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Murray Darling Basin Authority
Reconnecting River Country Program
A plan to have community at the forefront of co-design was the feature of Western Murray Land Improvement Group’s (WMLIG) Reconnecting River Country Program (RRCP) Wakool presentation ... During the night, attendees were walked through the RRCP mapping tool. The maps are generated through computer modelling for various flow options from 15,000 megalitres per day up to 40,000ML/D.
Mildura Weir to be removed to make way for high river flows: MDBA, GMW
The Mildura weir will be temporarily removed to allow high Murray River flows to pass through, the Murray–Darling Basin Authority and Goulburn-Murray Water announced. MDBA Executive Director of River Management Andrew Reynolds said the weir needed to be removed ahead of increased flows expected to arrive by mid-September.
Barmah-Millewa future flow options prepared for feasibility study: MDBA
Six potential options that could address the declining regulated flow through the Barmah–Millewa reach of the Murray River have been detailed in a report released by the Murray–Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) ... Capacity through the Barmah–Millewa reach has been reduced from 11,300 megalitres per day in the 1980s to 9,200 megalitres per day today.
2022–23 Murray River outlook dominated by managing wet conditions: MDBA
Full water storages coupled with a 50% chance of another La Niña in 2022–23 are driving management strategies in the River Murray System for the year ahead, according to the MDBA's 2022–23 Annual Operating Outlook ... Murray–Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) Executive Director of River Management, Andrew Reynolds, said the Annual Operating Outlook explains how the river would be run based on a range of potential climatic and rainfall scenarios.
Full throttle on Choke
The Barmah Millewa Choke is in the MDBA’s sights as the pesky sand slug slithered its way out of the pages of gold mining history, to now find itself lodged fairly and squarely in the road of supplying the mounting downstream demands for the precious water stored in Hume and Dartmouth. According to the MDBA, this particular sand slug must not be confused with the Cobram beach sand slug.
ABC’s Basin Plan reporting slammed
An advocacy group has slammed what it calls “inaccurate and harmful” reporting of an issue that is crucial to rural communities and the national prosperity. Speak Up Campaign chair, Shelley Scoullar, said rural Australians are ‘fed up’ with unacceptable media standards and the lack of effort to ensure crucial issues are reported accurately and with balance. Mrs Scoullar said the latest example was from the ABC’s national environment and science reporter, Michael Slezak, and his reporting of Australia’s State of the Environment document, in which he used selective information that presented a false picture of Murray-Darling Basin Plan progress in broadcasts and online, including ABC National News.
Money drives madness
Australia’s $13 billion Murray-Darling Basin Plan is yielding some unintended consequences as decades of sage warnings went ignored ... Money is the motivator. “Almonds, citrus, and table grapes can all be grown above or below the Barmah Choke, but horticulturalists believe they can each be grown more profitably below the Choke.”
On time and in full
It’s been seven weeks since the election in which Labor promised it would deliver the basin plan in full. Last week, a private jet jaunt around selected parts of the basin saw Environment and Water Minister Tanya Plibersek doubling down on the promise ... Once again, the plan rolls on with decisions made on high and an attitude of propaganda rather than collaboration and information sharing. I suppose when one body implements, oversees, reviews and funds the science, it would be hard to get any outcome other than the one they seek.
This year water for the environment will boost resilience for the drier times: MDBA
Making more out of the recent wet conditions and strengthening the resilience of the Murray–Darling Basin's ecosystems is the focus of this year's Annual Basin Environmental Watering Priorities ... MDBA's General Manager of Applied Science, Dr Matt Coleman said with more water in rivers and storages now was the time to capitalise on the fantastic fish and bird breeding events that have occurred and set our plants and animals up for even greater success.
The madness continues…
Australia’s $13 billion Murray-Darling Basin Plan is in its tenth year. The plan had key objectives to save the Murray, restore the balance and do so in an adaptive way based on best available science ... The sheer insanity of the basin’s direction can be demonstrated by the huge almond plantations adjacent to the Murray. What were dryland farms 20 years ago are now intensive irrigation areas often using more water than rice or cotton per hectare with no regulation on salinity.
