Irrigators hit by new Menindee water limits as storage hits five-year low

Irrigators in the northern Murray-Darling basin have lost access to some water allocations as New South Wales activated temporary restrictions this week. The state government imposed the measures after combined storage at Menindee Lakes fell below 480 gigalitres earlier this month. This marks the first time volumes have dipped under that level since 2021.

The restrictions aim to preserve water for human needs and environmental flows during a period of low rainfall. Volumes in the upper Menindee Lakes have dropped beneath 250 gigalitres, a threshold that triggers these temporary curbs. Officials stated the actions are necessary to protect critical supplies in the face of dry conditions across the catchment over the past 12 months.

Prof Jamie Pittock of the Australian National University and the Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists warned that mass fish deaths are likely without increased river flows. He noted that officials are predicting with certainty that mortality events will occur this summer unless inflows improve. Pittock called for a major rainfall event and urged state governments to stop irrigators from pumping out the initial surge of water.

Local resident Graeme McCrabb, who raised alarms during the 2018 and 2019 fish kills, said the lakes have reached drought reserve volumes. He described this status as requiring water conservation at all costs. McCrabb pointed to small inflows arriving from Queensland after recent rain but emphasized that more water is needed to mitigate risks. He warned that the danger of fish kills would be very high in January or February without sustained inflows.

The state government established an expert panel after the 2023 fish kills, following a commitment by Premier Chris Minns to investigate the issue. The panel recommended limiting upstream overextraction during dry periods to sustain flows in tributaries feeding the Darling-Baaka River. Although the panel delivered its final report two years ago, the state government has not yet implemented its recommendations.

McCrabb expressed disappointment that policy changes to improve water quality outcomes have not materialized since the previous disasters. He observed that the water has taken on a green algal appearance, which he described as sad to witness. A milder summer could also reduce the risk of mortality, he added. Comment has been sought from NSW water minister Rose Jackson.

Menindee has experienced catastrophic fish kills in 2018, 2019, and 2023, when millions of dead fish washed up along stretches of the Darling-Baaka River. Current conditions mirror those prior events, prompting renewed scrutiny of water management strategies in the region. The state government maintains that the restrictions are a standard response to falling storage levels.