The Living Murray Environmental Works and Measures Program began in 2003 as an eight year, $150 million program to improve the health of the River Murray system by making the best use of water for the environment. The program focuses on achieving environmental outcomes at the six Living Murray icon sites:
- Barmah-Millewa Forest;
- Gunbower, Koondrook-Perricoota Forest;
- Hattah Lakes;
- Chowilla Floodplain & Lindsay Wallpolla Islands;
- Lower Lakes, Coorong and Murray Mouth; and
- River Murray Channel.
The program funds infrastructure to deliver and manage water at the icon sites to achieve The Living Murray First Step environmental objectives. This infrastructure includes regulating structures, water delivery channels and fishways. The program also funds complementary works and measures to enable water to be delivered to the icon sites.
In 2006, the Australian Government provided the Murray-Darling Basin Commission with $500 million to deliver existing Council and Commission decisions, expand the Environmental Works and Measures Program, and work to accelerate water recovery under The Living Murray. (This funding will enable the Environmental Works and Measures Program to complete additional works at the icon sites, and consequently the budget over the life of the program has increased to a notional $250 million.)
Works completed to date:
 | | Regulators installed at Lake Wallawalla (left), and Websters Lagoon (right) - Photos: Andrew Keogh |
Work completed through this program includes feasibility studies, concept design and supporting investigations for works to achieve environmental objectives at the Icon sites. These will progress to detailed design and construction in the coming years.
On ground works that have been completed (as at April 2007) include:- Gunbower–Koondrook–Perricoota Forest
- Construction of the Little Gunbower Creek regulator, refurbishment of the existing Barham Cut and Shillinglaws regulators, and removal of Wattles regulator (2005/06).
- Hattah Lakes
- Watering of severely stressed wetlands and watercourses (2004/05).
- Chowilla Floodplain and Lindsay–Wallpolla Islands
- Purchase of four mobile pump sets and associated equipment to enable pumping of water into high value wetlands and vegetation communities (2005–06).
- Construction of a trial groundwater extraction bore and associated infrastructure on the Bookpurnong floodplain to test techniques for use at Chowilla and other floodplains (2005–06).
- Construction of regulators at Lake Wallawalla, Horseshoe Lagoon and Webster’s Lagoon (2006–07).
- Watering of 17 areas of severely stressed red gums on the Lindsay–Wallpolla Floodplain and 11 areas of severely stressed red gums on the Chowilla Floodplain (2004–05).
- Lower Lakes, Coorong and Murray Mouth
- Completeion of works enabling the remote operation of 24 barrage gates to provide greater flexibility in the delivery of water and the provision of fish passage between the Lower Lakes and the Coorong estuary (2005–06).
- Completion of a trial rock-ramp and vertical slot fishway at the Tauwitchere Barrage and a vertical slot fishway at Goolwa Barrage (2005–06).
- The River Murray Channel
- Construction of a new fishway at Lock 10, Wentworth (2005–06).
- Construction of the Packer’s Crossing regulator on the Great Darling Anabranch to allow delivery environmental flows through the Anabranch to the River Murray (2005–06).
- Collection of red gums from the Albury Bypass highway project for resnagging projects on the River Murray between Hume and Yarrawonga (2005–06).
- Construction of a new fishway at Lock 9, Kulnine (2004–05).
- Construction of fishways at Lock 7 (Lake Victoria), and 8 (Wangumma) (2003–04).
- Completion of Stage 1 - Resnagging in the Hume to Yarrawonga reach involving the reinstatement of more than 300 snags for fish habitat.
 | | Returning snags to the River Murray- Photo: Jenny Frederickson |
Works planned for the future Works packages at some icon sites are still developing, and consequently some project specifics are not yet known. Some projects are also at the feasibility stage and, pending the outcomes of these studies, may change over time or not be implemented. Plans for the following activities are currently underway: - Barmah–Millewa Forest
- Construction of regulators to control unseasonal flooding of wetlands.
- Construction of Gulf Creek Fishway.
- Construction of new regulators to deliver water to the eastern Millewa Forest.
- Gunbower–Koondrook–Perricoota Forests
- Construction of regulators and a channel to deliver water to Gunbower Forest.
- Construction of regulators and a channel to deliver water to Koondrook- Perricoota Forests.
- Hattah Lakes
- Construction of regulators and a pumping station to enhance floodplain and wetland flooding.
- Chowilla Floodplain and Lindsay–Wallpolla Islands
- Repair and replacement of existing regulators.
- Construction of regulators, fishways and a major weir to enhance flooding of Chowilla floodplain.
- Construction of regulators to enhance floodplain and wetland flooding at Lindsay, Mulcra and Wallpolla Islands.
- Lower Lakes, Coorong and Murray Mouth
- Construction of fishways and remotely operated barrage gates.
- Determine feasibility and value of a channel between Lake Albert and the Coorong to improve water quality.
- The River Murray Channel
- Ongoing re-snagging works at three key sites between Hume Dam and Lake Mulwala to improve fish habitat.
- Repairs to embankments and other works to enable weir pool manipulation.
- Construction of regulators to enhance flooding and drying of wetlands, anabranches and floodplains adjoining the river.
- Purchase of easements between Hume to Yarrawonga to pass environmental flows downstream.
- Construction of fishways at Locks 1 (commenced), 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 11, Stevens Weir and the Edward River Offtake Regulator, and regulating structures at Lake Victoria.
- Determine feasibility and value of upgrading the inlet and outlet of Lake Victoria to enhance downstream flooding – particularly of the Chowilla Floodplain.
- Investigation of options and construction if necessary of works for improved delivery of environmental water around the Barmah Choke.
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