Mid-Murray River System

River Flows and Connectivity

River flows are fundamental to the health of riverine and floodplain ecosystems. We will evaluate the contribution of Commonwealth environmental water to the flow of the main rivers and tributaries in the Mid-Murray Area, including those in the Edward/Kolety-Wakool System as well as the Murray River from Hume Dam to Mildura. Hydrological analysis will incorporate the inflows from the Kiewa River, Ovens River, Broken Creek, Goulburn River, Campaspe River and Loddon River in Victoria, and Billabong Creek, Yanco Creek and Murrumbidgee River in New South Wales. Flow data from gauges throughout the system will be analysed, incorporating the results of models that estimate flows returning from floodplains and wetlands back into the river network.

We will also evaluate the extent of wetland and floodplain inundation and connectivity from environmental watering, specifically in Werai Lands and Niemur Forest. This is done using a combination of satellite imagery, wetland extent mapping, gauged inflows, field verification and depth logger information.

Cultural Outcomes

First Nations peoples from the Mid-Murray Area are involved in the planning, monitoring and evaluation of Flow-MER monitoring and research activities. The Mid-Murray Area Cultural Advisor is assisting the project team in engaging with First Nations people and groups in the Mid-Murray Area. First Nations peoples are partners in activities that support cultural outcomes, provide training opportunities, and enable First Nations peoples of the Mid Murray to come together to share their knowledge and experiences. First Nations peoples involved in Mid-Murray Flow-MER activities will be invited to share their stories and perspectives as part of the evaluation and reporting of the outcomes of environmental water monitoring and research. The cultural outcomes theme evaluation will document the extent of engagement and collaboration with First Nations peoples in the Mid-Murray Area.

Native Vegetation

The vegetation communities of the rivers, wetlands and floodplains in the Mid-Murray are valuable ecological assets that support landscape-scale biodiversity. Vegetation communities provide breeding habitat, food and shelter for water-dependent species and are integral to overall ecosystem function. Monitoring of native vegetation in the Mid-Murray Area will assess how environmental water has contributed to maintaining or improving the condition of forests and woodlands, non-woody vegetation communities, and lignum shrublands.

Native Fish

The Mid-Murray Area supports a diverse fish community. Native fish monitoring will improve our understanding of how environmental water can help support native fish abundance, recruitment and condition. Annual fish surveys will be undertaken using an electrofishing boat at 32 sites throughout the Mid-Murray Area, to collect data on weight, length and condition of fish.

Knowledge Exchange and Community Engagement

Our knowledge exchange, communication and engagement strategy aims to improve understanding, inform decision-making and adaptive management, and build awareness of environmental watering outcomes through a knowledge generation and sharing network.

Communication and engagement will be undertaken through meetings, presentations, workshops, community news articles, digital storytelling, field days, citizen science activities, social media and the Flow-MER website. Some data and images of the Mid-Murray Area will be accessible via an interactive Mid-Murray map. Flow-MER activities and outcomes will also be reported at scientific forums and in scientific papers.