The lower Murray is officially on life support
Irrigation and the signs of a slow death
"The lower Murray supports a wealth of native Australian fauna. But the development of weirs and barrages since the twentieth century to regulate the water level and divert water for irrigation have dramatically altered the flow of the river."
"This regulation has supported increased European settlement, trade, and agriculture along the river, setting the scene for the region as we know it today. Nowadays, inflow to the Lower Lakes is about half of what it once was prior to European settlement."
“However, river regulation has drastically altered the water flow and ecology of the lower Murray. The destruction of native vegetation, poor water quality and invasive species such as foxes and carp have also taken their toll. It is increasingly clear the lower Murray region is changing at a rapid rate, to a drier and warmer climate with less flow and more extreme droughts” >>
https://theconversation.com/the-lower-murray-is-officially-on-life-support-will-we-save-it-274969
#water #rivers #MDB #extractivism #irrigation #destruction #EuropeanSettlement #biodiversity #wildlife #wetland