Environmental delivery

Environmental water in Barmah-Millewa
Forest, Photos: David Kleinert

Through The Living Murray program, environmental water management optimises water use to achieve the ecological objectives of the icon sites by:

smarter use of water
delivery of environmental water entitlements.

Individual icon site management plans outline the objectives, guidelines and priorities for water. These priorities are informed by monitoring, investigations and stakeholder consultation.

The Living Murray Environmental Water Portfolio

The Living Murray has an environmental water portfolio of just under 500 GL as a long-term average. In addition to this portfolio, a program of works is being developed at each of the icon sites to make sure that available environmental water is used efficiently and ecological benefits are maximised. Both water and works are focused on improving the health of The Living Murray's six icon sites:

The amount of water available to The Living Murray program is dependent on seasonal water allocations to the range of entitlements in the portfolio of water holdings. For information on the Living Murray water holdings see The Living Murray water holdings.

Determining the use of The Living Murray environmental water

The Living Murray annual environmental watering plan 2011-12 states how environmental water will be delivered. The plan was developed by the Environmental Watering Group, comprised of state governments and the Murray-Darling Basin Authority (MDBA). The Living Murray Annual Environmental Watering Plan sets out how environmental watering decisions are prioritised across the Murray River system, and how these decisions are responsive to changes in water availability, and opportunities to gain maximum environmental benefits.

2009-10 watering actions

In 2009-10, 68.546 GL was allocated to 25 floodplain and wetland locations within The Living Murray icon sites.

Table: The Living Murray environmental watering and outcomes by icon site in 2009–10

Icon site	Locations within icon site	Volume: billion litres (GL)	Period of watering	Watering objectives
Barmah–Millewa Forest	Douglas Swamp, Walthours Swamp, Reed Beds and Gulf Creek	2.368	Nov 09–Mar 10	- facilitate the maintenance and recovery of wetland vegetation - contribute to the maintenance of bird breeding and foraging habitat
Gunbower–Koondrook–Perricoota	Reedy Lagoon	2.201	Nov–Dec 09	- maintain drought refuge - contribute to the maintenance of bird breeding and foraging habitat
Hattah Lakes	Chalka Creek, Lake Lockie, Little Lake Hattah, Lake Hattah, Lake Bulla and Lake Arawak	2.336	May–Jun 10	- to halt or reverse the decline of fringing river red gums in Hattah Lake and surrounding wetlands - extend the duration of drought refuge
Chowilla Lindsay–Wallpolla	Punkah Creek, Twin Creeks, Coppermine, Werta Wert, Lake Littra, Monoman Island Horseshoe, Kulkurna, Pilby Lagoon, Wallpolla Island, and Lindsay Island	10.237	Sep 09–Jun 10	- contribute to preventing the decline in health of long lived vegetation, including mature river red gum, black box and other high priority vegetation - provide a drought refuge
Lower Lakes, Coorong and Murray Mouth	Narrung, Boggy Creek, Turveys Drain, and Lake Albert	48.585	Oct 09–Jun 10	- maintain drought refuge for threatened waterbirds and fish species - prevent loss of aquatic vegetation - assist the recovery of Lake Albert by inundating high risk sediments to reduce the risk of wide-scale acidification and reducing salinity
	TOTAL	65.727

A decision was made to carry over 82 GL of environmental water available to The Living Murray in 2009-10. By carrying over water it provides The Living Murray with the opportunity to undertake significant watering actions at multiple sites in spring and thus maximise the ecological benefits that can be obtained during this season.