Water for the environment in the Southern Connected Basin is being increasingly managed as an integrated system. The Southern Connected Basin Environmental Water Committee takes a ‘one river’ approach to planning.
Each year environmental water managers plan for a range of conditions from dry to wet to ensure we are prepared for all weather and river conditions. This helps us capitalise on opportunities as they arise and quickly respond to changing conditions as we work with river operators and site managers.
We are increasing our understanding of how the watering needs in one catchment interacts with watering needs in neighbouring catchments. We are also improving our ability to coordinate across jurisdictions to deliver water as efficiently as possible using tools such as multiple use of return flows, and synchronising timing of deliveries across tributaries to boost flows into the Murray.
There is a long way to go towards shaping river flows towards a more natural pattern to protect and restore river and wetland health, but this talk will give an overview of how far we’ve come, how ecological monitoring is helping us, and where to next.