Where the river flows
Water supplies and reliability are critical to the continued success of the almond industry so - to get a better understanding of the constraints and opportunities ahead for our growers - the ABA went on tour .
UNDERSTANDING how Australia ' s largest river system works - and the challenges it faces - is vital to the future of the growing Australian almond industry . To get a clearer picture of the current constraints and opportunities facing the Murray-Darling and Goulburn systems , the ABA ' s board , staff and members of its subcommittees for production , sustainability and water toured the basin in June . Meeting with river operators and agency staff along the way , the aim was to find out more about supply issues and constraints currently challenging the river systems . Over the course of the tour , the ABA learnt from the experts about how they operate these systems to supply precious irrigation water to end-users while considering both physical and regulatory requirements along the way . The Murray Darling Basin Authority ' s ( MDBA ) river operator Adam McLean joined the ABA for the duration of the tour , providing detailed insights on how the river operated . The group travelled to Lake Hattah , and met up with Jayne Ryan and James Kellerman from the Mallee Catchment Management Authority to learn more about environmental watering . Rivers , wetlands , and floodplains are critical features of the Mallee region . They are fundamentally important to the region ’ s flora and fauna and hold immense cultural significance to traditional landowners . As Jayne and James explained how they develop the annual watering plan , their environmental objectives , and the benefits of a healthy river system to all users including irrigators , their passion for their work was clear . Looking at water management from an environmental perspective was beneficial in demonstrating the importance of aligning the needs of both the environment and productive users . From Lake Hattah , the tour made its way to Lake Boga , where Andrew Shields from Goulburn Murray Water ( GMW ) explained how natural storages along the Murray provide flexibility in delivering water especially during high demand periods . Despite Kow Swamp , Kangaroo Lake , Lake Charm and Lake Boga having a combined storage capacity of 58,000ML , it was evident operators are continually juggling water demands for recreational , irrigation as well as cultural use . However , operational constraints resulting
10 In A Nutshell - Winter 2022 Vol 23 Issue 2