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MDBA Publication No:39/12

ISBN: 978-1-922068-47-7 (online)

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Title:Assessment of environmental water requirements for the proposed Basin Plan: Lower Murrumbidgee River Floodplain

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Murrumbidgee Region

Assessment of the Lower Murrumbidgee River Floodplain environmental water requirements

1.Introduction

The Water Act 2007 (Cwlth) established the Murray–Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) and tasked it with the preparation of a Basin Plan to provide for the integrated management of the Basin’s water resources. One of the key requirements of the Basin Plan is to establish environmentally sustainable limits on the quantities of surface water that may be taken for consumptive use, termed Sustainable Diversion Limits (SDLs). SDLs are the maximum long‐term annual average volumes of water that can be taken from the Basin and they must represent an Environmentally Sustainable Level of Take (ESLT).

The method used to determine the ESLT is described in detail within ‘The proposed “environmentally sustainable level of take” for surface water of the Murray-Darling Basin: Method and Outcomes’ (MDBA 2011). A summary of the main steps undertaken to determine the ESLT is presented in Figure 1. The assessment of environmental water requirements including specification of site-specific flow indicators at a subset of hydrologic indicator sites (Step 3 of the overall ESLT method) is the focus of this document.

The work described herein is the MDBA’s current understanding of the environmental water requirements of the Lower Murrumbidgee River Floodplain. It is not expected that the environmental water requirements assessments will remain static, rather it is intended that they will evolve over time in response to new knowledge or implementation of environmental watering actions. Within this context, feedback is sought on the material presented within this document whether that be as part of the formal draft Basin Plan consultation phase or during the environmental watering implementation phase within the framework of the Environmental Watering Plan.

1.1.Method to determine site-specific flow indicators

Assessment of environmental water requirements for different elements of the flow regime using the hydrologic indicator site approach is one of the key lines of evidence that has informed the proposed SDLs. Effort focussed on regions and parts of the flow regime with greatest sensitivity to the scale of reduction in diversions necessary to achieve environmental objectives, an ESLT and a healthy working Basin.

Within the overall framework of the ESLT method (Figure 1) the MDBA used an iterative process to assess environmental water requirements and develop site-specific flow indicators.

The hydrologic indicator site approach uses detailed eco-hydrological assessment of environmental water requirements for a subset of the key environmental assets and key ecosystem functions across the Basin. Effort focused on high flow (freshes, bankfull flows and overbank flows) requirements reflecting the prioritisation of effort on parts of the flow regime that are most sensitive to the determination of the ESLT and SDLs. The Lower Murrumbidgee River Floodplain is one of the key environmental assets where a detailed assessment of environmental water requirements was undertaken.

Detailed environmental water requirement assessments lead to the specification of site-specific flow indicators to achieve site-specific ecological targets. Flow indicators were expressed at a hydrologic indicator site or sites. Environmental water requirements specified at hydrologic indicator sites are intended to represent the broader environmental flow needs of river valleys or reaches and thus the needs of a broader suite of ecological assets and functions.

Figure 1 Outline of method used to determine an Environmentally Sustainable Level of Take.
(Source: MDBA 2011).

This report provides a description of the detailed eco-hydrological assessment of environmental water requirements for the Lower MurrumbidgeeRiver Floodplain including information supporting the development of site-specific flow indicators for the site (with reference to flows gauged on the Murrumbidgee River at Maude Weir). More information on how the site-specific flow indicators for the Lower MurrumbidgeeRiver Floodplain were used within the Basin-wide modelling process to inform the ESLT (i.e. Step 5 and 6 in Figure 1) can be found in the report ‘Hydrologic modelling to inform the proposed Basin Plan: Methods and results’ (MDBA 2012).

A description of the detailed eco-hydrological assessments of environmental water requirements for other indicator sites are described in other documents in the series ‘Assessment of environmental water requirements for the proposed Basin Plan’.

1.2.Scope and purpose for setting site-specific flow indicators

The MDBA’s assessment of environmental water requirements and associated site-specific flow indicators at hydrologic indicator sites has been used to inform the development of SDLs. This enables the MDBA to estimate the amount of water that will be required by the environment over the long-term to achieve a healthy working Basin through the use of hydrological models. Accordingly, site-specific flow indicators are not intended to stipulate future use of environmental water. MDBA expects that the body of work undertaken to establish these site-specific flow indicators will provide valuable input to environmental watering but this watering will be a flexible and adaptive process guided by the framework of the Environmental Watering Plan and natural eco-hydrological cues. It will be up to the managers of environmental water, such as the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder, State Government agencies, and local communities to decide how best to use the available environmental water during any one year to achieve environmental outcomes.

2.Site location and extent

The Lower Murrumbidgee River Floodplain hydrologic indicator site contains the largest complex of wetlands in the Murrumbidgee system.It is located near Balranald in New South Wales and starts about 38km upstream of Maude Weir(Figure2).The Lower Murrumbidgee River Floodplain includes one of the largest lignum (Muehlenbeckiaflorulenta) wetlands in New South Wales(CSIRO2008). The floodplain receives waters from the Murrumbidgee River from either overbank flooding or via controlled diversions from Maude and Redbank weirs (Kingsford andThomas 2001).

