A $3 million feasibility study considering options to address issues with the Barmah Choke has been announced by the Federal Government.
The Barmah Choke is a narrow section of the Murray River that runs through the Barmah-Millewa Forest, downstream of Tocumwal.
The choke restricts the flow of the Murray River to about 7000 megalitres a day.
According to the Murray Darling Basin Authority, research shows the amount of water that flows through this section of the river has decreased in the past three decades, down from 11,300 Ml a day.
The research shows land use changes — in particular gold mining and land clearing, along with desnagging and river regulation in the 19th and early 20th centuries — is responsible for introducing large volumes of sediment to the river over a short period of time, the so-called "sand slug".
National Irrigators Council chief executive Isaac Jeffrey said the Murray-Darling Basin was a connected and complex system which stores and moves water throughout the eastern states.
“The water goes to local communities for recreation, culture and to drink, to the environment for wetlands and to support our flora and fauna, and to businesses to create products, including irrigators to grow our food and fibre,” he said.
“Water management is a complex task made more challenging thanks to a physical system which is constrained by geographical spread, storage capacity and the size and ability of our waterways to handle water movements.
“The Barmah Choke is the biggest natural constraint in the River Murray and a major factor contributing to the difficulty of river management. Recent reports of sand further limiting the choke’s capacity are exacerbating this constraint.
“Constraints issues cause headaches for water users up and down stream, while running the river at capacity is taking its toll on the banks of the river.
“Deliverability and shortfall risks are live issues for all water users, especially those who have invested in planting crops to produce our food and fibre who need to access timely water to ensure the health and yields of their produce.
“These are also important issues for environmental water users who need to ensure the health of our rivers, wetlands and wildlife, and for communities who need drinking water and domestic supplies.''Mr Jeffrey said deliverability issues are only going to be exacerbated in a hotter and drier climate with fewer inflows into the future.
“All water users need to work together and collaborate to ensure we address these issues and share the benefits and challenges of the system.”
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