 MDBA Basin News e-Letter, Issue 4, May 2009
Basin News – The Murray-Darling Basin Authority eLetter No. 4, May 2009 Welcome to the Murray-Darling Basin Authority monthly eLetter with reports of happenings across the basin. Please feel free to pass this eLetter along to anybody who might be interested. If you do not wish to continue receiving this eLetter please reply to this message with “unsubscribe” in the subject heading. To subscribe online go to www.mdba.gov.au/media_centre/mdba_eLetter/subscribe An online html version is available at: www.mdba.gov.au/media_centre/mdba_eletter In this issue
The latest Murray-Darling Basin Authority weekly report of river operations says recent rain resulted in a minor boost in tributary inflows in the upper Murray, inflows remained well below average for this time of year. Sustained heavy rainfall will be needed over coming months to wet these catchments and yield significantly increased inflows. The report also announced that the first phase of the lowering of Lake Mulwala has begun. However, the recent rain has meant that the lake level will fall more gradually than earlier anticipated. The second phase will begin in mid May when diversions to the Yarrawonga Main Channel are scheduled to cease. The rate of drawdown during this second phase will be accelerated by increasing the release from Yarrawonga Weir. The lake level will be lowered to about 119.5 m (or 5.4 m below full supply level) by early June and will remain lowered until mid July, subject to inflow conditions. It will be raised in preparation of the irrigation season in late July. Updates will be provided in coming weeks. To read the full report go to http://www.mdba.gov.au/water/river_info/weekly_reports
Basin river diversions lowest on record The Independent Audit Group Report on the Cap 2007-08 reported that the low water use reflected continuing severe drought conditions throughout most of the Basin, but especially in the southern parts. This continues the pattern of lowest diversions on record for the Basin, despite the high level of diversions in Queensland following significant rainfall events over the water year. The auditors commented that the continuation of the severe drought conditions reinforced the need to recalibrate models to better reflect the extreme conditions and management responses. The 2007-08 audit identifies progress in each of the states and the ACT in establishing and/or operating the Cap. The annual audit is one of the functions the new Authority assumed from the former Murray-Darling Basin Commission which ceased to exist in December 2008. The centrepiece of the Authority’s new activities is to prepare, by 2011, a plan to set sustainable limits on water that can be taken from surface and groundwater systems across the entire Basin. The current Cap is based on historical figures, that is, water diverted in 1993/4. The new sustainable limits will be based on scientific evidence of sustainability. The auditors wrote that “it is pleasing to report that there has been some important progress in the implementation of the Cap. “Particularly in the finalisation of the Cap for the ACT, and the submission of a Cap proposal for the Queensland component of the Border Rivers which we have recommended be approved by Council. “A Cap proposal for the NSW section of the Border Rivers is expected to be finalised in 2008/09. However, it is still not possible to report on the timing for finalisation of a Cap for the Condamine-Balonne.” They reported that river valleys in all jurisdictions were well within their Cap limit, except for the combined Barwon-Darling Lower Darling where diversions were cumulatively 86 GL above the Cap. A copy of the report is available online at www.mdba.gov.au
Murray environmental water purchase offered Chief Executive Mr Rob Freeman said the purchase, under The Living Murray program, would see the Authority enter the water market with the lessons learned from its 2007 pilot purchase. Because of the strong response, the 2007 pilot was closed only four weeks into its eleven week timeframe. “Interested willing sellers can propose a price to the MDBA for all or part of their water entitlement,” Mr Freeman said. “However, purchase prices will once again be based on independent market advice.” The Living Murray is a major Authority river restoration program which aims to ensure that the Murray is a healthy working river into the future. It is a collaboration of the Australian Government and the governments of New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia and the Australian Capital Territory. “The purchase will contribute to The Living Murray’s target of recovering a long-term average of 500 GL of water for the environment”, said Mr Freeman. “While there is little water available immediately due to the record low inflows to the Murray River system, these entitlements will go towards providing water to maintain the health of Living Murray icon sites.” These are: Barmah–Millewa Forest, Gunbower–Koondrook–Perricoota Forest, the Hattah Lakes, Chowilla Floodplain and Lindsay–Wallpolla Islands, Lower Lakes, Coorong and Murray Mouth and the River Murray Channel. The entitlements bought under The Living Murray Water Purchase will add to the Mr Freeman said the investing governments are continuing to work towards realising water from projects approved for investment for the delivery of more water under The Living Murray. Information and expression of interest forms will be available on the MDBA website www.mdba.gov.au or by phoning 1800 687 044. Expressions of interest will be accepted from 6 May 2009 and will continue until the offer is fully subscribed. For more information and for expression of interest forms go to www.mdba.gov.au or phone 1800 687 044.
