The Murray-Darling Basin’s rivers and wetlands are vital for supporting communities, cultures, and economies. Unsustainable levels of water use had led to long-term declines in the environmental health of the Basin. In response, the Australian Government recovered more than 2000 gigalitres of water that was previously used to supply agricultural and other consumptive uses. The Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder (CEWH) is an independent federal entity that manages this water to protect and restore the Basin’s river and wetland ecosystems.
The CEWH seeks to use all options available to maximise the environmental outcomes achieved from the available water. One option is to sell annual water allocations and use the proceeds to fund complementary actions. Referred to as ‘Environmental Activities’, these are projects that enhance environmental outcomes and improve the efficiency or effectiveness of environmental flows.
Strategic and collaborative partnerships are essential to the work of the CEWH. The CEWH partners with state governments, First Nations people, Basin communities, industry and scientists. The CEWH draws on scientific, local and cultural knowledge to identify and implement Environmental Activity projects. This includes projects to improve water delivery capacity, protect threatened and migratory species, and support the recovery of native fish populations.
One source of information is the CEWH’s science program – the Flow Monitoring, Evaluation and Research (Flow-MER). This long-term program underpins environmental flow decisions and can also identify where complementary actions are required. For example, Flow-MER surveys within the Darling–Baaka found low Murray Cod (Maccullochella peelii) numbers during sampling efforts spanning three years. This is despite targeted environmental flows aimed at benefiting native fish. Recognising the need to address other impacts beyond flow, the CEWH and New South Wales Fisheries invested $1.2 million to reinstate large instream woody habitat within a 205 km reach of the Darling–Baaka, from Bourke to Louth.
Through partnerships and science, the CEWH’s Environmental Activities investment complements environmental water delivery to achieve enhanced environmental outcomes that help improve the health of the rivers, wetlands and floodplains of the Murray Darling Basin.