Environmental watering in the Lower Murray River, South Australia
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Environmental watering 2012-13
Commonwealth environmental water will contribute towards achieving environmental outcomes at Whirlpool Corner, Disher Creek, Berri Basin, Lower Murray River channel, Lower Lakes, Coorong and the Murray Estuary.
Murray hardyhead
Photo: Gunther Schmida © MDBA
The environmental watering at Whirlpool Corner will help support the recruitment of native plants, including river red gums, and habitat for native frogs and waterbirds such as spoonbills. Environmental watering at Berri Basin and Disher Creek will contribute to the recovery of Murray hardyhead, a threatened native fish.
The environmental water will contribute to improving the health of the Lower Murray River channel by increasing the transport of nutrients and salt from the river system and mitigating potential environmental impacts of acid drainage from the Lower Murray Swamps. It will also contribute to achieving water level and salinity targets in Lakes Alexandrina and Albert (Lower Lakes), achieving salinity and seasonal water level targets in the Coorong, and supporting the establishment of wetland native plants, waterbird habitat, and the recruitment of native fish and frogs.
The Commonwealth has made available:
- a further 98,853 ML in the lower Murray River, Lower Lakes and Coorong during 2012-13
- up to 1,400 ML of environmental water to the Disher Creek and Berri Basin, and
- up to 500 ML of environmental water for pumping into Whirlpool Corner.
The environmental water to be used at Whirlpool Corner, Disher Creek and Berri Basin will be provided from flows returning to the river system from watering actions originally delivered in Victoria.
This watering action has been made possible by the collaboration of the Department of Environmental, Water and Natural Resources, South Australia, SA Water and the South Australia Murray-Darling Basin Natural Resources Management Board.
What makes the Lower Murray catchment so special and why is Commonwealth environmental water used here?
The Lower Murray River catchment is an environmentally significant area because it includes:
- wetlands of national significance including the Coorong and Lakes Alexandrina and Albert,
- habitat for many different types of native plants and animals including migratory birds, native fish, insects, frogs and reptiles.
Lower Murray River, South Australia
Photo: © DEWNR SA
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