Governments urged to withdraw from Basin Plan
UGRCA. The Victorian and NSW Governments need to withdraw from the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, according to an advocacy group. Upper Goulburn River Catchment Management Association representative, Jan Beer, says there appears no other option, with zero appetite from the Albanese Government to listen to and understand the implications of its Basin Plan proposals. Mrs Beer said it has become impossible to reason with new federal Water Minister, Tanya Plibersek, so it will be left up to the respective state governments to protect their communities.
Highs and lows
The Murray River at Koondrook-Barham is on the decline after a week of extreme height forecasts and even an evacuation scare for the Koondrook Primary School. Despite the river being on decline and steady flows through Torrumbarry, the BoM issued a flood warning of 6.3m on Wednesday, November 2 for Koondrook-Barham ... The move caused a flurry of activity on both sides of the river ... Many wondered how the 6.3m forecast came about; was it a rounding up of the one decimal place used by the BoM?
Murray Crayfish rescue operation
A rescue and relocation operation is currently underway by NSW DPI Fisheries to save Murray Crayfish impacted by poor water quality following flooding along the Murray River. The rescued crayfish will be transported to Narrandera Fisheries Centre for safekeeping until conditions improve and they can be returned to the river safely.
In a pinch
It’s been over 10 years since a 5-year moratorium was placed on Murray crayfishing by NSW authorities for our stretch of the Murray River. Sadly, now it seems that Murray cray populations are at risk, not from fishing, but from poor water quality. Dissolved oxygen has fallen to 0.2 in the Murray at Barham and thousands of Murray cray have walked to the edges of the river from Echuca through to Swan Hill.
Hume Dam releases increased to manage airspace: MDBA
Releases from Hume Dam have today increased to 75 gigalitres (GL) per day, up from 50 GL per day yesterday in response to overnight inflows that peaked at 100 GL a day. Further increases are likely with a renewed inflow peak expected later today. Combined with inflows from the Kiewa River – downstream of Hume Dam – the Murray River is expected to approach or possibly exceed the major flood level at Albury in coming days.
Premature peak?
Somebody better tell mother nature to get with the program as Koondrook-Barham’s peak was exceeded seven days early. The expected peak for Koondrook-Barham remains unchanged on official channels at an expected 6.2m. Mother nature had other ideas with a rainfall event on Monday, October 24 pushing the river to an eye watering 6.210m just one centimetre short of the highest recorded on NSW Water, the 1917 flood reaching 6.223m.
Murray-Darling Basin Authority communique, 24 October 2022
When viewed together the 30 major dams across the Murray-Darling Basin are currently at 101% capacity and hold an unprecedented volume of water in storage ... At the Authority’s invitation, the South Australian River Murray Commissioner, Mr Richard Beasley SC, attended the meeting. He provided an update on his appointment to advocate for the health of the River Murray, Lower Lakes and Coorong.
Widespread flooding raises risk of water quality issues in the Murray–Darling Basin: MDBA
The Murray–Darling Basin continues to experience widespread flooding in some areas, prompting an increased risk of water quality issues like low-oxygen blackwater as temperatures increase. Governments and water authorities are working together to monitor the unfolding conditions which may see low-oxygen blackwater and blue-green algae emerge that can lead to fish deaths and increased water treatment.
Albanese and King – throwing rural communities down the drain – literally
For rural and regional communities, especially those crying out for dams for flood and drought mitigation for decades, Budget Paper Number 2 from the Commonwealth 2022-2023 Budget makes depressing reading.
Undera – the community left to take responsibility
As at 26 October, the flooding continues at Undera and, with no authority prepared to take responsibility for the levees, it's left to the community - somehow, sometime - to repair the multiple levee breaks.
Latest River Murray flow info now accessible in one easy location: Close
New inundation maps and a comprehensive list of frequently asked questions have been created as part of dedicated webpage on the highest River Murray flows in almost 50 years. Flood awareness, infrastructure and projected flow maps allow residents to look at potential inundation and check if their property is likely to be affected.
