering ive B T Wa l River r illa u Goolwa koo b m Reservoir Sea Lake ong Ginini Deniliquin Cr Henty u e t ACT Lake Albert e Flats Barrages k R i Murray Mouth v Tinderry Big Desert Finley e Wyperfeld N.P. Kerang Tu r Barham Koondrook– ppal C Nature Meningie Wilderness Wetlands reek Perricoota Namadgi N.P. Reserve Park Hopetoun Forest Millewa Forest The Coorong Kerang Talbingo Gunbower Torrumbarry Tumbarumba Lake Albacutya Forest Reservoir Murrumbidgee regionWeir Tocumwal R i ve Lake Mulwala urray r M River M Cabramurra u Key information rr Barmah Forest Wycheproof ay Maragle State Forest Albury Adaminaby Lake Hindmarsh Rainfall ranges from moreKow than Moama Yarrawonga Weir Corowa 1,700 mm in the Snowy MountainsSwamp Hume Reservoir Broken Cre to less than 350 mm on the western ek Wodonga Echuca Goul burn Lake Buloke plains. Ri Khancoban Cooma Charlton L ver o Kosciuszko d d Nhill o Wangaratta N.P. Donald The largestn Aboriginal nation in the Shepparton R M Ov it r region isiv the Wiradjuri, other smaller e ta Blue Lake e n M ve A s i i vo nations includer the Barapa Barapa, Bro Ri tta R c The Murrumbidgee River ke ve K R r n r i n a R i ve Little Desert N.P. R e iv e r o Muthi Muthi, Nari Nari, Nyeri Nyeri, v e s St Arnaud iv i contributes at least 200 GL r Winton Wetlands w d e a r R r Av Wadi Wadi, Wamba Wamba, Weki on R Dartmouth a Riv e of end of system flows to the Benalla h er p i c Weki, and Wolgalu v i s Waranga BasinMurray system. e Reservoir Horsham R a r Bendigo p m Mt. Buffalo N.P. Alpine N.P. While most water for irrigation, stocka W C Bright im m and domestic needs are derived from e Cairn ra Lake Nillahcootie R the Murrumbidgee River, up to 355GL i Curran ve r of ground waterReservoir is extracted Eppalockfrom the Murrumbidgee Alluvium each year. Maryborough Reservoir Seymour Castlemaine Mansfield Alpine N.P. Avoca Omeo Tullaroop Eildon Reservoir Halls Gap Reservoir Grampians N.P. Goulb Feature creature: urn R iver Murray CrayfishKinglake N.P. Lake Eildon N.P.

The Murray Crayfish (Euastacus armatus) is the largest invertebrate in the Murray–Darling Basin and the second largest crayfish in the world.

This freshwater cray serves two important roles in the ecosystem.Melbourne It’s a scavenger and shreds organic VICTORIAmatter such as leaves, which provides food for other creatures.

Murray Crayfish are also important habitat modifiers, and their burrowing provides structure to riverbed sediments. Carnarvon N.P.

r e v i r e R iv e R v i o g N re r r e a v i W R o l g n Augathella a L

e v i

W Chesterton Range N.P.

Charleville Mitchell

Morven Roma Cheepie Miles

River Chinchilla amine Cond

Condamine k e e r r ve C i R l M e a nn a h lo Dalby c r a Surat a B e

n e o

B a

Wyandra R Tara i v e r QUEENSLAND Brisbane Toowoomba

Wilcannia Cobar Nyngan C a s t le Warren re ag h R iver Coolah

Coolbaggie Goonoo er Broken Hill gar Riv Nature State Talbra Reserve Forest Dunedoo

Menindee Main Weir B og Tottenham an Dubbo R iv Narromine er Menindee Lakes Burrendong Menindee NEW SOUTH WALES Reservoir Wellington Weir 32 Mudgee Kinchega N.P. Tullamore

