River Murray droughts

South Australia and the River Murray have endured multiple droughts throughout history. In earlier years, before dams were built along the river, dry times and drought meant the river could be reduced to a few pools, and sometimes the flow would stop altogether.

During droughts, River Murray communities can experience devastating impacts, such as reduced access to safe drinking water, fewer economic opportunities, decreased agriculture productivity, and reduced tourism.

While the Millennium Drought – the state’s most recent prolonged drought – broke in 2010, we are still dealing with the effects. That drought saw the lowest flows into South Australia in recorded history, causing untold damage to communities. Recovery has been good, but there is still more to be done.

And we must always be prepared for any potential future droughts.

• Read the MDBA’s The effects of drought in the Murray–Darling Basin, which also explains the services and programs available to provide drought support.

Basin water sharing in dry conditions

In dry or drought years, the Murray-Darling Basin states (South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales, and Queensland), the Australian Capital Territory and the Australian Government work closely together to share any available water between communities, farmers and the environment. The Murray-Darling Basin Authority determines how much water is available to be shared between the states. This is primarily based on the volumes of water held in the Southern Basin storages and minimum volumes projected to be available over the coming 12 months.

Water sharing plans within each state and territory help local authorities and communities to make tough decisions at the local level. Arrangements are also in place to meet critical human water needs when drought conditions become severe.

The South Australian Government supports River Murray irrigators to prepare for any dry seasons ahead, for example by providing:

• early water allocation and private carryover announcements
• tools such as flow reports and water availability projections.

Major past prolonged droughts

Improved River Murray water management in dry and drought conditions

South Australia learnt from the Millennium Drought, and now we are in a better position to manage water well during dry times.

• The water allocation plan for the River Murray now includes rules around how water is allocated, private carryover, trading, and taking and using water. For example, private carryover was announced in mid-April 2019 and mid-April 2020 because at the time the opening allocations for 2019-20 and 2020-21 years respectively were projected to be less than 50 per cent.
• On 27 April 2023 the Minister for Climate, Environment and Water adopted amendments to the water allocation plan that improves water users’ access to carryover water in dry years. The amendments were developed in consultation with stakeholders by the Murraylands and Riverland Landscape Board and the Department for Environment and Water.
• The water allocation plan locks in a commitment to reduce Adelaide's reliance on the River Murray by 50 gigalitres in dry years, with Adelaide to access its other sources of water, such as water from Mount Lofty Ranges storages, Adelaide Desalination Plant, water recycling, aquifer storage and recovery, and household rainwater tanks.
• Compared to the Millennium Drought, this commitment boosts irrigation allocations by 8 per cent in dry years. It applies whenever irrigators are on allocations of less than 100 per cent and after critical human water needs are secured.
• South Australia may now store part of its Entitlement in upper River Murray storages for critical human water needs and private carryover in future years. However, this stored water must not adversely affect water availability for New South Wales and Victoria.
• Currency Creek, Jervois and Lake Albert pipelines have been constructed to provide an alternative supply of water for irrigators and stock and domestic users during periods of reduced water availability and quality.
• Water for the environment from a range of sources, including that recovered under the Basin Plan, is now available to support the river and its environmentally important wetlands in South Australia.
• The water market has matured significantly. Water trade allows for the movement of water among users and is an important mechanism for managing the Murray-Darling Basin's scarce water resources. In addition to local water allocation and entitlement markets, individuals can now source water from a range of water products such as interstate entitlements, forwards, entitlement leases and carryover parking.