The quality of water and surrounding river environment in the Murray–Darling Basin has been steadily declining for many years. With the increasing number of large algal blooms, high levels of salt in the water and degradation to surrounding farming land, it is clear that the long-term health of the whole system is at risk.

Projects such as salt interception schemes, environmental watering projects, re-snagging (replacing wooden debris that had been removed), a native fish strategy and water quality monitoring are helping to restore the Basin’s health. However, these are on-going projects with long-term goals.