Murray catchment

Legend

red irregular shaped area denotes ramsar site
Ramsar site

yellow irregular shaped area denotes diwa site
DIWA site

Murray Catchment
Murray catchment water holdings at 31 May 2013
Location Security Registered entitlements (ML) Long Term Average Annual Yield (ML)
NSW High 8,553 8,125
General# 283,868 229,933
Conveyance 1,230 964
Groundwater 1,141 1,141
Unregulated 30 24
Supplementary 56 41
Vic High 243,189 231,065
Low 11,765 3,002
SA High 104,765 94,289
  Total 654,598 568,585

For more information regarding the characteristics of entitlements and the water resource plan held in the Murray catchment please refer to Victoria's Department of Environment and Primary Industries , South Australia's Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources  and New South Wales Department of Primary Industries Office of Water 

Southern-connected Basin water holdings* at 31 May 2013
SecurityRegistered entitlements (ML) Long Term Average Annual Yield (ML)
High 575,105 541,103
General/Low 508,090 365,466
Conveyance 8,886 8,238
Supplementary 20,876 2,956
Total 1,112,957 917,763

*Water allocations in southern-connected Basin catchments can, with some restrictions, be traded to other catchments in the southern-connected Basin. This gives the Commonwealth the capacity to move water between catchments of the southern-connected Basin to get the best outcomes for the environment.

# Includes 492 ML of General security entitlement in the Lower Darling

Planning for 2013-14

Commonwealth environmental water use options 2013-14: Lower Murray-Darling Region and Commonwealth environmental water use options 2013-14: Mid Murray Region identifies potential Commonwealth environmental watering actions for 2013-14. Decisions on using Commonwealth environmental water will be made throughout the year based on seasonal, operational and management considerations. If you wish to provide suggestions for Commonwealth environmental water use please contact us at ewater@environment.gov.au or send us your suggestion by visiting: Your suggestions for potential water use options.

Environmental watering in the catchment in 2012-13

Watering action Status of Commonwealth action
Environmental watering on Clark's floodplain with Nature Foundation SA In progress
Environmental watering in the Lower Murray River (South Australia) In progress
Environmental watering in the Murray River valley Completed
Environmental watering in Tuppal creek Completed
Environmental watering in Gunbower creek In progress
Environmental watering in Jimaringle, Cockran and Gwynnes creeks Completed
Environmental watering in the Edward-Wakool river system In progress

A summary of Commonwealth environmental watering from previous years in the Murray is included below. For further information about Commonwealth environmental watering in the Murray catchment and the outcomes achieved, please refer to the Commonwealth environmental water Outcomes Reports and Annual Reports.

Monitoring of environmental watering in the catchment in 2012-13

Monitoring projects

Water availability and portfolio management

Portfolio management statements for the Murray catchment provide information on the Commonwealth Environmental Water Office's approach to the management of Commonwealth environmental water holdings in the catchment. The portfolio management statements identifies the type and amount of entitlements held, the forecast of water available and the proposed approach to trading, carryover and use of the water.

Environmental watering in the catchment in previous years

Environmental watering in the catchment in 2011-12
Watering action Amount of water delivered (ML) Status of action
Environmental watering in Colligen Creek (Edward-Wakool river system) 5 500 Completed
Environmental watering in the Wakool River and Colligen Creek (Edward-Wakool river system) 7 500 Completed
Environmental watering in the Edward-Wakool river system (fish refuge habitat flows) 39 445 Completed
Environmental watering in Jimaringle-Cockran Creek (Edward-Wakool river system) 3 000 Completed
Environmental watering in the mid-Murray River system (fish refuge habitat and replenishment flows) 92 093 Completed
Environmental watering in the Lower Murray River (South Australia) 69 300 Completed
Environmental watering in the Lower Murray River (South Australia) 126 600 Completed
Total in 2011-12 343 438  
Environmental watering in the catchment in 2010-11
Watering action Amount of water delivered (ML) Status of action
Coorong, Lower Lakes and Murray Mouth 29 183 Completed
Coombool Swamp 506 Completed
Lake Walla-walla 7 850 Completed
Kulkurna 57 Completed
Jimaringle and Cockran Creeks 1 100 Completed
Wakool River and Yallakool Creek 18 667 Completed
Hattah Lakes 9 342 Completed
Katarapko Floodplain-Carpark Lagoons 154 Completed
Total in 2010-11 66 859  
Environmental watering in the catchment in 2009-10
Watering action Amount of water delivered (ML) Status of action
Lake Wallawalla, near Mildura, Vic 4 140 Completed
Hattah Lakes, near Mildura, Vic 7 060 Completed
Werai State Forest, near Deniliquin, NSW 4 500 Completed
Top-up flows for nine wetlands along the lower NSW Murray (Andruco Lagoon, Boeill Floodplain, Brechin, Cliffhouse 1 and 2, Grand Junction, Kennaugh, Nampoo, Wee Wee Creek) 1 750 Completed
Millewa State Forest, near Deniliquin, NSW 1 500 Completed
Chowilla Floodplain, near Renmark, SA & NSW 7 230 Completed
Lake Albert, at the Murray Mouth, SA 20 000 Completed
Morgan Conservation Park, near Morgan, SA 320 Completed
Molo Flat, near Waikerie, SA 330 Completed
Wigley Reach, near Renmark, SA 250 Completed
Paiwalla Wetland, near Murray Bridge, SA 240 Completed
Weila, near Renmark, SA 220 Completed
Overland Corner Complex, near Kingston-on-Murray, SA 200 Completed
Katarapko Creek Wetlands, near Berri, SA 20 Completed
Total in 2009-10 47 760  
Environmental watering in the catchment in 2008-09
Watering action Amount of water delivered (ML) Status of action
Chowilla Floodplains (SA) (Near Renmark, SA) 1 780 Completed
Carpark Lagoons, Katarapko (SA) (Near Berri, SA) 200 Completed
Paiwalla Wetland (SA) (Between Mannum and Murray Bridge, SA) 600 Completed
Rocky Gully (SA) (Near Murray Bridge, SA) 80 Completed
Markaranka Wetland Complex (SA) (Near Waikerie, SA) 2 230 Completed
Overland Corner Floodplain (SA) (Near Kingston-on-Murray, SA) 500 Completed
Murbpook Lagoon (SA) (Near Blanchetown, SA) 1 400 Completed
Lindsay Island (VIC) (On VIC/SA Border) 1 000 Completed
Hattah Lakes (VIC) (North-Western Victoria near Robinvale) 2 120 Completed
Backwater Lagoon (NSW) (In Wangumma State Forest, west of Wentworth, NSW) 1 000 Completed
Total in 2008-09 10 910  

