Analysis Of Murray River Basin Flows Finds Outlook Grim For Australia, Worsening In Future

[hatrack]

A GRIM picture of future water flows into the River Murray under climate change is starting to take shape, with the release of another CSIRO report on sustainable water yield.

The report on the Ovens catchment is one in a series of 18 about current and future water availability in regions of the Murray-Darling Basin.

Even though the Ovens Catchment in Victoria covers a small land area, it feeds a lot of water into the river. But by 2030, the best estimate from the CSIRO is a 13 per cent decrease in flows, or 231 billion litres a year lost to the system.

The report shows the situation would be even worse if the climate patterns of the last ten years continue in the long term, with average inflow to the Murray reduced by 27 per cent by 2030, or 473 billion litres a year.

EDIT

http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,23101997-2682,00.html

[depakid]

1. Yet see: Murray irrigators await floodwaters from Queensland

While Emerald residents will be happy to see the water level fall, drought-affected communities along the Darling River can't wait for the water to arrive.

A huge water surge has already got the river flowing again in the far-west New South Wales town of Wilcannia.

Today Prime Minister Kevin Rudd announced increased financial assistance to help families hit by the severe flooding, with concessional loans of up to $150,000 now available, funded by the Federal and State Governments.

While floodwaters are receding in Emerald, some of that is now surging down the Darling River, causing great excitement in the communities that rely on the system to survive.

Broken Hill resident and the treasurer of the Darling River Action Group, Marie Wecker, says the water flows have lifted people's spirits after years of drought.

"The Darling River at Wilcannia is almost up to the bridge - I mean that river has been totally dry for a long time - and that was probably one of the best things I've seen for a while," she said.

"But on our Menindee Lakes, we're seeing Wetherell almost full now. They're starting to let water go into Pamamaroo. Wetherell is Broken Hill's water supply.

"But also, the Menindee Lakes also are of a huge benefit to Adelaide and the lower Murray. So it would take the pressure off Adelaide as well."

The waiting game

But how much of that water will make it to the River Murray is yet to be seen.

Chief executive of the Murray Darling Basin Commission, Wendy Craik, says there are many variables involved and it could take weeks before a clear picture emerges.

"Some of that water is already in the Murray-Darling Basin," she said.

"The floods in Augathella and Charleville, that's in the basin itself and the Warrego's in the basin.

"But how much of it will make its way into the Darling and how much of that will make its way into Lake Menindee is really a bit of an open question at this stage."

Irrigators on the Murray River will have to wait for a little while yet to see what benefit they get.

"It'll be some time before we know whether Menindee will come under commission control and until then irrigators on the Murray, really, we're left with Hume, Dartmouth and Lake Victoria as our major storages," Ms Craik said.

It's a scenario all too familiar to the director of South Australian Murray Irrigators, Tim Whetstone.

He says they are desperately in need of any flows they can get after struggling with irrigation restrictions for three of the last four years.

"This year we've been on severe restrictions and it's really telling the tale on not only on the permanent plantings but also the communities are starting to show signs of suffering," he said.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/01/24/2146162.htm?section=australia