More water returned to Murray-Darling Basin’s stressed rivers and wetlands Minister for Climate Change and Water, Senator Penny Wong, said watering at the sites in Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia is expected to start in coming days, and continue through to June 2009. “Most of the water for the sites is sourced from allocations against entitlements held by Toorale Station on the junction of the Darling and Warrego rivers, which was purchased by the NSW Government in late 2008 with funding assistance from the Australian Government,” Senator Wong said. “The water from Toorale has flowed along the Darling River and will now provide water for critical wetlands and floodplains of the Murray River which are stressed from prolonged drought, historical over-allocation and the emerging impacts of climate change. “The use of water at these sites is designed to sustain iconic River Red Gums and provide drought refuges for birds and fish. This will give the sites the best chance of recovery when natural inflows increase.” The sites to receive water in the second round are:
Watering sites were selected by the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder based on proposals put forward by State Governments and after receiving advice from the Environmental Water Scientific Advisory Committee. In March, the Government announced the first use of Commonwealth environmental water at four sites in South Australia: Chowilla Floodplain, Paiwalla Wetland, Katarapko Floodplain, and Rocky Gully near Murray Bridge. Supporting healthy rivers is a key priority under Water for the Future: the Australian Government’s long-term, $12.9 billion plan to secure the water supply of all Australians. More information about the sites receiving water and the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder is available at: www.environment.gov.au/water/environmental/cewh
Native Fish Awareness Week tour engages Basin river communities Native Fish Awareness Week is an annual activity of the NFS Community Stakeholder Task Force and is being organised in partnership with the NSW and Queensland NFS coordinators. The Community Stakeholder Task Force was established to help implement the strategy. It brings together community, local government representatives, and recreational fishing, conservation, Indigenous, landholder and catchment management interests. The Native Fish Strategy was released in 2003 to guide the management, protection and rehabilitation of native fish and their habitats within the Murray-Darling Basin for the next 50 years. The group will spend a week visiting towns to present talks, displays and presentations. Group members will also listen to the views of the community on the status of native fish in their area and inspect projects funded by the MDBA or being undertaken by the community to restore native fish habitat and populations. MDBA Chief Executive Mr Rob Freeman said the tour was an ideal way for community groups, schools, Aboriginal groups, recreational anglers, local government and regional NRM management groups to learn about, provide information and celebrate the work already undertaken to achieve the outcomes envisioned by the Strategy. “During the week, community representatives, researchers and members from across the Basin and Authority staff will visit communities from Toowoomba to Dirranbandi in Queensland and from Moree to Narrabri in northern NSW,” Mr Freeman said. “Some of these communities are already involved in improving native fish and their river habitats while others are very keen to learn more about the Strategy and how they can be involved.” Mr Freeman said that since its inception in 2003, the Native Fish Strategy had been a very effective way to engage communities in natural resource management activities as many people fish or take an interest in native fish. “The Murray-Darling Basin Authority has been encouraged by the number of people and community groups with an interest in our native fish and their habitats and who want to be involved in practical ways,” Mr Freeman said “Planting native vegetation along rivers, being part of catchment or Landcare groups, and fishing responsibly all contribute towards healthy fish populations, healthy fish habitats and healthy rivers,” Mr Freeman said. “Community involvement is critically important to getting the Native Fish Strategy right and I urge fishing groups, recreational anglers and catchment management organisations to get involved with Native Fish Awareness Week activities”, Mr Freeman said. The main public meetings and events during this year‘s native Fish Week will be held at:
For more information contact Melissa Morley on (02) 6279 0419. For media inquiries contact: Sam Leone, Phone: (02) 6279 0141.
Latest Basin water storage levels info now just a click away The website, which is updated weekly, was launched on 22 April by the Minister for Climate Change and Water, Senator Penny Wong. The new site includes data collated from water management sources in the four Basin states. Senator Wong said water managers, irrigators, community and environment groups, students, and anyone else with an interest can just click on an interactive map of the Basin for the latest data on water held in public storage anywhere in the Basin. They can also check the current volume of water in each storage facility expressed as a figure and a percentage. And for the River Murray, current storage levels can be compared against historical comparisons at the click of a mouse. Visitors will also be able to access information on the latest seasonal water allocations via links to each relevant State water agency. In response to public interest, the water volume and level of South Australia’s Lower Lakes will also be viewable on the website and updated weekly. People visiting the site can also download a detailed quarterly Basin-wide water resource spreadsheet, which includes estimates of water held in private storages in the northern Basin, and commitments in each river system. Senator Wong said the quarterly spreadsheet builds on a version that first went online in September last year, and was most recently updated to February 2009. The new Water in Storages site is available at www.mdba.gov.au/water/waterinstorage
Scientists closer to getting answers to SE Australia’s changing climate Research undertaken through the $7.5 million South Eastern Australian Climate Initiative (SEACI) was designed to answer key questions for governments and natural resource managers in an area covering the Murray-Darling Basin, Victoria and southern South Australia, including the agricultural areas of Eyre Peninsula. This region is one of the country’s most valuable primary production areas. The Murray–Darling Basin alone produces over one-third of Australia’s food supply and generates 40 per cent of the nation’s agricultural income, with 70 per cent of Australian irrigation occurring in the region. “Changes in the climate of this region have come about earlier and to a larger extent than climate change scientists have generally expected,” SEACI program coordinator Ian Smith said. The program researchers from CSIRO and the Bureau of Meteorology have made major improvements to the ability to predict the impacts of climate change on the availability of water resources for agriculture industries, communities and the environment in the region. Key research findings include:
As the first phase of SEACI draws to a close, a second SEACI phase is currently being developed to build on the work already completed. “While the SEACI project has increased our understanding of climate change in south eastern Australia, many questions remain unanswered,” Ian Smith said. “The second phase of SEACI will give us the opportunity to find more answers.” SEACI is managed by the Murray-Darling Basin Authority, which also provides funding for the program, along with the Victorian Department of Sustainability and Environment, the Commonwealth Department of Climate Change, and the Managing Climate Variability Program. For more information on the research undertaken in the SEACI program go to www.seaci.org For media inquiries contact Sam Leone (02) 6279 0141.