MDBA has used the inundation extents as determined by Kingsford et al.(1999) to define thelateral extent of the indicator site. The longitudinal extent was determined from information contained within the Directory of Important Wetlands in Australia dataset(Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts 2001). Spatial data used in this map is listed in Appendix A.

For the purposes of this report, the western boundary of the Lower Murrumbidgee River Floodplain is the Balranald–Ivanhoe Road, and the southern extent is Balranald. Lakes to the west of the Balranald–Ivanhoe Road were excluded as significant changes would need to be made to infrastructure to inundate these areas.

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Figure 2Location and extent of Lower Murrumbidgee River Floodplain hydrologic indicator site

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Wetlands below Balranald were not included in this report because of the difficulty of inundating wetlands near the junction of the Murray and Murrumbidgee Rivers using only flows from the Murrumbidgee Valley. Flows from the River Murray, as well as from the Murrumbidgee at Maude Weir,would be needed to inundate the wetlands below Balranald (Murrumbidgee Catchment Management Authority 2010).

3.Ecological Values

The Lower Murrumbidgee River Floodplain contains a mosaic of wetland types that fill and dry over various timescales (NSW Department of Water Resources 1994). It contains wetlands of national significance and also has international significance through the presence of waterbird species that are protected under international migratory bird agreements.

TheLower Murrumbidgee River Floodplain supports important species that are listed in international agreements such as Ramsar, and include vulnerable and endangered species. AppendixB provides a summary of the conservationally significant species recorded onthe Lower Murrumbidgee River Floodplain.

The value of the Lower Murrumbidgee River Floodplain is reflected in its rating against the criteria used by the MDBA to identify key environmental assets within the Basin. The MDBA established five criteria based on international agreements and broad alignment with the National Framework and Guidance for Describing the Ecological Character of Australian Ramsar Wetlands (Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts 2008) and the draft criteria for identifying High Conservation Value Aquatic Ecosystems (SKM 2007).

Based on theecological values identified for the Lower Murrumbidgee River Floodplain, the site meets all five criteria for determining a key environmental asset. This is described in Table 1 below.

Table 1Assessment of Lower Murrumbidgee River floodplain against MDBA key environmental asset criteria

Criterion / Ecological values that support the criterion
1.The water-dependent ecosystem is formally recognised in international agreements or, with environmental watering, is capable of supporting species listed in those agreements / Species listed in international agreements that have been recorded at the Lower Murrumbidgee River Floodplain site are listed in Appendix B.
2.The water-dependent ecosystem is natural or near-natural, rare or unique / The floodplain is recognised as a wetland of national importance and is listed in the Australian Wetlands Database (Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts 2010). The floodplain contains a number of significant ecological features (NSW Department of Water Resources 1994), including:
  • good examples of two wetland types — lignum swamps and fringing river red gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis) forests;
  • wetlands that are valuable as habitat for a range of waterbird species at a critical stage in their biological cycles, for example:
  • there were about 140,000 waterbirds regularly on the floodplain during surveys each October from 1983 to 1986, and significantly more than 20,000 waterbirds in 1987, 1988, 1991, 1992, 1995, 1996 and 2000 (Kingsford and Thomas 2004)
  • as part of field surveys conducted in 1989 and 1990, Maher (1990) found that the colony of Glossy Ibis at Suicide Swamp (one of the key wetlands of the floodplain) contained 1,500 nests. It is likely that this colony combined with the nesting colonies found at the nearby Great Cumbung Swamp formed a sizeable proportion of the Australian population of the species (Maher 1990).

3.The water-dependent ecosystem provides vital habitat / The Lower Murrumbidgee River Floodplain supports important faunal species with extensive areas of lignum and river red gum, as well as woodlands of black box (Eucalyptus largiflorens) on the floodplain margins (Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts 2010).
Wetlands dominated by river red gum and lignum are crucial for the long-term maintenance of waterbird populations (NSW Department of Water Resources 1994). Lignum provides nesting habitat for colonial waterbirds, such as glossy ibis, Australian white ibis and straw-necked ibis (Plegadisfalcinellus, Threskiornismolucca, T.spinicollis) and non-colonial nesting waterbirds such as freckled ducks (Stictonettanaevosa).
The Lower Murrumbidgee River Floodplain is also an important nursery for silver perch (Bidyanusbidyanus), golden perch (Macquariaambigua), bony bream (Nematalosaerebi) and Murray cod (Maccullochellapeeliipeelii) (NSW Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water 2009a).
4. Water-dependent ecosystems that support Commonwealth, state or territory listed threatened species or communities / Species and communities listed as threatened under both Commonwealth and state legislation that have been recorded at the site are in Appendix B.
5.The water-dependent ecosystem supports, or with environmental watering is capable of supporting, significant biodiversity. / The Lower Murrumbidgee River Floodplain is one of the largest areas of regularly available habitat for waterbirds in Eastern Australia (Murrumbidgee Catchment Management Authority 2010).
Past surveys have shown that the site is capable of supporting large breeding colonies of glossy ibis andis an important breeding area for the Straw-necked Ibis and great egrets (Kingsford andThomas 2004, Magrath1992). In addition, the site isknown to support ninenationally important speciesincluding the little egret (Egrettagarzetta),little bittern (Ixobrychusminutus), greategret, intermediateegret, glossy Ibis,straw-necked Ibis, royal spoonbill,Australasian bittern and freckled duck (Murrumbidgee Catchment Management Authority 2010).

