Murray-Darling Basin

10000 BCE - 2017 CE

“The Murray-Darling basin is an enormous river catchment area centred on the Murray river, which runs along the Victoria-New South Wales border and ends in South Australia, and the adjoining Darling river, which stretches into NSW. Covering around 1.06m square km, the basin encompasses around a seventh of Australia's landmass and is its most important agricultural region, containing nearly half of the nation's farms . . . This has to be balanced by the fact there are around 30,000 wetlands, over 60 species of fish, 98 species of waterbirds and hundreds of plant species dependent on a healthy river. The underlying tension about the basin has been over the amount of water taken from the river system for irrigating crops and for other farm use.”

BIRDS: 3 species are extinct and 35 are endangered
FISH: 2 species are endangered and 35 are threatened
MAMMALS: 20 species are extinct and 16 are endangered
REPTILES & AMPHIBIANS: 25 species are endangered
INVASIVE SPECIES: 80 invasive and non-native vertebrate species

The territory of the Murray-Darling River watershed falls within the ancestral homelands of the Barapa Barapa, Dhudhuroa, Dja Dja Wurrung , Latji Latji, Maraura, Mutti Mutti, Nari Nari, Ngarrindjeri, Ngaywang, Ngintait, Nyeri Nyeri, Tatti Tatti, Ngunawal, Taungurung, Wadi Wadi, Wamba Wamba, Waywurru, Wegi Wegi, Wergaia, Wiradjuri, Wolgalu, Wotjabaluk, Yaitmathang, Yita Yita, and Yorta Yorta peoples, as well as many others.

Territorial recognition: https://native-land.ca/

Most Pressing Issues

Irrigation

The river basin has been heavily tapped for regional agricultural use, draining the area of much of its water and cutting its course short of the ocean.

Locks and Dams

The river basin is heavily engineered, with many major dams near the headwaters, which exacerbate water flow problems caused by irrigation.

Species Loss

The area has lost many of its indigenous species due to farming, overfishing, and invasive species.

Estuary Loss

The Murray-Darling formerly emptied into the tidal estuary Lake Alexandrina, but water loss due to irrigation and pollution has severely damaged this unique coastal estuary.

Invasive Species

The river basin has seen a major influx of invasive species, especially the European carp.

How You Can Help

Murray Darlings Wetlands Working Group

The Murray Darlings Wetlands Working Group Ltd. works to restore wetlands of the Murray-Darling Basin and improving their management throughout the catchment.

Murray–Darling Basin Authority

The Murray–Darling Basin Authority is an independent expertise-based statutory agency that is responsible for basin-wide water resource planning and management.

Environment Victoria

Environment Victoria works to help support the Murray Darling Basin plan’s implementation through education and advocacy.

Murray Darling Association

The Murray Darling Association works to provide effective representation of local communities in the management of basin resources by providing information, facilitating debate, and seeking to influence government policy.

National Carp Control Plan

The National Carp Control Plan aims to improve the health of Australian waterways and fisheries through integrated measures including biological control.