Why isn water released from upstream to help solve the issues facing the Coorong, Lower Lakes and Murray Mouth?
The Murray-Darling Basin is experiencing the worst drought since records began in 1891. Record low inflows have been caused by drought and over-allocation across the Murray-Darling Basin. The Coorong, Lower Lakes and Murray Mouth region relies on flows from upstream. Currently upstream storages (Hume and Dartmouth Reservoirs, Lake Victoria and Menindee Lakes) are well below long-term average capacities. River regulation has allowed some water (although currently reduced amounts) to be available in the region for water supplies, irrigation and recreational boating when this would not have been possible naturally. As a result of current low river flows and low volumes of water in upstream storages, releasing water from upstream would not result in large amounts of water reaching the Coorong, Lower Lakes and Murray Mouth. Therefore it would not address the immediate issues facing the region.
Related Questions
- Why isn using the River Murray for irrigation stopped to help solve the issues facing the Coorong, Lower Lakes and Murray Mouth?
- Why isn water released from upstream to help solve the issues facing the Coorong, Lower Lakes and Murray Mouth?
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