The river didn’t look good: I saw low flows in mid-winter and what appeared to be significant sedimentation. So what is happening to the environmental flows under the Murray-Darling Basin plan?
The history of over regulation and over extraction of water for irrigation has significantly altered the river’s natural flow and reduced the flooding of the downstream wetlands (Booligal Wetlands, Lachlan Swamp). This, in turn, has affected the health of the wetlands and floodplains. The Basin Plan was established to address over-extraction of water and declining
environmental health in the Murray-Darling Basin
Its the usual story in the Murray-Darling Basin: the river’s health –ie., the abundance and diversity of fish, riverine vegetation, habitat connections — is very poor and environmental flow are needed to help restore the health of the instream aquatic habitats, riparian forests, and floodplain woodlands and wetlands. Environmental flows, as usual, are opposed by the Lachlan catchment irrigators.
The irrigation industry and the NSW National Party want the wall of Wyangala Dam wall raised by 10 metres, which would increase its storage capacity by more than 50 per cent for downstream users. The dam would then capture the really important floods for the wetlands in the Lachlan Valley that are listed on the national list of important wetlands.
Bigger dams will just mean more water for irrigation and less for the river and other users. The Nationals water policy is to provide maximum water to the irrigation industry, not storing water for both drought protection and environmental flows in the context of climate warming.
Nourishing Terrains 
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