The Murray–Darling Basin Basin Animals and Habitat the Basin Supports a Diverse Range of Plants and the Murray–Darling Basin Is Australia’S Largest Animals
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The Murray–Darling Basin Basin animals and habitat The Basin supports a diverse range of plants and The Murray–Darling Basin is Australia’s largest animals. Over 350 species of birds (35 endangered), and most diverse river system — a place of great 100 species of lizards, 53 frogs and 46 snakes national significance with many important social, have been recorded — many of them found only in economic and environmental values. Australia. The Basin dominates the landscape of eastern At least 34 bird species depend upon wetlands in 1. 2. 6. Australia, covering over one million square the Basin for breeding. The Macquarie Marshes and kilometres — about 14% of the country — Hume Dam at 7% capacity in 2007 (left) and 100% capactiy in 2011 (right) Narran Lakes are vital habitats for colonial nesting including parts of New South Wales, Victoria, waterbirds (including straw-necked ibis, herons, Queensland and South Australia, and all of the cormorants and spoonbills). Sites such as these Australian Capital Territory. Australia’s three A highly variable river system regularly support more than 20,000 waterbirds and, longest rivers — the Darling, the Murray and the when in flood, over 500,000 birds have been seen. Australia is the driest inhabited continent on earth, Murrumbidgee — run through the Basin. Fifteen species of frogs also occur in the Macquarie and despite having one of the world’s largest Marshes, including the striped and ornate burrowing The Basin is best known as ‘Australia’s food catchments, river flows in the Murray–Darling Basin frogs, the waterholding frog and crucifix toad. bowl’, producing around one-third of the are among the lowest in the world. 7. national food supply. Agriculture (and associated More than 60 species of fish live in the Basin’s Most of the Basin is arid or semi-arid, and rainfall industries) has helped create and continues to waterways, including the iconic Murray cod. This varies greatly from year to year. In fact, the Basin has support important regional communities. The includes 11 non-native and seven marine or estuarine the most varied river flows of any similarly-sized river Basin has an important place in the cultural species. Native fish numbers and distribution have system in the world, with long droughts often broken heritage of all Australians. Many of its iconic reduced significantly since European settlement, and by large rainfall events and floods. heritage features underpin our collective identity about 50% of the species are considered threatened and are celebrated in the work of our authors, Water inflows also vary greatly between the north or of conservation significance. painters, film-makers and other artists. and south. The sheer size of the Basin, coupled with Habitat for Basin animals includes over 25,000 8. a high evaporation rate, means that heavy rainfall wetlands — 16 of these have been recognised in upland areas doesn’t always reach downstream internationally for their importance to migratory areas. (94% of rainfall in the Basin is lost to Top to bottom: Canoeing on Keepit Dam, inspecting a demonstration birds. The Basin also contains the world’s largest canola field, and locals enjoying a swim in the River Murray. evaporation.) stand of river red gum, the Barmah–Millewa Forest. It is predicted that climate change will see extremes Many of the native plants and animals in the Basin are Basin people Basin landscapes and climates in weather becoming more common, and modelling protected in national parks and other reserves, which The Basin is home to more than two million people The Murray–Darling Basin is made up of the suggests that the Basin will become hotter and drier, make up around 7% of the Basin’s total area. across four states and one territory. catchments of the Murray and Darling Rivers, and all particularly in the south. of the rivers and creek that flow into them. Many Aboriginal nations are located within the Basin (making up around 15% of the national Indigenous The Basin’s climatic zones range from subtropical Resources population) and their cultural heritage dates back in the far north to cool and humid eastern uplands, The Murray–Darling Basin’s natural resources over 45,000 years. Guided by traditional law and the high alpine country of the Snowy support two million people living within its 2 custom, Aboriginal people protect and conserve Mountains, the temperate southeast and boundaries, and millions of other Australians. ecosystems in their natural state to ensure balance; the hot, dry semi-arid and arid western plains. Industries that rely on these resources include gold, and healthy ecosystems also support their cultural copper, coal and natural gas mining operations; The underlying landscapes of these climatic zones and commercial practices. There are over 10,000 forestry and fisheries; tourism; and all the businesses evolved over hundreds of millions of years. Between known Aboriginal sites in the Basin. that service those sectors. 