Commonwealth Environmental Water Office WORKING PROTECTING in partnership and restoring rivers, wetlands and floodplains The Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder makes water available The Commonwealth Environmental MONITORED for delivery by State environmental Water Holder oversees the management water holders and managers, and use of a large portfolio of water OUTCOMES non-Government organisations, for the benefit of the environment. their local delivery partners This water is the result of the Australian and river operators. government’s suite of national water

This coordinated effort enables the Commonwealth reforms including the modernisation Environmental Water Holder to manage water in of irrigation infrastructure, as part of the national interest by improving the connectivity the Murray-Darling Basin Plan. between the highly variable natural systems of the Murray-Darling Basin’s rivers, floodplains Environmental water is helping to protect and restore and wetlands. rivers, floodplains, wetlands, and the wide diversity of life they support, in the interests of sustaining Over the past five years, over 4,000 gigalitres productive river communities throughout the Basin. of Commonwealth water has been delivered to the environment.

Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder David Papps with officers from NSW Office of Environment and Murray river national park, katarapko section, South Australia (Bill Doyle) Heritage and Landholders at Paika Lake, NSW Edward River near Deniliquin, NSW LOCALISM involving locals in environmental water management

We rely on local knowledge The Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder and experience to help shape also has six local engagement officers working alongside State and local land and water watering decisions. Together with management officers, providing outreach our delivery partners, we seek to local communities throughout the Basin. advice from environmental water advisory groups and committees and we regularly attend community forums within the catchments. Macquarie River Turtle hatchling Murrumbidgee, NSW (Andrea Fullagar)

Local engagement officers located throughout the Basin River red gum Burrendong Dam Macquarie River, NSW Black Winged Stilts, Gwydir wetlands, NSW OUTCOMES demonstrated through monitoring and evaluation

The Commonwealth Environmental These detailed five-year projects are being undertaken Water Holder commissions scientific by consortiums led by Australia’s leading research institutions and locally based land and water managers monitoring and evaluation to build and communities, where around 90 per cent of knowledge about environmental water Commonwealth environmental water is held. use and its effectiveness over time. This work ensures that environmental water is being used to its best effect because it is not only a scientifically The Murray-Darling Basin Authority and robust method to determine outcomes, it enables State agencies also invest in a range of ’adaptive management’ by evaluating what has complementary monitoring programmes. worked well and areas for improvement. By applying Since 2010, short-term monitoring has helped determine this information, along with local feedback, we can whether select watering actions are meeting their adapt how environmental water is managed, intended ecological objectives. This monitoring is and improve outcomes over time. strengthened by the transition to longer-term projects, as part of the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder’s $30 million investment in the Long-Term Intervention Monitoring Project.

Murrumbidgee, NSW Weir on the Barwon River, NSW (Arthur Mostead) Recent monitored OUTCOMES Commonwealth Environmental Water Office show that good environmental results are being achieved Unregulated ow ENTITLEMENT TLM VEWH CEWH Environmental water is helping to By restoring natural variability in flows, environmental Below is a summary of the latest outcomes from Figure 1: Coordinated flows to Lower Murray restore the parts of the Basin’s natural water is reconnecting rivers and their wetlands monitoring and evaluation activity that has occurred and floodplains, providing food, habitat and during 2013–14 in five river systems: Lower Murray, 30000 Unregulated flow (caused by rainfall) y) hydrology that have been impacted breeding opportunities for native fish, waterbirds Murrumbidgee, Goulburn-Broken, Edward-Wakool and da Commonwealth environmental water

and vegetation. Environmental water is also reducing the Gwydir. These locations complement the monitoring res/ Victorian environmental water by river regulation and infrastructure 25000 created for agriculture and other the risk of damage to the environment caused by undertaken by the Murray-Darling Basin Authority, The Living Murray environmental water egalit poor water quality and salinity. State water holders and managers, and their local South Australian entitlement (M human needs. delivery partners. Full reports on all monitoring 20000 Commonwealth environmental water contributed to Commonwealth water often supplements the activity are available each year on our web site

eight of the ten priority outcomes set out in the Basin Border environmental water delivered locally by State water www.environment.gov.au/water/cewo annual environmental watering priorities, launched by an

li 15000 holders and managers and their local delivery partners. the Murray-Darling Basin Authority in 2013–14. ra st Au 10000 Abundant native fish, birds, frogs and habitat e So ut h th are signs of healthy rivers and wetlands 5000 and a productive environment s at

Flow 0 1/07/13 1/08/13 1/09/13 1/10/13 1/11/13 1/12/13 1/01/14 1/02/14 1/03/14 1/04/14 1/05/14 1/06/14

