Murray-Darling lower lakes were largely fresh before European settlement, CSIRO review finds

A CSIRO review of the lower lakes of the Murray-Darling system has found that the lakes were largely fresh before European settlement, and that environmental flows and barrages used to keep out seawater are appropriate, a finding that will please South Australia but disappoint irrigators in New South Wales and Victoria. Sending water down the Murray to maintain its flow and keep seawater out has been a major point of contention under the Murray-Darling basin plan.

Irrigators upstream in NSW and Victoria have criticised the continued release of water into the lower lakes in South Australia as wasteful during the drought, and NSW has campaigned for the lakes to be allowed to become salty rather than “waste” water. But the review of scientific studies by a panel of five eminent scientists, led by Dr Francis Chiew, has found that the science of the Coorong, lower lakes and Murray mouth was well understood, and that the lower lakes were being managed appropriately.

Removing the barrages would not result in any water savings if targets informed by science and modelling and envisaged under the basin plan are to be met. The report also warned that climate change would make managing the Coorong, lower lakes and Murray mouth more challenging.

Source: Guardian