Table 1: Meeting environmental water priorities under the Murray–Darling Basin Plan Basin annual environmental watering Decisions and use of Commonwealth priorities for 2013–14 environmental water in 2013–14 Northern Basin Wetlands: Improve the Supporting breeding events resilience of colonial waterbird populations Decision: Contingency volumes of by supporting breeding events and Commonwealth environmental water were set improving breeding habitat in the Northern aside in the Gwydir and Lachlan to support Basin wetlands. colonial bird breeding events. Volume of Commonwealth environmental water delivered: 0 GL due to no breeding events. Supporting waterbird habitat Decision: Up to 94 GL of Commonwealth environmental water was made available for use in the Lower Balonne in 2013–14, subject to trigger flows. On average around 16% of water from Commonwealth holdings in the Lower Balonne (as at end June 2014) will eventually flow into the Narran Lakes following a water harvesting event. Volume of Commonwealth environmental water delivered: 22 GL throughout the Lower Balonne system in a flow event in April 2014. Due to high transmission losses in this event, only a small portion of this would have reached Narran Lakes. See also environmental water use in the Gwydir Wetlands, Macquarie Marshes and Lower Lachlan Wetlands (below), that support waterbird habitat. Gwydir Wetlands: Improve the condition Decision: Up to 60 GL of Commonwealth and maintain the extent of wetland environmental water was made available for vegetation communities in the Gwydir use in four complementary actions in the Wetlands (including Ramsar sites) by Gwydir system, including up to 20 GL in the restoring hydrological connectivity and a Gwydir Wetlands. flow regime that meets ecological Volume of Commonwealth environmental requirements. water delivered: Due to the lack of a natural trigger event, no Commonwealth environmental water was delivered to the Gwydir Wetlands; 32 GL was delivered to the Mallowa Wetlands, Mehi River and Carole Creek (other important Gwydir wetlands).
Table 1: Meeting environmental water priorities under the Murray–Darling Basin Plan Basin annual environmental watering priorities for 2013–14 Decisions and use of Commonwealth environmental water in 2013–14 Northern Basin Wetlands: Improve the resilience of colonial waterbird populations by supporting breeding events and improving breeding habitat in the Northern Basin wetlands. Supporting breeding events Decision: Contingency volumes of Commonwealth environmental water were set aside in the Gwydir and Lachlan to support colonial bird breeding events. Volume of Commonwealth environmental water delivered: 0 GL due to no breeding events. Supporting waterbird habitat Decision: Up to 94 GL of Commonwealth environmental water was made available for use in the Lower Balonne in 2013–14, subject to trigger flows. On average around 16% of water from Commonwealth holdings in the Lower Balonne (as at end June 2014) will eventually flow into the Narran Lakes following a water harvesting event. Volume of Commonwealth environmental water delivered: 22 GL throughout the Lower Balonne system in a flow event in April 2014. Due to high transmission losses in this event, only a small portion of this would have reached Narran Lakes. See also environmental water use in the Gwydir Wetlands, Macquarie Marshes and Lower Lachlan Wetlands (below), that support waterbird habitat. Gwydir Wetlands: Improve the condition and maintain the extent of wetland vegetation communities in the Gwydir Wetlands (including Ramsar sites) by restoring hydrological connectivity and a flow regime that meets ecological requirements. Decision: Up to 60 GL of Commonwealth environmental water was made available for use in four complementary actions in the Gwydir system, including up to 20 GL in the Gwydir Wetlands. Volume of Commonwealth environmental water delivered: Due to the lack of a natural trigger event, no Commonwealth environmental water was delivered to the Gwydir Wetlands; 32 GL was delivered to the Mallowa Wetlands, Mehi River and Carole Creek (other important Gwydir wetlands).
environment-annual-report-2013-14.docx