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Home , Murray River

This feature on the Murray is brought to you by the Murray– Darling Basin Commission and CSIRO’s Double Helix Science Club.

the Living Murray restoring the health of the murray river John Baker Baker John

When you think of the world’s greatest , our Murray River sits easily amongst them. The Murray is special – it has flowed across south-eastern for millions of years. However, its flow has changed over the past 100 years, and today it is a very different river. There is evidence that the Murray River’s health is in trouble.

The River system is so important for Lifeline of the land Australia that if we let it get sick, every Australian will be affected, whether Rivers are like the blood vessels of the they live in the city or the country. Towns land. They carry water and sustain life, all along the Murray use the water not only for the plants and animals that for drinking and watering gardens, live in and along them, but also for the factories use the water to make goods, land and communities surrounding them. and farmers use the water for watering The area that the Murray River system

crops. Many people from Australia and covers – its catchment – is enormous, Baker John overseas rely on these products for their stretching across , New day-to-day needs. South Wales, , the Australian Communities and industry rely upon Capital Territory and . the Murray River. The river system includes the Darling, Murray, Murrumbidgee and other The Murray River system is home to smaller waterways, and is known as many different plant and animal species, the Murray–Darling Basin. Lots of some of which are considered to be Australia’s farming produce is grown endangered, which means there aren’t in the Basin – in fact, about as many alive as we’d like there to be. $10 billion worth! And, it is also important to Australian Aboriginal culture, as well as to the John Baker Baker John The river system also provides water heritage of non-. for people to drink and use at home Lots of food that we eat – as well as food – about two million Australians rely on An unhealthy Murray River would be we send overseas – is irrigated by the the Murray River for this purpose. bad news for us all. Murray River. River red gums are strong Australian trees that live near water. They need a regular drink to stay healthy and like it when the river floods. Birds – thousands of water birds rely River life on wetlands and lakes for breeding. The Murray River has many special Through the Murray’s journey from the sites that attract many unique birds, to its mouth where it from Australia and overseas. meets the sea at the in South Australia, the river passes through a few different climates, from cold areas to mild and dry zones. As a result, many different plants and animals live in and along the river, relying upon it for habitat (a place to live) or for food and reproduction. Yabbies live in both temporary and permanent water holes, and like warm temperatures and low oxygen levels. They are a very important food source for many fish and other animals. Gunter Schmida Gunter

Murray cod is Australia’s largest freshwater fish. The longest a has been known to live is 49 years, but most of them do not live for this long. They like slow-moving water with deep holes, and riverbanks with plenty

of plants growing along them. Bachman Bill

Snags in the river – not sausages! Snags are trees, branches and roots that have fallen into the river. They provide important places for aquatic animals to live. Many fish rely on these snags as places to breed, shelter from other animals and rest from fast water flows. In the past, it was thought that snags in the water were a nuisance. However, we now know that many Australian fish species, such as the Murray cod, and , need the snags in the river. As a result, work is being done to put snags back in the river at certain

Jim Barrett Jim places, which is called ‘resnagging’. The Living Murray and its icon sites

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v Menindee i R Lakes g n 0 50 km i l r N E W S O U T H Great a Darling D W A L E S S O U T H A U S T R A L I A er iv R n la h Wentworth c Renmark a L N 4 Chowilla Mu rrumb Floodplains idge & Lindsay- e R Edwa iv Murray Wallpolla Islands. 3 Hattah Lakes rd er Ri ve Bridge , W r ak Canberra Wellington Coorong & ool R Goolwa Lower Lakes 5 Gunbower - - M u r r Meningie 2 a y R i v e r VICT O R I A Forests 1 -

