 MDBA Basin News e-Letter, Issue 1, Feb 2009
Issue 1, February, 2009 Welcome to the Murray-Darling Basin Authority monthly eLetter with reports of happenings across the basin. You have received this eLetter because you were subscribed to the former Murray-Darling Basin Commission eLetter. The Commission ceased to exist on 15 December, 2008. Its functions have been absorbed by the new Authority. If you do not wish to continue receiving this eLetter please reply to this message with “unsubscribe” in the subject heading. Please feel free to pass this eLetter along to anybody who might be interested. To subscribe online go to www.mdba.gov.au/media_centre/mdba_eLetter/subscribe Contributions are welcome. Please send items of up to 300 words to the editor at medialiaison@mdba.gov.au An online html version is available at: www.mdba.gov.au/media_centre/mdba_eletter
That's the stark message in the Murray-Darling Basin Authority's (MDBA) latest drought update released today. Chief Executive Mr Rob Freeman said this was disappointing as November and December had looked promising with lower temperatures and higher rainfall. “In addition, rainfall across the higher yielding Victorian Alps and Snowy Mountains - the region from which a substantial proportion of the Murray system inflows are normally derived – is continuing its below average pattern of the past few years,” he said. “The northern half of the Basin received some good rainfall in November and December and even some flooding along sections of the Peel and Namoi Rivers. But the total volume of water was fairly small and after dissipating across the lower Namoi floodplain, only about 40 GL reached the Barwon River. Mr Freeman said the MDBA's total active (useable water) storage was now 1,470 GL or 16 per cent of capacity, slightly higher than at the end of January 2008, but well below the January long term average of 5,400 GL. Water quality across the Murray system was generally good, but with lower than normal flows, there was a risk of algal blooms over the rest of summer. Salinity along the Murray, upstream of Lock 1, remained relatively low, but continued to climb in the Lower Lakes. Mr Freeman said the prolonged water shortage across the Murray system was continuing to cause severe environmental impacts to riverine and floodplain ecosystems. Low river levels have kept many wetlands and billabongs disconnected from the river for several years, impacting on waterbird communities, river red gum and black box trees. “The Lower Lakes remain in a critical state, with record low water levels, high salinity and the ongoing risk of acidification. The water level in Lake Albert is decreasing at a slower rate only because of the water we are pumping into it from Lake Alexandrina,” he said. “The immediate prospects are not good as only about 10 per cent of Murray system inflows normally occur between February and May and the latest rainfall outlook from the Bureau of Meteorology shows only neutral conditions across the Basin for the next three months. “We need a sustained period of above average rainfall during the coming autumn and winter months for inflows to recover toward the long term average.” Mr Freeman said the prospects for irrigation in 2009-10 would depend substantially on future rainfall and system inflows, though enough water would be carried over to meet critical human needs in 2009-10. A copy of the latest MDBA Drought Update is available at www.mdba.gov.au
The technique, using a combination of satellite imagery and ground surveys, is being carried out by scientists from the Australian Centre for Biodiversity, Monash University. The Living Murray Icon Sites, chosen for their high ecological value, include the Chowilla Floodplain and Lindsay-Wallpolla Islands, Gunbower-Koondrook-Perricoota Forest, Barmah-Millewa Forest, Hattah Lakes, and the Lower Lakes, Coorong and Murray Mouth, and the Murray channel itself. Murray-Darling Basin Authority Chief Executive Rob Freeman said that the ground survey techniques had been successfully piloted at Wallpolla Island, near Mildura recently. “We are now undertaking ground surveys at all icon sites containing these tree species” he said. “Standardising monitoring techniques in this way will allow us to accurately determine the health of river red gum and black box communities and to be able to compare results across the icon sites,” Mr Freeman said. “Examining tree health is an important part of The Living Murray program. Each icon site undergoes an annual health assessment, which helps us to determine progress towards ecological objectives for the site. This in turn helps us to determine the best management options for the site going forward.” Mr Freeman said recently that there had been a general decline in vegetation health across the icon sites. “Over time, river regulation has resulted in far fewer significant flooding events, which are crucial to the survival of river red gums and other flood dependent species,” Mr Freeman said. “The effects of this have been exacerbated in recent times by prolonged and widespread drought.” Mr Freeman said as one of the world's most significant river restoration programs, The Living Murray was acting to manage these impacts, and return the Murray to a healthy, working river for the benefit of current and future generations. The Living Murray program was established in 2002 by the Australian, Victorian, New South Wales, South Australian and ACT Governments to tackle the serious decline in the health of the Murray River. For more information go to www.mdba.gov.au