Moulamein k ree Tooleybuc o C Wagga Wagga Lake Ouyen N B nc iem illab Ya Murray Bridge ur ong Burrinjuck George Riv Cre Gundagai er Werai Forest ek Reservoir Lockhart Lake Brindabella N.P. Tailem Bend Pinnaroo Murrayville Alexandrina Tumut Canberra E Swan Hill dw Milang Lower Lakes ar and Coorong d R Jerilderie Blowering ive B T Wak ol River r illa u Goolwa o b Legend m Reservoir Sea Lake ong Ginini Deniliquin Cr Henty u e t ACT Lake Albert e Flats Barrages k State border R i Murray Mouth v Tinderry Big Desert Finley Basin border e Wyperfeld N.P. Kerang Tu r Barham Koondrook– ppal C Nature Meningie Wilderness Wetlands reek River/creek Perricoota Namadgi N.P. Reserve Park Hopetoun Forest Millewa Forest Town/city The Coorong Kerang Talbingo Gunbower Torrumbarry Capital city Tumbarumba Lake Albacutya Forest Reservoir Weir Tocumwal Water storage/lake R iv National Park e Lake Mulwala urray r M River M Cabramurra u Ramsar site rr Barmah Forest Wycheproof ay Maragle State Forest IrrigationAlbury area Adaminaby Lake Hindmarsh Kow Moama Yarrawonga Weir Corowa Swamp Hume Reservoir Broken Cre ek Wodonga Echuca Goul burn Lake Buloke Ri Khancoban Cooma Charlton L ver o Kosciuszko d d Nhill o Wangaratta N.P. Donald n Shepparton R M Ov it r iv e ta Blue Lake e A e ns M v r R i i vo Bro iv tta R c ke e K R a r n Aroundr the region iv n R i e Little Desert N.P. R e iv e r o v e s St Arnaud iv i r Winton Wetlands w d e a r R r Av on R Dartmouth a Riv e Benalla h er p i c Murrumbidgee Irrigationv Area (MIA) The Mid-Murrumbidgee wetland is a i s Waranga Basin e Reservoir Horsham a R was established in 1912r and created Bendigo p 1 5 network of lagoons and billabongs between m Mt. Buffalofarming N.P. opportunities that were reliant Alpine N.P. W a Narrandera and Carathool. Each of these C Bright im m on water. it is one of the most diverse areas support a diverse range of waterbirds, e Cairn ra Lake Nillahcootie and productive agricultural regions in R including threatened species. i Curran ve Australia, contributing $5 billion annually r Reservoir Eppalock Reservoir Seymour to the Australian economy. Maryborough The Lowbidgee floodplain is the largest Castlemaine Mansfield Alpine N.P. Avoca 6 wetland in the catchment covering more Coleambally Irrigation Area (CIA)Omeo was Tullaroop Eildon Reservoir than 2000 square kilometres which also Halls Gap Reservoir 2 established in 1958, spanning an area of contains the second largest redgum forest Grampians N.P. Goulb 400,000 hectares. urn R in Australia. iver Kinglake N.P. Lake Eildon N.P. Release of water for the environment is A 87,816 hectare area of the Lowbidgee 3 necessary to maintain healthy wetland floodplain, near Balranald, known as sites in the region as well as a healthy Gayini has been recognised as an area river system. of rich cultural and environmental importance to the Nari Nari people, who had traditionally occupied the The Fivebough and Tuckerbil wetlands near land. Ownership of the significant area Leeton are both listed under the Ramsar 4 was officially transferred from the Convention as a Wetland of International Melbourne Commonwealth Government to the Nari VICTORIA importance. Nari people in 2019. Who does what in the Murrumbidgee region?

Murrumbidgee Irrigation – (02) 6962 0200 NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment (DPIE) – 1300 361 967 one of Australia’s largest private environmental and irrigation water supplier, manages allocated water for the servicing the southern Riverina, NSW. environment, including adaptive environmental water licences held by the Coleambally Irrigation – (02) 6954 4003 NSW Government

a member owned co-operative which DPIE Water determines the volume of water supplies irrigation and corporate services to available for allocation to towns, water users its members and customers. and the environment each year.

Riverina Local Land Services (LLS) – 1300 795 299 ACT Government

delivers services to improve primary allocates water to entitlement holders, production within healthy landscapes and coordinates delivery of water for the assists rural and regional communities to be environment profitable and sustainable into the future. develops and implements water resource New South Wales Government plans. allocates water to entitlement holders, Murray–Darling Basin Authority – (02) 6279 0100 coordinates delivery of water for the environment prepares, implements, monitors and reviews the integrated plan for the sustainable use of develops and implements water resource the Basin’s water resources plans. oper ates the River Murray system and New South Wales Department of Primary Industries – delivers water to users on behalf of partner Fisheries – 1300 550 474 governments

oversees the management of fisheries researches and monitors the quality and including compliance, threatened species and quantity of Basin water resources and the habitat management. condition of its associated rivers, wetlands and floodplains WaterNSW – 1300 662 077 creates and shares information about the operates and maintains dams and weirs to Basin’s water resources and dependent enhance water supply and security. ecosystems.

Natural Resources Access Regulator (NRAR) – 1800 633 362 Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder – (02) 6274 1111manages responsible for compliance and enforcement the Australian Government’s water of water management legislation in NSW. entitlements and allocations of water for the environment.

Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment – 1800 803 772 responsible for efficiency programs, and working with Basin states.

Connect with us. The MDBA has offices in Adelaide, Albury–Wodonga Canberra, Goondiwindi, Griffith, Mildura, Murray Bridge, Local connection Toowoomba, and regional engagement officers around the Basin. Your nearest MDBA office is Griffith 152 Yambil Street, Griffith, NSW 2680 1800 230 067 [email protected]

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