Murray and Lower Darling Environmental Water Advisory Group communique

Murray and Lower Darling Environmental Water Advisory Group meeting was held in Deniliquin 24 July 24 2024.

This was the first meeting for new Chair David Thurley, who introduced himself and described his career as a research scientist. David has been an Albury City councillor for the past 12 years and is Regional 1 chairperson for the Murray-Darling Association.

Murray River multi-site event 2024 presented by Paul Childs

Environmental water management officers have been working on mimicking natural flows to increase connectivity, support fauna breeding, and improve the health of the riverine environments, including wetlands and floodplains habitats.

Flow constraints are a persistent issue across the system because they limit flows and create barriers that prevent native fish from accessing critical habitats such as feeding and nursery sites.

Due to the existing flow constraints, only a small percentage of the Ramsar wetland areas in the Murray and Edward rivers systems can be watered with environmental water.

Monitoring and research have contributed to increased support for environmental water. This is important to support environmental water delivery and to identify the works and measures required to improve the ecological and hydrological functions of the rivers, creeks, wetlands and floodplains at site and system scales.

River Murray operations update presented by Adam McLean – Murray–Darling Basin Authority river operations

Conditions over April and June were drier than the long-term average. However, the Bureau of Meteorology is predicting a wetter August and September.

Lake Mulwala and the Mulwala canal system are beginning to refill after maintenance works.

In June, a connectivity trial down the Darling River from the Northern Basin to the Murray River using Commonwealth environmental water.

Works will commence soon to reinstate earthen banks along the Great Darling Anabranch lakes that were removed during the 2022 flood to allow flows to enter the Anabranch lakes. These works must be completed before environmental water or operational deliveries can recommence; otherwise, significant volumes of water will be diverted into the lakes, and the amount of water meant to return to the Murray River will be substantially reduced.

Environmental water, in conjunction with operational releases, continues to deliver elevated winter baseflows to maintain habitat connectivity for native fish along the Lower Baaka-Darling River between the Menindee lakes and its confluence with the Murray River at Wentworth.

The Barmah-Millewa Living Murray Icon Site – presented by Brady Cronin, NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service

The Living Murray program focuses on the delivery of water for the environment, environmental outcomes and an Indigenous Partnership Program.

Barmah–Millewa Forest has had some very wet conditions over the past few years which means the forest has not had a drying phase. Forest regulators will be opened in late August to help with fish passage and environmental water flows.

Monitoring of the site has had some good results. Due to the spring flooding over the past 3 years, woodland birds and waterbird numbers have increased. The Native Fish Recovery program is progressing, focusing on 6 wetlands in Millewa for small-bodied native fish translocation and habitat restoration.

The Indigenous Partnership Program has been successful with the participation of several local high school students.

Koondrook–Perricoota Forest (update presented by Vince Kelly – Forestry Corporation of NSW

Koondrook–Perricoota Forest is a Living Murray site and a Ramsar-listed wetland. The Koondrook–Perricoota Alliance is a community group whose goal is to provide advice on the management of the Koondrook–Perricoota Forest. At a recent meeting with Simon Banks (the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder), the Koondrook–Perricoota Alliance discussed opportunities to build ecological resilience within the Koondrook–Perricoota Forest and deliver flows that achieve traditional/cultural outcomes.