Restoring Flows to Wetlands in the Upper South-East of South Australia
Total funding: $14.2 million, with $7.7 million from the Australian Government and $6.5 million from the Upper South East Flood Management and Dryland Salinity Program.
About the project
The project restores historic freshwater environmental flow regimes to valuable wetlands and watercourses across 70,000 ha in the Upper South East region of South Australia. Natural flows have been diverted by man-made drains to ocean outfalls.
This project will construct floodways to restore freshwater environmental flows to wetlands and watercourses which have been deprived of natural flows since construction of drains in the South East of South Australia in the early 1900s.
The project includes the development of covenanted agreements with relevant landholders to help recovery of biodiversity.
Project benefits
The project will:
- deliver up to 11 gigalitres of water to wetlands in the Upper South East
- improve wetland and watercourse condition across 70,000 ha in the Upper South East region
- develop a wetland corridor between Bool Lagoon and the Coorong
- halt the decline of health of wetlands
- protect rare and endangered species
- improve habitat extent and quality
- improve water quality, and
- improve land condition and recreational value.
The project will contribute to achieving the National Water Initiative outcome of protecting surface and groundwater systems of high conservation value.
Progress
Nine specialist papers were released for public consultation early in 2008, which provided background information for determining the feasibility of the project. The papers provide a summary of the latest knowledge on what are considered to be the most important topics relating to the project.
Management agreements and plans have been established for a significant number of environmental assets in the area.
Construction of the Bald Hill and Winpinmerit Drains is complete, as well as the Western floodway. The project is expected to be completed in the late 2010.
For more information please see the REFLOWS - Restoring FLOWS to the Upper South East fact sheet produced by the South Australian Department of Water, Land and Biodiversity Conservation
Water Smart Australia projects are funded by the Australian Government's Water for the Future initiative.
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