The Commonwealth Environmental 1 Coordinated flows to Lower Murray 4 Murrumbidgee Water Holder may deliver water to key Water use in the tributaries of the Southern Basin Supported diverse food webs including assets within the Basin over the course (Goulburn, Lower Broken and Campaspe) contribute algae and microinvertebrates for the of the watering year, carry it over for use to the multi-site watering strategy for the Murray, benefit of fish and waterbirds native including the Lower Lakes and Coorong. In addition to the Lowbidgee wetlands. Condamine–Balonne in future years or trade. In 2013–14, Moonie to Commonwealth water, flows from The Living (Lower Balonne) the Water Holder delivered 982 gigalitres Improved fish reproduction and condition Murray and the Victorian Environmental Water Border Rivers that led to an increased abundance of native to catchments throughout the Basin. Holder contributed to environmental watering species including bony herring, carp gudgeon in the Southern Connected Basin (see Figure 1). Queensland F and Murray cod. These multi-site and multi-catchment watering Warrego Summary of watering actions 2013–14 Waterbird habitat benefited from water events achieve outcomes locally and regionally 5 delivered to wetlands with 52 species — where the water is delivered and all the way South Australia New South Wales Commonwealth — including threatened blue-billed Catchment Water delivered (GL) through to the end of the system. Gwydir and freckled ducks — observed across System-wide flows contributed to environmental 49 survey sites. Murray 412 outcomes throughout the length of the Densities of microinvertebrates increased in Murray River system including hydrological Paroo wetlands across the Lowbidgee floodplain. Namoi Lower Darling 47 connectivity and support for vital ecosystem These are critical food sources for wetland processes such as large scale nutrient cycling, fauna including native larval fish and filter Barwon-Darling Loddon 3 salt export and fish larvae dispersal. feeding duck species. 100 per cent of the environmental flows Campaspe 7 Vulnerable southern bell frogs recorded Macquarie E delivered into the Coorong and Murray Mouth at key sites in the Nimmie-Caira following Goulburn 215 from November 2013 to June 2014 was environmental watering in winter and spring Commonwealth water. Lower Darling in 2013. Lower Broken Creek 39 Water quality continues to improve with Murray Lachlan environmental water helping to export salt into Gwydir Upper Broken Creek <1 the Southern Ocean through the Murray Mouth. 5

Ovens River <1 Environmental water flow in the Mehi River 2 Goulburn-Broken A B 4 and Carole Creek allowed full connection to Edward–Wakool 17 the Barwon River. This resulted in increased Provided opportunities for migration and 1 levels of dissolved nutrients and carbon along D reproduction of native fish in the lower Goulburn Murrumbidgee 137 Mehi River and Carole Creek, which stimulated by reinstating a variable flow regime. 2014 saw the food chain for aquatic species including Lachlan 23 the largest spawning of golden perch since 2010. C Murrumbidgee yabbies and Murray cod. The connection with 3 Improved habitat by generating new the Barwon-Darling also improved water Macquarie 10 growth of native plant species that quality in refuges and allowed fish passage Edward-Wakool support riverbank stabilisation. between the two river systems. 2 Murray Gwydir 32 Eastern Produced a clear vegetation response in Mt Lofty Loddon Wimmera-Avoca 3 Edward-Wakool the Mallowa Creek wetland with river cooba Ranges Ovens Border Rivers Regulated 4 Goulburn lignum and coolibah woodlands benefiting. -Broken Improved connectivity between rivers and creeks Border Rivers Unregulated There was also greater coverage of flat <1 (Macintyre) allowed fish movement and dispersal to and from spike-sedge and common nardoo and other Victoria the Wakool Reserve refuge pool and promoted native plant species. This increased plant Campaspe Moonie 1 population mixing and breeding. abundance strengthens the resilience of these There has been a general improvement in native fish communities to survive dry times and bounce Condamine–Balonne populations including the vulnerable Murray cod, back quickly when conditions improve. 22 (Lower Balonne) with flows helping to maintain habitat. Enabled breeding of spangled perch and Monitored Sites (2013–14) Local Engagement Officers Enabled submerged aquatic vegetation to persist bony bream in Mehi River and Carole Creek. Barwon–Darling (Toorale) 13 1 — Lower Murray River A — Berri during watering in Yallakool Creek because of Frog breeding observed for four native species 2 — Goulburn river system B — Mildura gradually receding flows, which is important (salmon-striped frog, long-thumbed frog, 3 — Edward-Wakool river system C — Deniliquin Warrego <1 habitat for invertebrates and fish. broad-palmed frog and eastern sign-bearing 4 — Murrumbidgee river system D — Leeton 5 — Gwydir river system E — Dubbo froglet) in the Mallowa Wetland. Total 982 F — Goondiwindi The Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder acknowledges Australia’s traditional owners and respects their continued connection to water, land and community. We pay our respects to them and their cultures and to their elders both past and present.

© Commonwealth of Australia, 2015

River Red Gums lining a billabong on the Lachlan River near Forbes, NSW For more information about Commonwealth environmental water, please contact us at: T: +61 2 6274 1111 or 1800 218 478 E: [email protected] W: www.environment.gov.au/water/cewo @theCEWH www.flickr.com/photos/envirogov/sets Postal address: GPO Box 787, Canberra, ACT 2601

Commonwealth Environmental Water Office Reedy Lagoon,Gunbower, Victoria