About the Flow-MER Program

'Environmental water' is water used to keep our rivers, wetlands and floodplains healthy.

Many of our rivers and wetlands have changed to provide water for towns, industry and growing food. Now, the rivers don't function as they would have naturally. This has disrupted the seasonal patterns that plants and animals need to survive. It means we need to actively manage water so our rivers and wetlands can still support the native plants and animals who rely upon them. These flows are known as 'water for the environment'.

Water for the environment is provided to:

• change the flow in rivers to signal to native fish that it's a good time to breed or move

• connect rivers to their floodplains to keep native plants healthy

• help native birds, fish, frogs and other animals to feed and breed

• restart river flows or keep rivers flowing in dry times.

Under the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, environmental water holders must consider First Nations' values when undertaking environmental watering. The CEWH are committed to working with First Nations people in the planning, delivery and monitoring of water for the environment.

Environmental water is different from cultural flows. While cultural flows can also be used to improve the health of the rivers, that is not their only purpose. Cultural flows have a range of other objectives that support First Nations people to improve quality of life and continue traditional practices.

Water for the environment need to be delivered when and where it's needed.

This includes using environmental water to create highs and lows to mimic aspects of the natural flows. This supports the health and diversity of plants and animals. In turn, this helps make sure the rivers and communities stay healthy.

Water for the environment is not only about the amount of water flowing through a river. It's about the timing of that water flow.

Sometimes structures like weirs are used to move water onto a floodplain to encourage waterbirds to breed and feed. Where the floodplain is too high for the water to reach naturally, water may be pumped to these sites. This means that animals have access to water when they need it to feed, breed and migrate.

Delivering water for the environment is still a new practice. This means we must trial different things and learn from them. These learnings build year-on-year, informing how we manage water for the environment into the future.

Adaptive management is an approach that involves continuous learning and adjustment. It ensures flexibility in the way water for the environment is managed.  

Flow-MER information plays a key role in informing adaptive management. The CEWH uses this knowledge to measure the success of environmental watering. It tells us what we've achieved and what we could do next time to get the best results for the rivers, wetlands, plants and animals of the Basin.

The Murray–Darling Basin is the largest and most complex river system in Australia. It covers 1 million square kilometres of south-eastern Australia, across New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory  

The Darling begins in southern Queensland where the Culgoa and Barwon Rivers meet. It flows into the Murray at the border of New South Wales and Victoria, and the Murray eventually reaches the sea just to the south-east of Adelaide. There are 23 rivers in the Murray-Darling Basin.

The Murray–Darling Basin is of significant environmental, cultural and economic value to Australia.

• It’s home to 16 internationally significant wetlands, 35 endangered species and 120 different species of waterbirds.

• More than 2.4 million people live in the Basin, including people from more than 50 different First Nations.

• The Basin attracts visitors from around the world, with tourism earning around $15 billion each year.

• Around 40% of Australia’s agricultural produce comes from the Basin, including 100% of our rice, 74% of our grapes and 30% of our dairy.

Source: www.mdba.gov.au

Australia is the driest inhabited continent on earth, and some of the most variable rainfall in the world. The water from the Murray-Darling Basin is a vital resource to people, the environment and industry.

The Murray-Darling Basin Plan 2012 is required under the Water Act 2007. The Basin Plan aims to bring the Basin back to a healthy level to support Australians now and into the future. The Basin Plan sets the amount of water that can be taken from the Basin each year, while leaving enough for our rivers, lakes and wetlands and the plants and animals that depend on them.

Australian Government is working with Basin state governments and other organisations to deliver the Basin Plan.  

The CEWH is responsible for the holding, management and delivery of Commonwealth environmental water. The CEWH role and responsibilities are governed by the Water Act 2007 and the Basin Plan 2012. The CEWH is one of many water holders in the Murray─Darling Basin.

Commonwealth environmental water must be used to protect and restore rivers, wetlands and floodplains in the Basin, in alignment with government commitments, the Basin-Wide Environmental Watering Strategy, and other strategies and plans.

The CEWH works with different groups and individuals across the Basin to coordinate the planning and delivery of water for the environment, including preparation of the annual water management plan for the Basin. These include Commonwealth and State Government agencies, First Nations people, scientists, landholders and community groups.

Find out more about how the CEWH manages Commonwealth environmental water here: https://www.dcceew.gov.au/cewh/manage-water

The Basin-wide Environmental Watering Strategy is the long-term plan to provide water for the environment in the Basin. It is developed by the Murray-Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) and reviewed every 5 years. CEWH uses the strategy to guide environmental watering decisions at sites across the Basin.