Environmental watering to benefit The Living Murray's icon sites

The Murray-Darling Basin Authority today announced the release of up to 110 GL (billion litres) of The Living Murray's environmental water over the next few months to benefit icon sites along the River Murray.

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"The watering will also provide benefits for the whole river system by building on the positive environmental outcomes from high flows in the Murray River," said MDBA Chief Executive Dr Rhondda Dickson.

The Living Murray program is contributing 80 GL for the Barmah–Millewa Forest icon site following last year's most successful bird breeding in 60 years. This adds to the environmental water provided by NSW and Victoria from the Barmah–Millewa environmental water account.

Up to 66.6 GL of The Living Murray has been committed to be released in the Goulburn and Campaspe Rivers to benefit the Lower Lakes, Coorong and Murray Mouth. This will be released with 100 GL of Commonwealth environmental water.

''Freshwater flows into the Lower Lakes and out the barrages will benefit migratory fish such as congoli, galaxias and lampreys which need to return to saltwater to breed," said Dr Dickson.

This additional spring flow will also help to raise the levels of the lakes, inundating fringing wetlands, and stimulating breeding in native fish and frogs, including the endangered southern bell frog. Higher flows also help to maintain an open Murray Mouth as well as provide an opportunity to flush salt from the system.

"We are working closely with environmental waterway managers, land managers and state water corporations to coordinate these releases," said Dr Dickson.

The water provided through the Goulburn and Campaspe Rivers will be delivered to improve the condition of these systems where possible.

The Living Murray is a joint initiative funded by the New South Wales, Victorian, South Australian, Australian Capital Territory and Commonwealth governments, coordinated by the Murray–Darling Basin Authority.

ENDS

For more information contact the MDBA Media office at media@mdba.gov.au or 02 6279 0141.

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