INCREASED Murray River flows are benefiting local wetland sites and animal species after three years of dry conditions. 

The Department of Environment and Water (DEW) earlier this month celebrated World Wetlands Day, focusing on the prevention, and reversal, of environmental degradation. 

DEW environmental water manager, Tony Herbert, said La Nina weather patterns had promoted higher river flows across the Murray-Darling Basin. 

“Despite recent improvements in conditions thanks largely to the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, as well as community and government efforts, large areas of floodplain and many wetlands remain stressed and in need of high flows,” Mr Herbert said. 

“Fortunately, we’ve had some positive results recently with strong River Murray flows supplemented by flows from the Hume Dam, the Darling (Baaka), Murrumbidgee and Goulburn rivers resulting in sustained high in-channel flows in South Australia over spring and summer.

“These boosts in river flow have been really important in allowing fish to migrate between rivers and in transporting nutrients and small invertebrates, which supports the successful breeding of native fish such as golden and silver perch.

“It’s been a long time since we’ve seen an extended period of good flows like this through spring and summer and some of our wetlands and floodplains along the Murray have responded in spectacular fashion.”

Mr Herbert said the increased flows had re-connected a number of local wetland sites with the main River Murray. 

“Increased flows have meant the environmental infrastructure on managed floodplains at Chowilla, Pike and Katarapko could be operated and weir pools raised to generate broad-scale floodplain and wetland inundation,” he said. 

“While the flows have not been sufficient to provide significant inundation across other floodplains, they have connected up wetlands and flow paths and provided real benefits to the lower level floodplains along the river channel.”