Native fish, endangered frogs, and iconic river red gums were the focus of environmental flows in 2022–23.
Key outcomes
Under moderate to wet conditions, environmental water managers in collaboration with partner agencies and stakeholders, coordinated the delivery of flows that:
- encouraged the dispersal of golden perch juveniles
- promoted the growth and survival of Murray cod juveniles
- increased the condition of floodplain river red gums
- supported several successful colonial nesting waterbird breeding events
- successfully supported southern bell frog breeding and recruitment at several private property wetland sites.
Catchment conditions
During the 2022–23 year, the Murray and Lower Darling – Baaka catchments experienced La Niña weather conditions resulting in high rainfall and moderate temperatures. NSW Murray and Lower Darling – Baaka general security entitlements reached full allocation of 110% in October 2022.
Both the Murray and Lower Darling – Baaka catchments experienced many months of high unregulated flows throughout the water year. These flows inundated many priority assets and water for the environment was used at several sites to complement the outcomes achieved by unregulated flows.
About the catchments
The Murray and Lower Darling – Baaka catchments are located in the south and west of NSW and cover a combined area of 98,300 square kilometres.
Located in the temperate climatic zone, average rainfall ranges from nearly 2 metres in alpine areas to less than 300 millimetres in the far west.
The major river in the catchments is the Murray. Australia’s longest river, the Murray starts in the southern alps then receives contributions from several tributaries, including the Ovens and Goulburn rivers that flow from Victoria, and the Murrumbidgee and Darling – Baaka rivers that flow from NSW.
Extensive wetland areas are located within the Murray catchment. Ramsar-listed sites include the Millewa, Werai and Koondrook–Perricoota forests, Chowilla Floodplain and River Murray Channel.
The Murray and Lower Darling – Baaka catchments also contain large river and creek networks, for example the Edward–Kolety–Wakool system with its extensive red gum forests and black box woodlands.
Water for Country
The Murray and Lower Darling – Baaka catchments are Country to the Wiradjuri, Dhudhuroa, Waywurru, Bangerang, Barapa Barapa, Wamba Wamba, Yorta Yorta, Barkindji-Maraura, Muthi Muthi, Nyeri Nyeri, Tati Tati, Wadi Wadi, Weki Weki and Ngintait Aboriginal peoples.
Water for Country is environmental water use planned by the Department of Planning and Environment and Aboriginal people to achieve shared benefits for the environment and cultural places, values and/or interests. Building relationships with Aboriginal nations will lead to further collaboration for environmental water event planning and complementary projects into the future.
The Murray Lower Darling Rivers Indigenous Nations group is a long-standing member of the Murray and Lower Darling Environmental Water Advisory Group. In 2022–23, environmental water managers delivered water into floodplains, wetlands and waterways including the Murray River and Edward–Wakool–Niemur river system, Werai Forest, Millewa Forest, Koondrook–Perricoota Forest, the Lower Darling – Baaka and Darling Anabranch, and numerous other sites.
Water delivery into these sites was undertaken in partnership with Aboriginal groups and a range of delivery partners, including the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder, Murray–Darling Basin Authority, a range of NSW and Victorian government agencies, and numerous private landowners and irrigation corporations.
