South Australian River Murray Long-Term Watering Plan
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Cover photo: Red-necked avocets at the CLLMM © Kirsty Wedge The Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources and its employees do not warrant or make any representation regarding the use, or results of the use, of the information contained herein as regards to its correctness, accuracy, reliability, currency or otherwise. The Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources and its employees expressly disclaim all liability or responsibility to any person using the information or advice. Information contained in this document is correct at the time of writing. © Crown in right of the State of South Australia, through the Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources 2015 This work is Copyright. Apart from any use permitted under the Copyright Act 1968 (Cwlth), no part may be reproduced by any process without prior written permission obtained from the Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources. Requests and enquiries concerning reproduction and rights should be directed to the Chief Executive, Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources, GPO Box 1047, Adelaide SA 5001 Acknowledgement of the Traditional Owners The Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources acknowledges and pays respect to the Traditional owners, and their Nations, of the Murray-Darling Basin, who have a deep cultural, social, environmental, spiritual and economic connection to their lands and waters. The First Peoples of the River Murray and Mallee Region (FPRMM) and the Ngarrindjeri Nation have occupied, enjoyed, managed and used their inherited lands and waters of the River Murray, Lakes and Coorong since time immemorial. They pay respect to their Creators, ancestors, elders, and young people who have cared for their country since creation. South Australian River Murray Long-Term Environmental Watering Plan Page i of 164 Foreword Sustainable management of freshwater resources into the future is one of the most critical challenges facing global communities. By international standards, significant progress towards more sustainable management practices has been made in the Murray-Darling Basin with numerous policy and legislative reforms, and roll-out of on-ground river and wetland restoration programmes, including infrastructure to aid in environmental water management. Perhaps most significantly within the Basin has been the decision under the Murray-Darling Basin Plan (2012) to commit to returning 2,750 GL of water to the system. This is a key step towards restoring some of the balance between meeting the needs of the environment while still providing for productive industries and communities, including water for irrigation and critical human water needs. Despite the efforts made to date, ongoing and concerted effort will be required to restore a healthy, working Murray-Darling Basin. South Australia, in partnership with other Basin States, the Murray-Darling Basin Authority (MDBA), the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder (CEWH), local communities and non-government organisations, is progressing well in implementing the Basin Plan, including the environmental water management framework set out in Chapter 8 of that document. To this end, South Australia is pleased to present this long-term environmental watering plan. It is the first to be developed for the South Australian River Murray Water Resource Plan Area in accordance with the environmental management framework within the Basin Plan and is based on the most recent available scientific knowledge and understanding of the South Australian River Murray ecosystem. This long-term plan complements and builds on the 2014 release of the Basin-wide Environmental Watering Strategy by the MDBA, as well as work completed in South Australia’s annual environmental watering plans and many long-running environmental water management projects. South Australian River Murray Long-Term Environmental Watering Plan Page ii of 164 Contents Foreword .................................................................................................................................................................................................................... ii Contents ................................................................................................................................................................................................................... iii Glossary ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................ i Executive Summary ................................................................................................................................................................................................ v 1 Introduction .................................................................................................................................................................................................. 5 2 Context............................................................................................................................................................................................................ 8 2.1 Planning area .................................................................................................................................................................................... 8 2.2 Planning timeframe ........................................................................................................................................................................ 8 2.3 Consistency with preparation requirements ..................................................................................................................... 10 2.3.1 Consultation .............................................................................................................................................................................. 10 2.3.2 Basin-Wide Environmental Watering Strategy ........................................................................................................... 11 2.3.3 International agreements .................................................................................................................................................... 11 2.4 Environmental water availability and management ....................................................................................................... 13 2.4.1 Types of environmental water ........................................................................................................................................... 13 2.4.2 South Australia's Entitlement ............................................................................................................................................. 13 2.4.3 Flows above South Australia's Entitlement .................................................................................................................. 15 2.4.4 Environmental water holders ............................................................................................................................................. 15 2.4.5 Managers of planned environmental water ................................................................................................................. 16 2.4.6 Environmental site managers ............................................................................................................................................. 17 3 Ecology ......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 19 3.1 Asset scale ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 19 3.2 Identifying ecological objectives, targets and environmental water requirements for the priority environmental assets .................................................................................................................................................................................... 20 3.2.1 Having regard for groundwater ........................................................................................................................................ 21 3.2.2 Integration of Indigenous knowledge ............................................................................................................................ 21 3.3 The SA River Murray Channel Priority Environmental Asset ....................................................................................... 25 3.3.1 Location and geographic extent ....................................................................................................................................... 25 3.3.2 Conservation significance .................................................................................................................................................... 25 3.3.3 Ecological attributes ............................................................................................................................................................... 26 3.3.4 Ecological objectives, targets and environmental water requirements ........................................................... 26 3.4 The SA River Murray Floodplain Priority Environmental Asset .................................................................................