Executive Director of the MDBA's River Murray Water, Mr David Dreverman, said the software would be used in conjuction with the MDBA's existing BIGMOD river simulation model. "Optimatics' software is very powerful software,” he said. “With all the challenges in the Murray system, there is growing pressure to look at variations to optimise systems and process our problems faster. "Running BIGMOD and Optimatics' software together will allow us to significantly increase the number of options what we can consider in tryign to find opimisation outcomes fro the rive managmeent challenges that we are working on. Development of the new software builds on a two-year pilot project the MDBA carried out with Optimatics. The software will help the Authority to develop the best short-term operating procedures and medium to long-term management policies for the Murray River. Mr Dreverman said the new software should be completed and in operation by June this year. For more information call (020 6279 0100
Environment Victoria are undertaking the project on behalf of the Murray-Darling Basin Authority's Living Murray program. Gunbower–Kondrook–Perricoota Forest is one of The Living Murray program's “icon sites”. In this “Storylines” project eight people will be chosen to share their stories in an all expenses paid digital storytelling workshop to be held at the Bendigo Regional Institute of TAFE in April.. Under the guidance of documentary filmmaker Malcolm McKinnon, the successful applicants will script and produce their own short film using photos, music, video and voice-over narration. Your story could be about a local legend, family holidays, working life or natural wonders. Whatever the focus, it will help capture what makes the Gunbower–Kondrook– Perricoota Forest such a special place. Your film will show others why these wetland forests are worth protecting and restoring. The stories will feature on an educational DVD which will be screened to communities around Australia. Entries close 27 February. For more information and an application form contact Verity McLucas on (03) 9341 8109.
Murray-Darling Basin Authority Chief Executive Mr Rob Freeman said the imagery was collected over February and March in 2008. “It was originally done to assess the usefulness of using aerial imagery for the early detection of algal blooms, particularly during the summer high risk period. “It certainly has been useful for that purpose but of course, as a snapshot of the river at low levels, the imagery can be used as a baseline for a range of other purposes,” Mr Freeman said. “The photography can be made available to water and other natural resource managers for non-commercial purposes and under certain conditions.” The imagery has been broken up into 10 legs of the river to reduce the file sizes. The 10 legs of the River are: Mannum to lock 1, Lock 1 to Lock 6, Lock 6 to Lock 9, Lock 9 to Euston Weir, Euston Weir to Swan Hill, Swan Hill Echuca, Echuca to Hume, Edward River, Walcool River and Barrages to Mannum The shots are available as jpeg2000 files. Each file is about 3GB in size. They have been “orthorectified” – that is, they have been geometrically corrected so that, like a map, they show true distances. The project was a collaborative effort with a number of other agencies including SA Water, IOJ Aerial Photography, Apogee Pty Ltd, RMWQMP and NRI For more information contact Mark Vanner at the MDBA on (02) 6279 0100
The Basin Plan will be a strategic plan for the integrated and sustainable management of water resources in the Murray-Darling Basin. It is being prepared by the Authority in consultation with Basin states and communities, with an intended completion date in 2011. The content and process to develop the Basin Plan are set out in the Water Act 2007. More information about the Basin Plan is available by visiting the Authority's website, www.mdba.gov.au . The Authority will release a concept statement in March/April 2009 which explains the contents of the Basin Plan, the timing for its development and the processes to involve interested parties and individuals. The Annual Water Symposium is a major national platform for discussion of water resource issues. Organisers say this year's event will take place at a time when the water industry has never been under more pressure from climate change, ageing infrastructure and over-allocation. Other speakers include: Ken Matthews, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, National Water Commission; Professor Mike Young; Ross Young, Executive Director, Water Services Association of Australia. For more information on the symposium go to www.legalwiseseminars.com.au
The Murray-Darling Basin Authority will chair a panel discussion with Australian and obverses experts on why climate change is seen as one of the biggest threats to water resources in the nation's food bowl. Other major threats include bushfires, afforestation, groundwater extraction, irrigation return flows and farm dams. These risks vary in size, impact and consequence across the Basin, and have the potential to significantly affect streamflow. They pose a risk to both environmental and economic sustainability of the river system and its water users The panel discussion is part of a major conference which organisers say bring some of the best researchers in weather, climate, water, ocean and polar science to Melbourne. Scientists will present their latest work on a range of topics from earth system science to hydrological predictions to regional climate change studies, including unique Pacific based science research work. This conference is a joint meeting of the American Meteorological Society and the Australian For more information go to www.bom.gov.au/events/9icshmo/