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6 River Murray

Murray-Darling Basin

In response to signs that the Murray 2. Gunbower Koondrook– Recent water provided to the floodplain River is suffering, the Australian, Perricoota Forest has helped revive some stressed river , Victorian, South The Gunbower Koondrook–Perricoota red gums and encouraged more than 30 Australian and Australian Capital Forest is the world’s second largest species of waterbirds to visit the area. Territory governments have set up The river red gum forest in Australia. 5. The Lower Lakes, Coorong and Living Murray program. The Forest has many unique plants and Murray Mouth The Living Murray aims to bring people animals, and is visited by migratory The Lower Lakes, Coorong and Murray together to decide what should be done birds listed under international treaties Mouth are located in South Australia, to ensure a better future for the Murray with Japan and China. where the Murray River flows into River system and everyone who relies 3. Hattah Lakes the Southern Ocean. The area is very on the river. important as a breeding and feeding The Hattah Lakes is a system of 17 area for many species of waterbirds As a first step in restoring the health of freshwater lakes, featuring a series of very and fish. the Murray River through the program, old channels of the Murray River that have six special places have been identified changed over the years by the wind. 6. Murray River Channel as important sites for environmental, When wet, the lakes provide feeding The Murray River Channel is the link recreation, cultural, heritage and and breeding opportunities for species between the forests, floodplains, economic reasons. such as the great egret and, when dry, wetlands and along the These sites are known as icon sites, provide habitat and food for animals Murray River, and supports many and are the current focus of work being including carpet pythons and bush plants and animals, including the undertaken to help improve the health stone curlews. Murray cod and the threatened trout of the whole river system. cod and Murray hardyhead, as well as 4. , Lindsay the river red gum forests. 1. Barmah–Millewa Forest and Wallpolla Islands The Barmah–Millewa Forest is the The Chowilla Floodplain, Lindsay and largest river red gum forest in the world. Wallpolla Islands icon site is near the When in flood, the Forest supports junction of the Murray and Darling large breeding colonies of Australian Rivers, and straddles New South Wales, white ibis and other birds. Victoria and South Australia. Jolanta Skawinski, MDBC Skawinski, Jolanta MDBC Volk, Sandra

Healthy catchments, Tips for city dwellers More about the Murray healthy waterways > Try to reduce the water your Wherever you live in Australia, you live household uses – take shorter Do you have access to the internet? Do in a catchment. When it rains, the water showers, turn the tap off when you want to learn some fun things about runs into a creek, river, lake or ocean, brushing your teeth. the Murray River, and the whole Murray- after plants have used the water they Darling Basin? > If you haven’t got one already, need and the ground has soaked up as suggest that you get a rainwater By visiting these websites, you can find much as it can. tank installed so you use less water all sorts of stories, facts & figures, So what can you do in your catchment taken from the waterways. games and posters. to help the health of your local > Water the garden with collected Visit www.mdbc.gov.au and click on waterways? Below are some things rainwater. ‘Basin Kids’. Here, we’ll give you the A–Z for you and your family and friends to of Australian fish, test your knowledge consider. Class activities about the Murray River and give lots of > Take rubbish with you to prevent it > Get together with your class and talk information for your next school project. from polluting the river. about how much water you use in Take a journey down the river with a school or at home. > Don’t let unwanted fish get into brand new kid’s newspaper when you waterways. > Think of ways to save water. visit www.mdbc.gov.au/subs/The_River. What’s this issue’s ‘Wildlife of the > Find out about the Australian fish in > Talk about the different things a river Month’? It could be something green your area. can mean to people, for example: that says “riddup”, or maybe something > Leave branches and sticks in the - A place for native plants, birds, that dad catches when he goes fishing! river to create snags for fish. fish and animals; Murray-Darling Basin Commission > Get involved in local environmental - A source of water for the food we GPO Box 409 activities and groups, such as eat and the clothes we wear; Canberra ACT 2601 Landcare. Ph: 02 6279 0100 - A place that has special meaning Email: [email protected] > Help start a school project or for Indigenous people; and www.mdbc.gov.au excursion to the river, and discuss - Somewhere to swim and have fun, the information you researched. or water to drink. > If you live near a river, tell your > Discuss how people rely on their visitors about the local river and its local waterways. animals, and what this place means to you. > Discuss how your lives would change without healthy waterways. > If you live on a farm, keep the farm animals away from the waterways. > Report anyone spreading rubbish.