The Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder acknowledges Australia’s traditional owners and respects their continued connection T: 1800 803 772 Commonwealth Environmental Water Office to water, land and community. E: [email protected] W: www.environment.gov.au/water/cewo We pay our respects to them and RESTORING AND PROTECTING THE their cultures and to their elders both @theCEWH past and present. LOWER Postal address: GPO Box 787, Canberra ACT 2601 MURRAY-DARLING 2017–18 SNAPSHOT Above: The lower reaches of the Great Darling Anabranch in 2017 Cover: Environmental water starts making its way down the Great Darling Anabranch in 2017 Back cover: Pelicans take a break on the edge of the Coorong All images by Commonwealth Environmental Water Office unless noted otherwise. © Commonwealth of Australia, 2017 WAT412.0617 WAT412.0617 Summary of longer term outcomes Maintain the current waterbird species We use environmental under the Basin-wide Environmental diversity and increase their populations water to improve the Watering Strategy by supporting breeding opportunities. Maintain current populations of Maintain base river flows and increase the health of our rivers, migratory shorebirds at the Coorong. number of bank-full and ‘fresh’ events. A floodplains and fresh event is an increase in a river’s water Create the right conditions to improve wetlands levels beyond the base flow. It does not fill native fish health, spawning and the river or go over the bank. movement, with the aim of increasing the overall fish populations. Throughout the Murray–Darling Basin, we deliver Improve overall flows in the River Murray Maintain estuarine fish in the Coorong, water to important locations to support the health by 30 per cent and to the Murray Mouth of waterways and the many unique native by 30–40 per cent. including by increasing mulloway spawning and overall populations and animals, plants, birds and fish that depend on Maintain levels in the Lower Lakes expanding the range of black bream them to survive and thrive. above 0.40 m. and greenback flounder. The Lower Murray–Darling region contains diverse Provide freshwater flows greater than and rich natural environments that supply water 2000 GL per year into the Coorong (on a for domestic and extensive agricultural use. Its three-year rolling average). waterways are central to the cultural values and practices of Aboriginal traditional owners, and Maintain the current area of river red gum support tourism and recreational activities. and black box forests and woodlands, improve their condition and increase the The Lower Murray–Darling’s rivers, floodplains, survival rate of young trees. swamps and wetlands provide habitat for threatened animals including the regent parrot, Maintain the area and improve the Australasian bittern, Murray cod, Murray condition of lignum communities, hardyhead, silver perch, southern bell frog and particularly in the Lower Darling and in the Murray River tortoise. The region also features River Murray from its junction with the internationally significant wetlands, including the Wakool River to downstream of Lock 3, Coorong and lakes Alexandrina and Albert, the including Chowilla and Hattah Lakes. Riverland complex, Banrock Station and Hattah–Kulkyne Lakes. Maintain the area of native plants on the banks and in stream, particularly in or near The Commonwealth Environmental Water Office the River Murray, the Lower Darling River works in partnership with state government and the Great Darling Anabranch. agencies and local organisations to plan and manage flows for the environment. We are Maintain an adequate population of working to achieve environmental outcomes as Ruppia tuberosa in the south lagoon of outlined in the Basin-wide Environmental Watering the Coorong. Strategy and the Murray–Darling Basin Plan. Emus bathing in the Coorong large Murray cod spawning event and help Depending on river operating rules, flow Water for the Lower young golden perch travel from nursery constraints and climatic conditions, the habitats in the lakes to the River Murray.On the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder Murray–Darling downside, the natural floods caused a large can decide to: hypoxic blackwater event that killed many fish. environment to date ■ use water to meet identified environmental The high natural flows and additional demands The environmental need for water is a environmental flows during 2016–17 improved ■ hold on to the water and carry it over for reflection of the health of rivers, wetlands and water quality and water levels in the Coorong, use in the next water year (‘carryover’) floodplains, and the plants and animals they benefiting native fish. However, the southern support. Ecological health is influenced by