The Living Murray celebrates 20 years in the Lower Lakes, Coorong and Murray Mouth

The Living Murray (TLM) celebrated 20 years of restoring the health of the Lower Lakes, Coorong and Murray Mouth (LLCMM) on Wednesday 28 February, bringing together some of Australia’s top scientists to discuss their studies and findings for the region.

The LLCMM is one of 6 locations throughout the Murray-Darling Basin, which was selected as a TLM icon site due to its ecological, cultural and social importance.

Hosting the LLCMM icon site celebration, Goolwa’s newly opened Coorong, Lower Lakes and Murray Mouth Research Centre was bustling with community members, scientists and researchers alike, as they converged to hear about TLM research and findings for the region.

Presentations shared long-term data trends in the areas of small-bodied threatened fish, yabbies and turtles, Lower Lakes aquatic vegetation, waterbirds and Ruppia tuberosa, invertebrates and mudflats, and barrage fishway monitoring and lamprey.

With more than 100 people in attendance, Project Officer, Coorong, Lower Lakes and Murray Mouth Kirsty Wedge was not surprised that the event had such a high level of community interest.

“A program that spans 20 years is significant on both a local and global scale and having one such as TLM that involves so many stakeholders, all with the same goal of improving the health of the River Murray, its surrounding wetlands and tributaries, is very special,” Ms Wedge said.

Ms Wedge went on to express how valuable the program has been to her personally, having been involved with TLM for 13 years.

“Collaborating with scientists, water managers, First Nations and local communities has been a very rewarding part of my role. It has been a pleasure to share this journey and celebrate the many environmental, cultural and social achievements - all centred around improving the health of the iconic Lower Lakes, Coorong and Murray Mouth site.” Ms Wedge said.

Presentations throughout the night highlighted the importance of water for the environment (water allocated purely for environmental purposes and not for community or industry extraction) with benefits including keeping the Murray Mouth open, flushing salt from the system and providing additional water to precious wetlands and floodplains, which need a varied flow regime to thrive.

Thanks to water for the environment, the River Murray has flowed continuously to the Coorong and Murray Mouth for nearly 5,000 consecutive days, allowing native fish migration and recruitment, the export of salt from the river, and freshwater to flow to the Coorong to support its unique wetland system.

Speaking after the event, Tony Herbert - Environmental Water Manager on behalf of the Department for Environment and Water commended the program’s contribution to the improvement of the River Murray icon site's health.

“Through the dedicated work of the Department for Environment and Water’s LLCMM team, combined with the ongoing support and advice from scientific experts and local communities, river operators and Traditional Owners, The Living Murray has contributed significantly to the improved ecological health of the Lower Lakes, Coorong and Murray Mouth.” Mr Herbert said.

Since the Millennium Drought, water for the environment and TLM have supported the ecological recovery of the Lower Lakes and northern Coorong. However, Mr Herbert stated that the Coorong’s south lagoon remains in a degraded state and is a priority for future restoration and further water recovery.

“The program has taken large strides in improving the region's operation of river infrastructure, recovery and delivery of water for the environment, and river management but a significant amount of work is still needed to restore the southern Coorong.”

Rounding out the event was CLLMM Community Advisory Panel Chair Julie Barrie, who echoed Mr Herbert’s sentiments and reaffirmed the importance of the program as a whole.

“The Coorong is a special place and I’m sure we each have our own special relationship with this place, I certainly know I do.” Mrs Barrie said during her presentation.

“Thank you for caring about our wetlands and our river and thank you for supporting The Living Murray program.”

“Let’s continue learning from each other as we strive to safeguard the health and resilience of the Lower Lakes, Coorong and Murray Mouth for many, many years to come.”

TLM was an important precursor to the Basin Plan and has laid a strong foundation for the restoration of the Basin’s wetlands, floodplains and rivers. The program’s robust ecological monitoring program also informs water planning and delivery decisions and will continue its work towards a healthy River Murray.

The Living Murray LLCMM team would like to thank the Goyder Institute for Water Research, the Murray-Darling Basin Authority, and everyone who helped make the event a success.

Visit the event photo gallery here.

For more information, visit The Living Murray page.

Watch the event presentations

• Welcome to Country
• Welcome to the Living Murray 20th anniversary celebration
• Water for the Environment and the Basin Plan
• Presentation 1: The Living Murray Coorong, Lower Lakes and Murray Mouth program
• Presentation 2A: Small-bodied threatened fish, yabbies and turtles
• Presentation 2B: Small-bodied threatened fish, yabbies and turtles
• Presentation 3: Lower Lakes aquatic vegetation
• Presentation 4: Waterbirds and Ruppia tuberosa
• Presentation 5: Coorong invertebrates and mudflats
• Presentation 6: Coorong fish
• Presentation 7: Barrage fishway monitoring and lamprey
• Event wrap-up and what the future holds for The Living Murray
  program in the Coorong, Lower Lakes and Murray Mouth

The Living Murray is a joint initiative of the Australian Government and the governments of New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia. The program is coordinated by the Murray–Darling Basin Authority.