Indigenous maps to unlock knowledge for the future Land Use and Occupancy Mapping enables Indigenous people to explain their contemporary relationship with the land, in a way that helps plan and manage the landscape to meet the social, cultural and environmental needs of Indigenous people. This mapping method was pioneered by the Inuit people in the north of Canada 25 years ago and has recently been introduced to Australia by the Murray- Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) and the Murray Lower Darling Rivers Indigenous Nations (MLDRIN). The MDBA is now planning to undertake a mapping project in the Hattah Lakes/Robinvale area, about 50 kilometres southeast of Mildura, with training sessions scheduled to begin in May 2009. The mapping project at Hattah Lakes/Robinvale will be funded by the MDBA’s The Living Murray program, and will only be undertaken with the approval of the Traditional Owners. The Mallee Catchment Management Authority’s The Living Murray Indigenous Facilitator Ken Stewart is managing the mapping project in the Hattah Lakes/Robinvale area and is confident it could have wide-spread benefits for Indigenous peoples’ involvement in the management of the Murray Darling Basin’s natural resources. “The development of these maps for Hattah Lakes has initial support from the four Indigenous groups, which is crucial to the quality and integrity of the maps, and in line with our principle of informed consent,” he said. Up to 120 interviews will be conducted with Indigenous elders and community members who have a connection with the Hattah Lakes area. Each individual will be asked a series of questions which have been designed to have either a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer, which helps avoid ambiguity in the data. Their responses are then plotted on a specially designed map and, when combined with other individual maps, can reveal patterns that help identify popular living areas and campsites, travel routes and areas with reliable food sources. All the interviews will be recorded to capture other information that may be of interest but not easily mapped. “When the data is collected and the use and occupancy maps are completed, all the documents, maps and information will belong to the individual Traditional Owners,” Mr Stewart said. “Developing these maps is about building credible and practical links with our past, demonstrating our contemporary relationship and using this information to guide how we plan and manage for the future. These maps will help Indigenous people explain to land managers how they would like to see waterways, fish-stocks, wetlands or native plants managed. “The depth of Indigenous values and connection to country gives you the best knowledge you can ever have, so these maps will be a tool for sharing and using that information.” More information contact Ken Stewart at the Mallee CMA on (03) 5051 4377.
Fishing for facts on Coorong’s black bream South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI) says the information will help scientists improve opportunities for migration of this important commercial and recreational species. The work is part of the ‘Sea to Hume Dam’ project funded by the Murray-Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) in which researchers are collaborating with scientists from New South Wales and Victoria to improve fish migration along the Murray River. As part of the program, the MDBA has built fishways at the Murray River Barrages to allow movement of estuarine and freshwater fish between the Coorong and Murray River. SARDI aquatic sciences research scientist, Mr Brenton Zampatti said scientists have rarely detected black bream migrating through the newly constructed fishways. “This tagging study aims to determine why, by gathering information on their migration cues and patterns within the Coorong region.” Anglers fishing in the Coorong region can assist the researchers by reporting the capture and release of tagged black bream. If you reel in a black bream bearing a numbered green tag, please note the tag number, length of fish, location and date it was caught. Then throw it straight back into the water alive, and call 1800 119 194. When you call the team with your information you can claim a reward. For more information contact Brenton Zampatti, on (08) 8207 5491 or 0427 604 156 or SARDI Communications (08) 8303 9433.
Early warning systems will check for bushfire ashes in waterways Manager of Strategic River Health Wayne Tennant said while local authorities are hopeful the coming months will bring increased rainfall, they are asking communities and landowners to be mindful of how that could affect rivers and streams. "Rainfall is needed and it will be welcomed but we do hope that it comes with a low intensity so it doesn't wash sediments and ash from the fires into our waterways." Mr Tennant said the Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority was working with partner agencies - Goulburn-Murray Water, Goulburn Valley Water, Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE), Department of Primary Industries and the Environmental Protection Authority to monitor water quality and flows and manage the impacts on water supplies. "Agencies are setting up warning systems to give early notice of poor water quality events. "With little riparian vegetation remaining in many areas, including the King Parrot Creek, Rubicon, Acheron and Yea rivers there is no natural filter to prevent sediments and pollutants entering the waterways." Mr Tennant said manmade barriers could prevent silt and ash entering waterways in the event of low flows or rainfall but were not effective against high flows or heavy rain. For information on how to monitor water quality visit www.waterwatch.org.au ends |
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