Monitoring of environmental watering in the catchment in previous years

Monitoring projects and fact sheets

Catchment profile

Where is it?

The Murray catchment centres on the Murray River, which is one of the iconic rivers that defines Australia's largest surface water system, the Murray-Darling Basin. The Murray catchment extends across southern New South Wales, northern Victoria and south-eastern South Australia. The total area of the catchment is 133,677 km2.

The headwaters of the Murray River originate in the Australian Alps. The river flows in a general north-westerly direction and defines the border between NSW and Victoria. At the border with South Australia, the river flows west across a wide floodplain before turning southwards and eventually emptying into the Southern Ocean at the Murray Mouth. The Murray River receives inflows from the Barwon-Darling, Lower Darling, Murrumbidgee, Ovens, Goulburn-Broken, Campaspe Loddon and Wimmera-Avoca catchments.

What makes this place so special?

The Murray catchment is home to a large and diverse range of flora and fauna, including species recognised by international agreements (e.g. migratory bird species) and a number of threatened species and ecological communities. Many of these species are listed and protected under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act), which is the Australian Government's principal piece of environmental legislation. Other species are listed under environmental legislation in their respective states and territories.

The catchment includes many significant wetlands, including Wetlands of International Importance listed under the Ramsar Convention (Ramsar) and nationally important wetlands listed under the Directory of Important Wetlands in Australia (DIWA). Some of these wetlands include:

The Murray catchment is home to some of the largest stands of river red gum in Australia.

The effects of drought, climate change, and high levels of extraction have reduced river flows resulting in a significant decline in the ecological health of many of these stands and their understorey vegetation. Depletion in soil moisture and an increase in underlying saline groundwater is also jeopardising river red gums, and therefore also threatening habitat for the diverse range of fauna that depend on this vegetation.

Six areas in the Murray catchment have been identified as 'Icon Sites' under The Living Murray  (TLM) program.

What does the latest science say about the ecological health of the catchment?

The Sustainable Rivers Audit (SRA), coordinated by the Murray-Darling Basin Authority, provides scientifically robust assessments of the ecological health of the Basin's river valleys. The SRA reports the overall health of the Murray River in three zones (Lower, Central, and Upper). The overall ecosystem health of the Murray River as reported by the SRA is summarised below.

SRA Report Overall ecosystem health of catchment
Upper Murray Central Murray Lower Murray
SRA 1  (based on data collected from 2004 to 2007) Very poor Poor Poor
SRA 2  (based on data collected from 2008 to 2010) Poor Poor Poor

The CSIRO Sustainable Yields Report on the Murray found that the current level of surface water extraction is high, with 36 percent of average available water being diverted away from the waterways.

Under the best estimate 2030 climate conditions, average surface water availability for the Murray region would fall by 14 per cent, average diversions in the Murray region would fall by 4 percent and end-of-system flows would fall by 24 per cent. The Murray catchment as defined in this report also included the Lower Darling below Menindee.

Environmental water delivery references

Environmental Water Delivery: Yarrawonga to Tocumwal and Barmah-Millewa, Environmental Water Delivery: Edward Wakool system, Environmental Water Delivery: Koondrook-Perricoota Forest, Environmental Water Delivery: Gunbower Forest and Environmental Water Delivery: River Murray – Coorong, Lower Lakes and main channel below Lock 1 collate current knowledge of the operational and administrative arrangements for the delivery of environmental water to different parts of the Murray River system.

The documents provide an overview of the environmental assets and potential environmental water use options. This work has been undertaken to support the efficient and effective use of environmental water and to engage communities on how this may best be achieved. This aims to encourage community discussion and feedback on the use of environmental water, to identify future opportunities and recognise operational risks and constraints.

Comments on the document are encouraged and can be provided to: ewater@environment.gov.au

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