the persistence and severity of the drought in the ill - darling basins has been reported as " unprecedented " after late summer inflows to the river system fell to a 117 - year low . the " bleak ' ' outlook for last four months was responding to the grim news , the murray - boundary catchment authority replied . irrigation water for australia ' s food scheme will be depends almost entirely on rainfall as basin states hold their water for critical human needs . " the timing and severity of this drought , particularly over the past three years , is impressive , ' ' state lead president robbie freeman said as he delivered the basin ' s latest drought update .
The Murray-Darling Basin is in central Australia.