A year in the Barwon–Darling catchment: 2024–25

Native fish and connectivity with the Lower Darling were the focus for environmental water managers in the Barwon–Darling catchment in 2024–25.

Key outcomes

Under moderate to wet conditions, environmental water managers worked with the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder to protect licensed water for the environment throughout late 2024 and early- to mid-2025. Licensed water for the environment protected natural inflows from the tributaries and local runoff, primarily in small fresh events and the lead and tail of a large fresh event.

Outcomes included:

• favourable conditions for native fish recruitment during summer
• connectivity with Menindee Lakes and the Baaka – Lower Darling with approximately 45,845 megalitres of water arriving at Lake Wetherell
• periodic inundation of riparian zones from small and large fresh events
• flows and inundation of priority instream Aboriginal sites.

Catchment conditions

During the first half of the 2024–25 water year over winter and spring, the Barwon–Darling catchment and its tributaries experienced mostly average to below average rainfall. Conditions were relatively warm and dry and there were relatively few small flows.

This changed in December 2024, with an event triggered by upstream rainfall before tapering off. Another event occurred in April and May. These events had significant contributions from the Namoi to the east and all unregulated western tributaries. Flows remained elevated at small fresh levels into the new water year.

Partnering with Aboriginal peoples

Water for Country represents the planning and delivery of environmental water by the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water in collaboration with Aboriginal people across New South Wales. This work continues to evolve, supporting ecological outcomes while also protecting and revitalising cultural places, values and interests.

In the 2024–25 water year in the Barwon–Darling catchment, environmental water managers continued to build relationships with Barkindji through the Toorale Joint Management Committee and other groups.

Watering aims

The annual environmental water priorities in the Barwon–Darling catchment 2024–25 were developed in response to dry to moderate weather and water availability.

Aims for the use of water for the environment were to:

• increase connection between the Barwon–Darling River to Menindee Lakes
• support flow events that help recruit native fish into the local population
• maintain low or base flows and provide small freshes.

With moderate to wet conditions, environmental water managers sought to protect small freshes and the lead and tail of large fresh events to contribute to connectivity, maintain river function and improve ecological health and resilience.

Water delivery

This table and chart provide a summary of 65,988 megalitres of water for the environment protected in the Barwon–Darling catchment during the 2024–25 water year.

This saw the addition of held environmental water from the Macquarie, Namoi, Gwydir and Border river systems protected under active management when it reached the Barwon–Darling. Of this held environmental water 45,845 megalitres arrived at Lake Wetherell.

Figures are accurate at the date of publishing but may be adjusted. The watering event number in the table and chart relate to the location number marked on the map.

_{Notes: CEW = Commonwealth licensed environmental water.}

Outcomes

In 2024–25, environmental water managers worked with stakeholders and the community to protect water for the environment. This supported native fish, riparian and wetland vegetation, and system connectivity across the catchment.

Under active management rules, Commonwealth environmental water licences were used to protect water for the environment to support connectivity along the Barwon–Darling River. Unregulated licences were used during spring, summer and autumn as natural events entered the system. Barwon–Darling water licences were primarily used to protect flows in the reach upstream of Collarenebri and between Bourke and Louth. With active management also protecting held environmental water from the regulated eastern valleys during the water year, flows were protected beyond the river reach to Menindee Lakes.