Environmental water used to save ‘icon’ sites

NORTHERN VICTORIA’S Barmah Forest has received 250 million litres of environmental water to help protect critical drought refuges.
Victoria’s Environment and Climate Change Minister Gavin Jennings said the environmental water allocation would help to prevent irreversible damage to the environment.
“The Government is taking action to protect icon sites along the Murray River during the drought through targeted environmental watering,” Jennings said.
Barmah Forest, near Echuca in the state’s north, is one of the icon sites of Murray Darling Basin Commission’s (MDBC) Living Murray program. South Australia’s Chowilla Floodplain is also receiving 895 million litres to protect critical drought refuges.
The water is part of the Living Murray allocation on the Environmental Water Register, as well as a small amount of water carried over from last year.
Jenning said the water was not diverted from irrigation uses and would not impact on the availability of water for other users.
“The Government, in partnership with the other basin States, agrees the Barmah Forest is among the highest priority sites for use of the small volume of environmental water available in the River Murray system this season.”
The water for Barmah Forest, which can be delivered under current flow conditions, is replenishing the last remaining freshwater pools in Gulf Creek. It will link the suite of deep pools that cover an area of at least 3km.
“The 250 million litres of water is part of a total allocation of 500 million litres for the Barmah Forest which will provide critical drought refuge for turtles and native fish, including the southern pygmy perch and dwarf flat-headed gudgeons,” Jennings said.
“Without this additional water, the pools would probably dry out in early summer.”
The Murray-Darling Basin Ministerial Council established The Living Murray Initiative in 2002 in response to evidence that the health of the River Murray system was in decline.
The initiative aims to return water to the system to protect six icon sites along the river, including Victoria’s Barmah Forest, Gunbower Forest and Hattah Lakes.