 MDBA Basin News e-Letter, Issue 6, July 2010
Basin News – The Murray-Darling Basin Authority eLetter 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 Contributions are welcome. Please send items of up to 300 words to the editor at medialiason@mdba.gov.au An online html version is available at: www.mdba.gov.au/media_centre/mdba_eletter Follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/MD_Basin_Auth IN THIS ISSUE:
Murray rainfall and inflows continued below average in June As a result, Murray System Inflows (excluding Menindee inflows and Snowy releases) were well below the long term average for June. However, the latest Murray-Darling Weekly Report of river operations says the upper catchments remained wet and should respond well to future rainfall events during winter and spring. By the end of June, MDBA active storage (including Menindee Lakes) had risen to 38% capacity, significantly higher than this time last year (14% capacity), but still well below the long term average for the end of June. Dartmouth Reservoir increased to 33% capacity and there was an increase of 49 GL in Hume Reservoir taking it to 27% capacity. Menindee Lakes were still filling slowly. The storage volume increased to 88% capacity and the volume of water stored in Menindee Lakes is expected to peak at about 1,550 GL in late July. The release from Menindee Lakes is at the normal winter minimum of 200 ML/day. At the Lower Lakes, the water level in Lake Alexandrina continued to rise and the level in Lake Albert remained steady. For more information and to read the latest Weekly report of river operations go to www.mdba.gov.au/water/river_info Comprehensive Guide to draft Murray-Darling Basin Plan Given the importance of community feedback, the Chair of the Authority, Mike Taylor, said the Authority would publicly launch a comprehensive Guide to the Proposed Basin Plan in early August.. “This will enable people to see all the details of what is being proposed in plain English and to build a good understanding of the issues,” Mr Taylor said. “In addition, it will give interested parties the opportunity to provide us with feedback ahead of the release of the Proposed Basin Plan later in the year.” The guide will feature key content of the Proposed Basin Plan including:
“We understand that there’s significant community interest in what the Proposed Basin Plan will put forward,” Mr Taylor said. “The release of the Guide will provide an additional opportunity for stakeholders, irrigators and Basin communities to find out what the Authority is proposing. In accordance with the Water Act 2007, the Proposed Basin Plan will be followed by a formal, 16-week consultation period. The Authority will then consider all submissions before the Plan is finalised in 2011. Release of the Guide will help to ensure stakeholders are fully informed before lodging their submissions as part of the formal consultation phase later this year. To assist in this process, the Authority will conduct a series of regional public information sessions across the Basin, where local communities will be able to discuss the guide with senior Authority staff. Feedback from these information sessions will be taken on board by the Authority in helping to fill any information gaps prior to the release of the Proposed Plan later in the year. For more information go to www.mdba.gov.au/basin_plan Why the Basin Plan is still needed Rainfall and inflows in the lower Basin have continued well below long term averages and the historical damage to the environment has not improved. The need for a basin-wide plan to sustainably manage surface and groundwater water remains as urgent as ever. In less than a century, water extracted from the Murray¬–Darling Basin has increased five-fold, from 2,000 GL a year in the 1920s to over 10,000 GL a year. A century of regulating the rivers for transport and irrigation has also had an impact by generally confining river flow to within the banks and reducing the frequency of flooding. The temporal pattern of flows has been altered with flows now received in summer each year, compared to pre-regulation flow patterns. During the last 10 years, the average annual inflows to the Murray have shrunk from 11,000 GL to about 5,000 GL which is the lowest 10 year period on record. The long drought, the impacts of climate change and population growth and water distribution decisions have added to the pressures on the river systems and in 2002 the Murray stopped flowing to the sea. The first environmental report card on the ecological health of the Murray–Darling Basin, the Sustainable Rivers Audit (2004-2007) which covered 96,000 km of rivers and streams, found long-term degradation in most of the Basin’s valleys and that 20 of the Basin’s 23 river valleys were in poor or very poor health. A report for The Living Murray program found that 70% of river red gums in the Koondrook–Perricoota Forest (the second largest river red gum forest in the world) were stressed, dying or dead, largely due to the drought, combined with 12 years of no flooding. Salinity levels have increased and algal blooms have risen in frequency in line with the increased frequency of periods of low river flow. The first Basin Plan will be completed in 2011 and approved by the Minister for Climate Change and Water, after which it will be regularly reviewed and updated. For more information go to www.mdba.gov.au/basin_plan Lock 6 to close for repairs, upgrade The lock closure is part of a six-year maintenance program on all of the locks along the river. This is the first time the Lock 6 chamber has been emptied since the late1960s when the wooden gates were replaced with steel. The empty lock chamber will allow SA Water to do a comprehensive inspection and maintenance of the underwater components. Although users will not be able to travel the full length of the river during this period, they For more information and for media inquiries contact Matthew Peake, Media Officer, SA Water, (08) 7424 1840, Mobile 0438 871 854. Mildura Weir pool lowering starts in mid-July The pool level will be lowered to about 3.6 m below full supply level to allow upgrade works. As a result, the last boat passage through the Mildura Lock would be 4pm on Sunday 18 July 2010. Upgrades to the Weir will include installation of a new prototype trestle with mechanised gates and construction of a ‘Denil’ fishway. After the new prototype trestle has been installed, the weir pool will be raised back to full supply level by mid August 2010, depending