Barrage flows of 6,000 GL every three to five years to maintain and improve habitat conditions within the Coorong (5 years) Commonwealth likely to contribute to support natural events, should they eventuate Low Barrage flows of 10 000 GL every seven to seventeen years to improve habitat conditions within the Coorong 1 in 7 (17 years) Met in 2010-11 Maintain Commonwealth likely to contribute to support natural events, should they eventuate Very low Very low Low See 2a for footnotes Carryover potential Moderate proportion of available allocations expected to be carried into 2016–17 A moderate proportion of available allocations may be carried over to 2017–18, but will depend upon resource availability and demands Potential carryover will depend upon resource availability and demands Trade potential No urgency to augment available allocations, therefore limited potential for allocation purchase. Moderate to high demands means allocation sale unlikely No expected urgency to augment available allocations, therefore limited potential for allocation purchase. Moderate demands means allocation sale unlikely Potential to trade will be depend on environmental demands and resource availability
water dependent vegetation red gum Black box Coolibah Murray (assessment is for entire Murray catchment) 90,600* 41,700* - Lignum along the Murray River from the junction with the Wakool River to downstream of Lock 3, including Chowilla and Hattah Lakes Closely fringing or occurring within the Murray Ruppia tuberosa in the Coorong Darling 10,300 38,600 Lignum swamps in the Darling region Closely fringing or occurring within the Darling River and Great Darling Anabranch Black box condition Region Vegetation condition score Percent of vegetation assessed (within the managed floodplain) 0 –6 >6 –10 Murray (assessment is for entire Murray catchment) 33 per cent 65 per cent 28 per cent Lower Darling 72 per cent 28 per cent 85 per cent River red gum condition Region Vegetation condition Percent of vegetation assessed (within the managed floodplain) 0 – 2 >2 – 4 >4 – 6 >6 – 8 >8 – 10 Murray (assessment is for entire Murray catchment) 2 per cent 1 per cent 10 per cent 51 per cent 35 per cent 51 per cent Lower Darling 11 per cent 5 per cent 7 per cent 41 per cent 35 per cent 92 per cent WATERBIRDS Maintain current species diversity Increase Basin-wide abundance of waterbirds by 20–25 per cent by 2024 A 30–40 per cent increase in nests and broods (Basin-wide) for other waterbirds Up to 50 per cent more breeding events (Basin-wide) for colonial nesting waterbird species By 2019, at a minimum, to maintain populations in the Coorong, Albert and Alexandrina of the following four key species: curlew sandpiper, greenshank, red-necked stint and sharp-tailed sandpiper, at levels recorded between 2000 and 2014. Important Basin environmental assets for waterbirds in the Lower Murray
Species Specific outcomes In-scope for C’th watering? Diadromous species (Congolli, short-headed and pouched lamprey) Upstream expansion facilitated through flows to operate fishways. Yes Flathead galaxias (Galaxias rostratus) Expand the core range in the wetlands of the River Murray. Yes Freshwater catfish (Tandanus tandanus) - Yes Golden (Macquaria ambigua) A 10–15 per cent increase of mature fish (of legal take size) in key populations Yes Murray cod (Maccullochella peelii peelii) A 10–15 per cent increase of mature fish (of legal take size) in key populations Yes Murray hardyhead (Craterocephalus fluviatilis) Expand the range of at least two current populations: Establish 3–4 additional populations, with at least two of these to be within the lower Murray conservation unit and a further population potentially within the Kerang Lakes region. Yes Olive perchlet (Ambassis agassizii) Olive perchlet are considered extinct in the southern Basin. Reintroduction using northern populations is the main option for recovery. Candidate sites may result from improved flow that reinstates suitable habitat in the River Murray. Restoration of flow to River Murray could support the future of the species. Silver perch (Bidyanus bidyanus) Improve core in at additional locations, with candidate sites including lower Darling Core range is within region. Only in scope if additional populations are established Southern purple-spotted gudgeon (Mogurnda adspersa) Expand the range of current populations (including Jury Swamp). Yes Southern pygmy perch (Nannoperca australis) Establish additional populations in the Lower Lakes Only if additional populations are established Trout cod (Maccullochella macquariensis) For the connected population of the Murrumbidgee–Murray–Edwards, continue downstream expansion. Yes Two-spined blackfish (Gadopsis bispinosus) Establish additional populations (no specific locations identified) Yes Yarra pygmy perch (Nannoperca obscura) Expand the range of current populations including the Lower Lakes/Coorong region Yes