FAQ
1. Why is the River Murray important to Australia? Over the years, the River has also inspired music, art and literature.The River Murray also supports the economic value of the broader Murray-Darling Basin through agriculture, mining, tourism and leisure, electricity production, commercial fishing and other industries. Irrigated produce includes dairy, rice, cotton, beef, fruit and vegetables. Water from the River Murray is used in the production of a large quantity of food and fibre that is used by both Australians and people overseas. A healthy River Murray with good water quality is essential for our industries, our culture and communities, and represents our responsibility as global stewards, looking after a unique natural asset.
For further information, read about why our Murray matters. 2. What is The Living Murray? The following year, the Australian, NSW, Victorian, South Australian and ACT governments together pledged $500 million for water recovery through The Living Murray. This funding will address water allocation and flow within the Murray-Darling Basin, allowing for investments in environmental works, with the first step focusing on achieving environmental results at the six River Murray ‘icon sites’. In 2006, the Australian Government invested a further $500 million over five years into the Murray-Darling Basin Commission, some of which will go towards achieving the objectives of The Living Murray first step decision. 3. What is the The Livng Murray first step decision? As part of the first step, a water recovery program will be implemented by 30 June 2009, and the environmental works by 2011. Actions underway include ensuring that an additional average of 500 gigalitres of water is available to acheive environmental outcomes at the six icon sites. There will be ongoing evaluation of The Living Murray program and its impact on the River. Beyond the first step it is likely that a long-term commitment will be needed to make a significant improvement to the health of the River Murray. Further information on The Living Murray and the First Step decision is available by clicking here. 4. What is an icon site?The Living Murray first step focuses on improving the environment at six icon sites along the River Murray. The sites were chosen for their high ecological value – most are listed as internationally significant wetlands under the Ramsar convention – and also their cultural significance to Indigenous people and the broader community.
The Living Murray's six icon sites are:
Further information on the six icon sites is available by clicking here. 5. How is The Living Murray helping the river? The native plants, animals and fish that the six icon sites sustain are suffering from the impact of river regulation, and the subsequent reduction in the volume and frequency of flooding. As a result, there is a decline in the number and variety of native species, while some pest plants, introduced animals and non-native fish (such as carp) can thrive in the regulated river environment.The Living Murray program aims to address these significant threats to the River’s health. Environmental water will be obtained and used through The Living Murray in a way that achieves ecological objectives and outcomes at the icon sites, using existing environmental water entitlements and water recovered as part of the first step. 6. What is recovered water? 7. What happens to recovered water? Recovered water is used to achieve ecological results at The Living Murray icon sites (see Q.5). Each icon site has a mangement plan that outlines desired environmental outcomes, and begins to define the volume and timing of environmental water along with structural works needed to achieve these results. 8. What is the water cap? 9. How much progress has The Living Murray made? Extensive project development is occurring to recover an average of 500GL of environmental water for the River Murray by 30 June 2009. As originally anticipated, most water will become available in the final two years of the five year timeframe. Water entitlements totalling over 100 GL are likely to be available for environmental management on 1 July 2007. The allocation against this entitlement will depend on water availability. Currently, projects are being undertaken at each of the icon sites under The Living Murray’s environmental works and management program. These projects aim to make the best possible use of water currently in the River Murray system and to optimise the benefits of environmental water recovered through The Living Murray. Stage 1 of works at Gunbower Forest and Lindsay-Wallpolla Islands have now been completed and will allow managed watering of wetlands. Existing water allocations in the River Murray system, used through The Living Murray framework, helped water over 36,000 hectares of floodplain for environmental purposes from June 2005 to February 2006. The environmental watering resulted in high levels of fish spawning, bird breeding and regeneration of stressed vegetation. This was the most active period of environmental management in the history of River Murray since its regulation. 10. How many locks/weirs/barrages exist on the River Murray? Development of areas surrounding the River Murray has included the construction of various locks, weirs, and barrages along the river itself. The primary purpose of a weir is to create an artificial barrier that raises the water level, enabling the diversion of the river's flow, typically for irrigation or public water supply. Locks were constructed at many of the wier locations to enable the River Murray to become a transportation corridor, allowing many inland areas of Australia to develop and prosper in the period after European settlement. The primary use of barrages in the Murray system is to reduce salinity levels and maintain a supply of fresh water in the lower reaches of the River Murray and associated lakes . The process of constructing barriers along a river for the purposes of navigation and diversion is referred to as "river regulation" There are 13 weirs and five barrages along the Murray. Eleven of the weirs are equipped with locks, which are used to enable watercraft to pass though the physical barrier of the weir itself, Locks and weirs
Note: Locks 12-14 and 16-25 were planned, they were later deemed unneccessary as river transport was superceeded by rail and road, and concequently were not built.
Barrages
A fishways is a passage that enables fish to swim upstream through or around a structure, such as a lock, weir or barrage. Generally, the entrance to a fishway has a modified flow to attract fish towards it and direct them into it. Once inside, the fish pass through successive chambers that increase on a gradual inclination in height. For example, every 30 metres a fish swims, it increases one metre in height up the barrier’s wall. The chambers are designed to move water in a manner which fish can negotiate, and still water pools are provided for fish to rest as they negotiate the fishway. A protective mesh covers the top of the chamber ensuring the fish are not eaten by predators. In some fishways the fish can exit from a number of points, depending on the conditions of the river; this also reduces their vulnerability to predators.
Fishways have been constructed through the Murray-Darling Basin Commission’s ‘Sea to Hume Dam’ project – which is funded thoguh The Living Murray program. Its aim is to provide continuous passage for native fish from the mouth of the Murray to the Hume Dam near Albury-Wodonga, a distance of 2,225 km. This is the largest project of its kind anywhere in the world. 12. How is the community involved in The Living Murray? 13. Where can I find more information or images of the River Murray? |
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