Then throw it straight back into the water alive, call 1800 119 194 with your information and claim a reward. That's the plea from a three-State team of researchers who have implanted small acoustic tags into these bream and are relying on the tags to ‘listen in” to the movements and behaviour of this important native fish. When you call the team with your information you can claim a reward. As part of the MDBA's “Sea to Hume Dam" fish passage project researchers from South Australia, New South Wales and Victoria are undertaking an acoustic tracking study of black bream in the Coorong. The visionary “Sea to Hume” program aims to create unobstructed passage for native fish along the entire length of the Murray by building innovative fishways which allow the fish to travel through the many weirs. As part of the program, the MDBA has built fishways at the Murray Barrages to facilitate the movement of estuarine and freshwater fish between the Coorong and Murray River. The project is expected to improve understanding of how key estuarine fish species move within the Coorong. To optimise the fishways, researchers need to improve their understanding of fish behaviour. In this latest exercise it's the turn of the black bream. The researchers will install 13 acoustic receivers (listening stations) between Goolwa Barrage and Tauwitchere Barrage and will implant acoustic tags (pingers) into about 30 black bream. The receivers will provide details on where and when each fish moves over a period of about 18 months (the battery life of the tags). As well as providing an insight into black bream behaviour in relation to the Murray Barrages the research will also provide information on important habitats within the Coorong and how fish may respond to environmental change. Ultimately this information will assist in the conservation and restoration of fish populations in the Coorong and Murray River. The researchers are from the South Australian Research and Development Institute - Aquatic Sciences, NSW Department of Primary Industries and VIC Department of Sustainability and Environment. For more information on the “Sea to Hume” program go to www.mdba.gov.au
Sponsored by the Murray Catchment Management Authority, the Murray Darling Basin Authority and the Australian Government the conference promises to “re-invigorate and hotly debate” salinity issues which organisers say have been somewhat overshadowed by other environmental issues in the past couple of years. Organisers say it will look at what has been learnt over the past 10 years and how to apply this knowledge to farming and resource management. Over two days, scientists, farmers and government agencies will exchange views on effective ways to reduce the impact of salt, to give those in the field some practical ways to attack this problem. Leading the speakers will be Dr. John Williams, Commissioner of the Natural Resources Commission of NSW. He will be joined by speakers from the Department of Environment & Climate Change, scientists from CSIRO, the Murray Darling Fresh Water Research Centre, the Bureau of Rural Sciences and landholders, to discuss salinity in both dryland and irrigation areas. Topics will include:
For more information go to www.murray.cma.nsw.gov.au or contact Emily Brewer at (02) 6051 2211.
Organised by ABARE (the Australian Bureau of Agriculture and Resource Economics), wil be held in Canberra on 3 and 4 March. Speakers will examine the impact of climate change, issues for environmental land management and challenges for productivity growth. Other sessions will cover: an economic overview; key commodities; farm performance; trade; and water and biosecurity. Organisers say the Conference will also include presentations from leading national and international speakers and ABARE will release projections covering Australia's key agricultural and resource commodities to 2013-14. The conference will examine the continuing drought on the agriculture sector at sessions on farm performance, irrigated agriculture, horticulture and water. For more information go to www.abare.gov.au/outlook
Government agencies, agricultural and commercial industries will provide trade displays, information, new technology, innovative products and services to help landholders improve water savings on farm in Victoria's North East Catchment Area. The key note speaker Dr Ian Prosser, Science Director for the Water for a Healthy Country Flagship Program - CSIRO, will present on the Murray-Darling Basin Sustainable Yields Project Report, in particular the Victorian North East and Goulburn Broken Catchment areas. Presentations will also include CRC Irrigation Futures, Case Management Trials and Sustainable Landscapes Water and Soil Management Information. The free event will be open between 10.00am and 3.00pm at the Wodonga Exhibition Centre (Racecourse Precinct), Hamilton Smith Drive. For more information contact: Wendy Paglia Telephone: 03 57311206 or Dennis Watson 04 2930 4567 end |
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