45 million and 160 million years ago, as Australia European settlement started throughout the Basin separated from the ancient supercontinent of As one of the driest catchments in the world, water is from the early 19th century, and regional centres Gondwana, land near the eastern edge of Australia an extremely valuable resource in the Murray–Darling began developing in support of agriculture and other was pushed upwards to form what is now the Great Basin. More than three million people (living within industries. Many of these have grown into significant Dividing Range. This range forms the eastern and outside the Basin) depend on its water. Water towns or cities such as Toowoomba, Wagga Wagga, boundary of the Basin. About 65 million years ago, is also vital for not only the Basin’s most significant Albury–Wodonga and Bendigo. the southern part of the Basin began to sink slightly, industry — agriculture — but also forestry, fishing, 3. 4. 5. causing the rivers to flow generally westward to the tourism and recreation. The health of many unique Basin communities support a rich and diverse range mouth at Goolwa and eventually forming the Basin’s ecosystems and a large number of plants and animals Left to right: Sacred kingfisher, a river red gum in Doctors Swamp during of cultures, and provide valuable contributions to current southern and western boundaries. is also dependent upon the water. a flood, and the iconic Murray cod. Australia’s economic prosperity and social fabric. The Murray–Darling Basin | 2 The Murray–Darling Basin | 3 4 | The Murray–Darling Basin Murray–Darling The | 4 the health of the environment. the of health the set for recovering water that can be used to improve improve to used be can that water recovering for set MDBA Publication 07/14 Publication MDBA the Basin’s rivers for human use, and a target was was target a and use, human for rivers Basin’s the Brayden Dykes: 1, 2; Gunther Schmida: 5. 5. Schmida: Gunther 2; 1, Dykes: Brayden set on the amount of water that can be taken from from taken be can that water of amount the on set David Kleinert: 3; Peter Solness: 11; Keith Ward: 4; 4; Ward: Keith 11; Solness: Peter 3; Kleinert: David November 2012. Under the Basin Plan, a limit was was limit a Plan, Basin the Under 2012. November 7; 6, Baker: John 8,9; Mostead: Arthur solution was the Basin Plan, which became law in in law became which Plan, Basin the was solution Michael Bell: Cover (aerial view of Renmark), 10; Renmark), of view (aerial Cover Bell: Michael that would result in a healthy, working Basin. The The Basin. working healthy, a in result would that credits: Image Authority (MDBA) in charge of creating a solution solution a creating of charge in (MDBA) Authority The Water Act put the Murray–Darling Basin Basin Murray–Darling the put Act Water The Web: www.mdba.gov.au Web: [email protected] Email: Parliament. 8053 6248 (02) Fax: This resulted in the Water Act, which was endorsed by by endorsed was which Act, Water the in resulted This 0100 6279 (02) Phone: balanced the needs of people and the environment. environment. the and people of needs the balanced Australia’s largest and most diverse river system river diverse most and largest Australia’s 2601 ACT Canberra 1801, Box GPO it was agreed that the Basin needed a solution that that solution a needed Basin the that agreed was it Authority Basin Murray–Darling Spurred by the impacts of recurring drought, by 2007 2007 by drought, recurring of impacts the by Spurred The Murray–Darling Basin Murray–Darling The distribution of water between states, for human use. use. human for states, between water of distribution www.mdba.gov.au. our website: website: our governments. Their primary focus was the fair fair the was focus primary Their governments. to get the latest updates on the Basin Plan, visit visit Plan, Basin the on updates latest the get to was the responsibility of individual state/territory state/territory individual of responsibility the was To learn more about the Murray–Darling Basin, or or Basin, Murray–Darling the about more learn To Until recently, Australian water management management water Australian recently, Until Tell me more me Tell The Water Act and Basin Plan Basin and Act Water The and the environment. the and ensure the health of the Basin for future generations. future for Basin the of health the ensure it may be revised to improve outcomes for people people for outcomes improve to revised be may it to be available to support valuable ecosystems and and ecosystems valuable support to available be to As the Plan takes effect and knowledge increases, increases, knowledge and effect takes Plan the As the Basin’s rivers were managed.