Murray River (Australia) Hits All-Time Record Low Flow Levels

[hatrack]

COMMUNITIES in the Murray Darling Basin face unprecedented economic challenges after record dry conditions in June and July saw the lowest run-off of water into the Murray River since records started.

The Murray Darling Basin Commission revealed yesterday that just 130 gigalitres flowed into the Murray-Darling river system through July, the lowest "in flow" since records started in 1891, and less than 10 per cent of the long term average for July of 1400 gigalitres.

Irrigators already on water restrictions are preparing for the worst after Bureau of Meteorology predictions that there was only a 5 per cent probability of wet conditions returning to break the five-year-old drought across the basin. Murrumbidgee Irrigators, which sells water to customers along one of the Murray's main tributaries, said about one third of their 3000 customers would struggle to remain viable unless it was substantially wetter in the spring.

"People are a bit shell shocked," said Murrumbidgee Irrigators chief executive Brett Tucker. "We are entering into the fifth year of below 50 per cent water allocations." He said businesses facing the bleakest future were broadacre farmers growing rice and grains.
They were on "low security water" in NSW, which was subject 24 per cent restrictions because of the drought in the Murrumbidgee catchment.

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http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,20093899-2702,00.html