Partnering with Aboriginal peoples
Water for Country is environmental water use planned by the NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water and Aboriginal people to achieve shared benefits for the environment and cultural places, values and/or interests. In 2026–27 we will partner with Aboriginal peoples and organisations across the Intersecting Streams catchment. For example, we will:
- continue the delivery of the brolga monitoring project at Toorale in collaboration with members of the Toorale Joint Management Committee (JMC)
- attend Toorale JMC meetings and provide information on environmental watering actions, water infrastructure operations and monitoring programs
- advocate for Aboriginal peoples’ outcomes through water policy development and project delivery
- ensure Water for Country considerations are included in the long-term water plan review
- support the development of a cultural watering plan at Toorale
- involve Aboriginal representatives in the Toorale fish tracking array project.
Key planned actions for 2026–27
Native fish
A key priority is to support native fish populations and provide opportunities for them to breed and disperse into secure habitats throughout the system. This includes fish movement in and out of wetland areas such as the western floodplain at Toorale and Narran Lakes.
Monitoring undertaken during the 2024–25 and 2025-26 water years showed that native fish were using the western floodplain at Toorale, leading to the establishment of fish tracking arrays to monitor the movement of golden perch through the Warrego River and western floodplain. With no flows to the western floodplain since early 2025 and a dry outlook for 2026-27, water managers will shift their focus to this area later in the water year, as the period when small flows are needed is expected to peak.
Waterbirds
In 2026–27, water is expected to be retained in the Narran Lakes system due to inflows in autumn 2026. A priority is to ensure adequate vegetation condition and water levels are maintained should further inflows trigger a breeding event of group-nesting waterbirds in spring 2026.
Vegetation
A series of inundation events since 2021 has resulted in good vegetation condition at Narran Lakes. Supporting vegetation recovery following a fire in the western section of Narran Lakes in the 2023 summer remains a long-term priority for water managers. Flows in autumn 2025 assisted, but the timing was not ideal for recovery. Additional inundation in spring to summer 2026–27 would strengthen the recovery of the site and provide favourable conditions for group-nesting waterbirds.
Connectivity
Flows from the Warrego River inundated significant areas of the Toorale western floodplain wetland in early 2025. Due to this large event and expected dry conditions, connectivity with the Darling River is likely to be the priority for management at Toorale for much of the 2026-27 water year. This priority may shift later in the water year if there is no inundation of the western floodplain. Environmental water deliveries at Toorale will be undertaken in line with the works approval, license conditions and priorities set out in the Toorale water management infrastructure operating and maintenance plan.
Flows and inter-system connectivity depend on rainfall occurring throughout the year. Connectivity between rivers in the Intersecting Streams catchment is highly variable and more influenced by weather patterns than in other parts of the Northern Basin. This variability may create opportunities for replenishment during dry times.
Map of proposed annual priority targets in the water resource plan area 2026–27
For more information on each catchment's resource availability scenario and expected volumes, visit our Annual environmental watering priorities 2026-27 webpage.