A statement from Campaspe Shire Council regarding the Echuca levee
Emergency Management Victoria, the lead agency in Victoria during an emergency event, made the decision on Monday, 17 October that a levee needed to be constructed in Echuca to protect as much of the township as possible. Based on the flood modelling available in the Incident Control Centre in Bendigo, Emergency Management Victoria had 48 hours to put the levee in place
Flood emergency
The entire Central Victorian region has been smashed by catastrophic floods, which appear to be more serious and more widespread than the 2010 and 2011 floods. With many regions experiencing record-breaking rains over catchments that were already sodden, the end result has been devastating. Gutters have turned into creeks, creeks into raging rivers and rivers into churning brown oceans ... Geoff Palmer took this photo of the spillway at Cairn Curran last Thursday.
Supplementary water for Murray irrigators: Anderson
A 10 per cent increase in supplementary water access licences has been allocated for NSW Murray irrigators, taking the total for the 2022/23 water year to a record 110 per cent of entitlement. Minister for Lands and Water Kevin Anderson said the exceptionally wet conditions have resulted in a major increase in unregulated flows in the Murray which means there is an unprecedented amount of water in the system.
Preparations underway for expected increased River Murray flows following Victorian floods: Malinauskas, Close, Szakacs
The Malinauskas government will embark on a six week campaign to ensure River Murray communities are afforded the best possible protection from flood waters heading to South Australia. Latest modelling by the Department of Environment and Water is predicting flows of up to 120 gigalitres per day by early December – the highest flows since the 1970s.
Echuca prepares – and waits
Updated flood news from Echuca. As at 25 October 2022, the Murray River at Echuca is up slightly. Those that can enjoyed some sun at the coffee shops and restaurants that are opening in the town.
Do Nothing on Dams Dan – the self-identifying supreme being – dodges doing nothing on dams by claiming to be able to create water
Back in 2019, Do Nothing on Dams Dan Andrews, in answer to a direct and simple question put to him by ABC Radio about why his government was committed to doing nothing on dams, provided one of his usual glib responses: “Well dams don’t make it rain.”
Murray-Darling Basin Ministerial Council Communique: MDBA
Murray-Darling Basin Water Ministers met on Ngunnawal Country (Canberra) to discuss the next steps to deliver the Basin Plan, delivery of water market reforms, the impacts of climate change on water resources, and opportunities to strengthen First Nations' role in water management and ownership. Most of the Murray–Darling Basin is the wettest it’s been in a long time.
Councils welcome renewed focus on social and economic impacts of the Basin Plan
The Murray River Group of Councils has welcomed an updated report from Frontier Economics and Tim Cummins and Associates which clearly shows the impact of Basin Plan water recovery on communities across Northern Victoria. As water Ministers prepare to meet to discuss the Basin Plan, this timely report puts the focus where it needs to be: on the people who live and work in the Basin.
Carp eradication plan must be made public immediately: Centofanti
The long-awaited National Carp Control Plan has now been handed to the federal Agriculture Department, but there is no news on when it will be made public. The South Australian Liberal Party is calling on the Labor Government to publicly release the plan immediately.
PS Oscar W slipping
The Alexandrina Council owned Paddle Steamer, PS Oscar W, is a major drawcard for locals and tourists to our region and will soon feature in its very own short film series following the amazing slipping and maintenance journey of our Friends of the Oscar W volunteer group. The PS Oscar W has just undergone its biennial slipping and maintenance to inspect and restore the historic paddle steamer and is a fantastic example of regenerative heritage in action.
Dispelling myths about water: Ron Pike
The myths about water are many. They range from Australia being the driest continent on earth, to all of our rivers dying from overuse, right up to the government being required to return water to the environment ... here are some not-so-well-known facts that should be shouted out in the present flood of misinformation about our water resources.
