Resources
Relevant agency information
Murray Darling Basin Plan
- Murray–Darling Basin Plan: Implementation Review 2023 – Enquiry undertaken by the Productivity Commission into the effectiveness of the implementation of the Basin Plan and water resources plan as required under the Water Act 2007. A final report is due for release in 2024.
- South Australian Government response to the 2019 Murray–Darling Basin Royal Commission Report – Outlines expectations and requirements for full delivery of the Basin Plan. The response includes a list of the Royal Commission’s 44 recommendations together with a description of how the South Australian Government is addressing each recommendation and/or working to influence the responsible agency or government to address the recommendation.
- Draft Restoring our Rivers Framework – Outlines 3 new programs proposed to be established by the Australian Government to deliver the 450-GL target under the framework.
- Reports associated with the Commissioner for the River Murray - Includes reports delivered by the Commissioner to the South Australian Government and submissions made to the Productivity Commission’s Murray–Darling Basin Plan: Implementation Review 2023, and the Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee about the Water Amendment (Restoring our Rivers) Bill 2023.
- Murray–Darling Basin Authority Report Cards – Provide information and assessment about environmental condition in response to water releases and natural river flows across the River Murray region including for the Chowilla Floodplain and Lower Lakes, Coorong and Murray Mouth for 2021–22.
- Water Quality Threats – Provides information on the types of threats that may impact the health of the Murray–Darling Basin and monthly updates of potential threats provided by the MDBA.
- Publications produced by the MDBA.
Data and Information
- South Australian River Murray Water for the Environment Report 2021–22 – Presents information from DEW on all environmental watering actions, regardless of water holder or manager, undertaken in the South Australian River Murray region in 2021–22. The report provides an excellent summary of the environmental outcomes of water delivery across the South Australian River Murray channel and floodplain, River Murray wetland systems, and the Coorong, Lower Lakes and Murray Mouth.
- 2022–23 Water for the Environment Annual Plan for the South Australian River Murray – Presents South Australia’s priorities for the delivery of environmental water along the South Australian River Murray.
- Water Use on Australian Farms – Provides statistics about the types of crops and pastures and volumes of water used from the Murray–Darling Basin for the 2020–21 reporting period. It is estimated that the Murray–Darling Basin accounted for 60% of all irrigated land in Australia and 62% of Australia’s total water use for irrigation. Improved water availability during this period resulted in a 79% increase in water applied to crops and pastures with cotton, rice and cereal crops experiencing the greatest increase.
- The National Cultural Flows Research Project – A project undertaken by Aboriginal peoples including the Murray Lower Darling River Indigenous Nations (MLDRIN) to secure embedding water allocations for Aboriginal peoples into Australia’s water planning and management regimes.
- River Murray flow reports – Weekly reports issued by DEW that provide information on water levels, flow rates and barrage operations. Historical reports that date back to 2007 are provided. The MDBA also provides weekly flow reports and storage information for across the Basin.
- Coorong Automated Dashboard – Provides real-time graphs for the Coorong and linked management areas on various aspects such as water level, salinity, velocity, barrage releases and temperature.
- DEW Annual Report 2022-23 – Provides a triennial review from 2020–21 to 2022–23 (page 54) required by the River Murray Act 2003, which includes the assessment of the interaction between the River Murray Act and the related operational Acts, and the state of the River Murray, especially regarding objectives for a healthy River Murray.
- Flow-MER – A Commonwealth monitoring, evaluation and research program to help understand how fish, birds, vegetation and river connectivity are responding to Commonwealth environmental water. Work in the Lower Murray River is included in this program.