on river flows. A fishway will also be built will take about three months. To assist with construction, the water level of the Wentworth weir pool may need to be lowered slightly (by up to 20 cm) to reduce the water level on the downstream side of Mildura Weir. Such lowering, if needed, would occur in August or September. Over the coming weeks, the Murray-Darling Basin Authority and Goulburn-Murray Water will continue to issue further advice via the MDBA’s Weekly report. To view the report and for more information go to www.mdba.gov.au/water/river_info Water trading rules through Barmah Choke relaxed from 1 July The Murray-Darling Basin Authority will undertake fortnightly reviews on the relaxation which may result in the need to lift the relaxation at anytime during the water season. This will depend on water resource availability and the volume of net trades across the Choke during the course of the season. Chief Executive Mr Rob Freeman said that while there has been an improvement in water resources in recent months, the decision was based on continued below long-term average system inflows, resulting in low water availability and having consideration of the volume of water available in Menindee Lakes. For more information go to www.mdba.gov.au/ The Living Murray brings positive results to Chowilla Floodplain In 2009/10 Lake Littra, Werta Wert Wetland, Twin Creeks, Coppermine Complex, Pilby Lagoon, Monoman Island Horseshoe, Kulkurna wetlands and Punkah Creek have benefited from 4,390ML of TLM water. The Living Murray program is a joint initiative funded by the New South Wales, Victorian, South Australian, Australian Capital Territory and the Commonwealth governments, coordinated by the Murray–Darling Basin Authority. Monitoring by Chowilla ecologists from the South Australian Murray Darling Basin NRM Board and SA Department of Environment and Natural Resources has shown positive responses of frogs, birds, understorey vegetation and trees at all sites. The Southern Bell Frog was recorded calling in large numbers at four sites and successful breeding of five frog species, including the Southern Bell Frog was recorded at two of these sites. Large numbers of waterbirds have been using the sites. 27 different species were recorded on Lake Littra, 24 on Coppermine Waterhole, 22 at Pilby Lagoon and 18 species at Werta Wert. These include important state listed species such as musk duck, Australian shoveler and freckled duck. Glossy ibis which is listed in the CAMBA agreement was also recorded at Werta Wert in January 2010. Environmental watering has achieved positive results, but watered areas account for only about 5% of the total Chowilla floodplain, and large areas will continue to decline without further intervention. Meanwhile work on the Chowilla Environmental regulator and associated structures is continuing. This work commenced in January 2010 and when complete in 2012 will enable inundation of up to one third of the floodplain under low river flow conditions. For more information contact Jan Whittle at jan.whittle@samdbnrm.sa.gov.au or phone 0429 695 109 or visit www.mdba.gov.au/programs/tlm Posthumous award for irrigation/catchment management pioneer The National Award is presented by Irrigation Australia every two years. One of Ken’s most significant contributions was as a key architect of the Salt Action-Joint Action initiative in 1984. This was the precursor to integrated catchment management and community involvement in natural resource management in Victoria. Murray-Darling Basin Authority Chair Mr Mike Taylor said Ken’s capacity to bring new and innovative thinking into the way in which the challenges facing irrigation were managed was exceptional. “Throughout his career Ken continued to make a significant contribution to the way irrigation developed. “Importantly Ken’s leadership, diligence and extraordinary support to community groups associated with the irrigation sector led to great progress, not only in Northern Victoria, but throughout the Australian irrigation sector.” Mr. Sampson, died suddenly in late 2009. The Award was accepted by his wife Maree. For more information go to www.watertechnologycluster.com.au Free manual on managing invasive native scrub released The authority says the manual is the result of scientific research and practical knowledge gained by many landholders who have been managing invasive native scrub (INS). It is a comprehensive reference for strategic management of INS and for practical decisions relating to managing INS at the paddock and farm scales. The CMA believes the guide is practical, useful and contains the best available information on management of INS. Invasive Native Scrub (INS) is thickening and encroaching native trees and shrubs. This phenomenon is a serious issue in the central-west and western regions of NSW (and rangelands elsewhere). INS can have a serious adverse impact on habitats, wider landscape health, communities and farming operations. For more information and to access the online manual go to http://cw.cma.nsw.gov.au/cwcma_natveg_ins.htm National Tree Day volunteers needed to plant a million National Tree Day, which will be held this year on Sunday 1 August, attracts more than 300,000 volunteers from around Australia each year. The organisers, Planet Ark, say the event is a simple and lasting way to make a positive contribution to the community. For 15 years, Planet Ark, together with councils, schools, businesses and community groups, have provided Australians with an opportunity to do something for their community and the environment through National Tree Day. In the event’s history 15 million native trees and shrubs have been planted. “National Tree Day brings communities together to learn, grow and care for Australia’s unique environment and is a great opportunity for families to experience the wonders of our natural surroundings,” says Planet Ark spokesperson Rebecca Gilling. In addition to National Tree Day there is also Schools Tree Day, an event for young people to grow their environmental education in a fun and practical setting. This year’s Schools Tree Day will be held on Friday 30 July. “The future of our planet really lies in the hands of our children so getting them outdoors and involving them in a fun and simple activity such as planting a tree, will hopefully transpire into a life filled with positive environmental actions,” says Gilling. For more information go to http://treeday.planetark.org/ |
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