Drought damaging Australian floodplains

The severe drought that has gripped Australia over the past decade has meant that only a quarter of the floodplains of the Murray–Darling river basin have been inundated, according to a new study by the country’s peak science body

The lack of water has had long-term effects on many wetland areas, damaging wildlife habitats and reducing the basin’s overall biodiversity.

According to models produced by the CSIRO, between 2000 and 2009, just over 1.5 million hectares of the basin’s six million hectares of floodplains were inundated. During the last recorded period (1983–86), 76 per cent were inundated.

The CSIRO has produced a report that is aimed at ensuring the maximum ecological benefits from water allocations in the basin. Using 577 data sets, researchers investigated the relationships between various watering strategies and the health of vegetation, fish and other organisms. Water managers will now be able to use this information to tailor watering regimes and flow-management strategies to ensure that the flow of water down the rivers maximises environmental outcomes.

‘It’s no secret that the health of the Murray–Darling basin is in decline,’ said CSIRO environmental scientist Ian Overton. ‘The Australian government is investing billions of dollars to turn this around and our research is helping to ensure that this is put to best use.’

July 2010