Coorong still showed limited recovery. ■ trade (buy or sell water) for equal or flows and conditions in the past. In some cases There was increased coverage and flowering greater environmental benefits. this can date back many years—parts of the of ruppia in 2016–17, but the growth of algal Lower- Murray Darling environment are still mats hampered the setting of seeds. showing the effects of the millennium drought. Key needs for 2017–18 include supporting the Between 2010 and 2012 natural flows and recovery of native fish populations (including targeted environmental water delivery resulted providing habitat and food for fish from the in improvements in the condition of many Lower Darling), consolidating the growth of wetlands in the Lower Murray–Darling and native plants after the flood and continuing started the recovery from the flows into the Coorong to restore its millennium drought. In drier conditions from unique habitat. 2013 to 2016, some floodplain and wetland sites entered a natural drying phase, and the scale of river flows reduced. The Lower Darling Supplying water for the River and Great Darling Anabranch environment experienced minimal or no flows from 2014 to mid-2016. In the Lower Murray there was negligible spawning of golden perch, probably The water acquired by the Australian because of the low flows. The low flows also Government through investment in more led to increases in salinity in the Coorong, efficient irrigation infrastructure and other which had detrimental impacts on native fish measures enables the Commonwealth and plants, including ruppia. Environmental Water Holder to provide river flows needed to restore and protect the natural Heavy rainfall across the southern system throughout the Basin. Murray– Darling Basin in the latter half of 2016 resulted in large volumes of water flowing We often use this water to supplement natural through the Lower Murray, wetting many of the floods and environmental water provided by adjacent wetlands and woodlands higher up the New South Wales Office of Environment and on the floodplain. There were mixed results for Heritage, the Victorian Environmental Water native fish in 2016–17. Natural flows into Holder, the South Australian Department of Menindee Lakes provided an opportunity for Environment, Water and Natural Resources, environmental watering of the Lower Darling The Living Murray program and the River Murray and the Great Darling Anabranch to support a Increased Flows program. Birds welcome additional flows in 2017 ■ the Nature Foundation South Australia community groups, including Aboriginal Our partners traditional owners, have the opportunity to ■ Banrock Station help shape the regional planning and ■ Ngarrindjeri Regional Authority management of our delivery of water for the The best approaches to managing ■ Renmark Irrigation Trust environment over the long term. water for the environment involve Please contact your local engagement officer local knowledge and the ■ the Murray Darling Wetlands Working Group Ltd to learn more about our work or offer latest science. suggestions for the use of environmental water. ■ the Tar-Ru Lands Board of Management Commonwealth environmental watering is ■ local councils and planning groups planned, delivered and managed in Local engagement officer—Berri, SA partnership with individuals and groups in the ■ private landholders M: 0437 064 664 Lower Murray–Darling region. Partners include: E: [email protected] ■ the Murray–Darling Basin Authority. ■ the New South Wales Office of Environment Local engagement officer—Mildura, The Commonwealth Environmental Water Office and Heritage (including the National Parks Victoria P: 03 5051 4372, M: 0437 218 649, regularly attends community forums, events and and Wildlife Service) E: [email protected] committees in the catchments. We continue to ■ the New South Wales Department forge local partnerships to ensure that of Primary Industries ■ WaterNSW ■ Lower Murray Water ■ Murray Local Land Services ■ Western Local Land Services ■ the Victorian Environmental Water Holder ■ Goulburn–Murray Water ■ the Mallee Catchment Management Authority ■ the South Australian Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources ■ the South Australian Murray–Darling Basin Natural Resources Management Board ■ the South Australian Research and Development Institute ■ SA Water Environment water provided flow in the Lower Darling River LOWER MURRAY-DARLING RIVER REGION Commonwealth Environmental Water Office The Lower Murray–Darling Water from Menindee Lakes is used to manage the focus will be on in-stream watering—such as Water is also being used to top up Hattah Lakes and augment supplies to the Lower Murray varying flows and connecting with low-lying to support black box trees higher