The Lower Murrumbidgee River Floodplain can be considered to comprise four management units based on ecologic and hydrologic characteristics. These are the Nimmie–Caira, Redbank, Murrumbidgee and Fiddlers–Uara systems. A summary of the relevant characteristics of these management units is described below.

Nimmie-Caira

The Nimmie–Caira system is dominated by the flow regimes of the Nimmie and Pollen Creeks. Nimmie Creek leaves the Murrumbidgee River about 3km upstream of Maude Weir. Controlled flows can be provided by using Maude Weir to elevate the natural river level, and diverting flow via a regulator into Nimmie Creek. The weir has a diversion capacity of 2,000 ML/d and can divert water over an area of 70,000ha of the floodplain via the Nimmie and the North and South Caira Channels (Murrumbidgee Catchment Management Authority 2010).

Significant floodplain development in the Nimmie–Cairasystem has reduced the area of wetland within this unit by around 61,847ha (Kingsford and Thomas 2004). The wetland extent measured in 1998 by Kingsford and Thomas (2004) constituted only 34% of the original wetland area of the Nimmie–Caira system. By 1998, 73,395ha (80.8%) was either lost or measured as degraded (Kingsford and Thomas 2004). This is supported by information detailed in the Lower Murrumbidgee floodplain natural resource management plan, which indicates a large section of the Nimmie–Caira area has been cleared (Murrumbidgee Catchment Management Authority2010).

One of the largest wetlands and waterbird rookeries in the Nimmie–Caira management unit is Eulimbah Swamp, which covers 600ha (NSW Department of Water Resources 1994). In 1990–91, Eulimbah Swamp supported the largest colonies of royal spoonbills (Platalearegia) record in Australia (Marchantand Higgins 1990; Magrath 1992; NSW Department of Water Resources 1994;Murrumbidgee Catchment Management Authority 2010). In addition to waterbird habitat, Eulimbah Swamp was identified in the Interim environmental watering plan for the Murrumbidgee Valley2009–10as core habitat for the southern bell frog (Litoriaraniformis) (NSW Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water 2009b). The watering plan indicates that the core southern bell frog habitats within the Nimmie–Caira are in good condition.

About 18,000ha of lignum occurswithin the Nimmie–Cairaunit (Murrumbidgee Catchment Management Authority 2010). These areas of lignum are located along the channels and floodwayswithin the Lowbidgee Flood Control and Irrigation District, and are predominantly in good health (Kingsford and Thomas 2001). In 1990,the lignum stands in Suicide Bank Swamp were the only places where the endangered painted snipe (Rostratulaaustralis) was recorded and buff-banded rails (Gallirallusphilippensis) were confirmed to be breeding (Maher 1990).

Aerial surveys showed large concentrations of waterbirds in some of the irrigation bays within the unit, indicating that these areas offer important replacement habitat (Kingsford and Thomas 2001). More recently, the NSW RiverBank Business Plan (NSW Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water 2008) indicated that significant bird breeding events still occur in locations within theNimmie–Caira system.

The system still appears to retain important habitat features, including a number of key wetlands and rookeries connected by a system of floodways. These provide important breeding areas and refuges for a variety of species.

Redbank

The Redbank management unit is dominated by wetland systems that rely on flows from the Murrumbidgee River. Flows can be delivered to the system by overbank flooding, which occurs when flows exceed 11,000ML/d upstream of Redbank Weir (Kingsford and Thomas 2004), or by controlled flows. Controlled flows can be provided by elevating the natural river level using Redbank Weir and diverting these flows via regulators on the northern and southern sides of the weirpool (Murrumbidgee Catchment Management Authority 2010). Diversions can range from 1,000ML/d to 3,500ML/d depending on river flow (Murrumbidgee Catchment Management Authority 2010).

The dominant vegetation within the Redbank area includes river red gum and black box woodlands, together with a relatively high proportion of open water and semi-permanent wetland communities. In comparison to other areas of the Lower Murrumbidgee River Floodplain, water resource development has had the least impact on vegetation communities of the Redbank system. Kingsford and Thomas (2004)determined that in 1998, 54,376ha (59%) of the original wetland area of the Redbank system remained, and of this, 27% was in a degraded state. Thus, 51,935ha (56.7%) had been either lost or degraded (Kingsford and Thomas 2004).

The Lower Murrumbidgee floodplain natural resource management plan 2010 identified more than 60swamps, wetlands, lakes and rookeries in the Redbank area, most of which are located within the Yanga National Park (Murrumbidgee Catchment Management Authority 2010).