Minimum flows to fill and sustain wetlands in a healthy working River Murray

Associate Professor George Ganf

George presented information from his recently completed project which investigated the state of Murray Valley wetlands and their water requirements. He found that delivery of approximately 2,000 GL per annum could maintain maximum diversity in surviving wetlands. There is sufficient water to deliver this outcome, if it is applied differently compared to current river management. George emphasised the need to adapt to the changed hydrology of the river system, and argued for the use of weir structures to manipulate water to achieve maximum connectivity in each weir pool, giving a more natural water regime for separate river reaches. He showed the example of the proposed water control structure in Chowilla Creek, which could water significant areas of the floodplain within the current regulated flow regime.