Menindee Storage Triggers State Water Limits

The New South Wales government restricted water use upstream of the Menindee Lakes this month after combined storage fell below 480 gigalitres. This figure marks the lowest level for the system since 2021. The intervention limits access for specific irrigators in the northern Murray-Darling basin to prioritize water for critical human needs and environmental stability.

The primary driver for the new restrictions is the threat of mass fish deaths during the approaching summer. Volumes in the upper Menindee Lakes have already dropped under 250 gigalitres, a threshold that automatically activates temporary state controls. Officials attribute the decline to low rainfall in the catchment over the past 12 months, which has reduced inflows into the Darling-Baaka River.

Experts warn that the risk of a catastrophic fish kill is high without improved river flows. Jamie Pittock, a professor at the Australian National University and member of the Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists, stated that government officials predict deaths will occur unless more water enters the system. "Government officials are predicting with a level of certainty that unless there's more water flowing into the Baaka-Darling River that there will be fish kills at Menindee this summer," he said. Pittock urged state governments to stop irrigators from pumping the first flush of water and called for a major rainfall event to replenish levels.

Local resident Graeme McCrabb, who raised early alarms during the 2018 and 2019 disasters, described the current levels as "drought reserve volumes." He emphasized that water must be conserved "at all costs" at this stage. While recent rain in Queensland has sent small inflows across the border, McCrabb noted that more water is needed to significantly lower the risk. "If we don't get inflows, the risk [of fish kills] would be very high in January or February," he said. He also pointed out that a milder summer would help mitigate the danger.

The Menindee Lakes have experienced severe fish kills in 2018, 2019, and 2023, with millions of dead fish washing ashore along the Darling-Baaka. Following the 2023 event, Premier Chris Minns and senior ministers visited the region to commit to investigating the causes. An expert panel established under the northern basin connectivity program recommended limiting upstream overextraction during dry periods to sustain flows in tributaries.

The panel delivered its final report two years ago, but the state government has not yet implemented the recommendations. McCrabb expressed disappointment that policy changes have not materialized since the previous fish kills. "Since the fish kills, government agencies have made no policy changes to improve water quality outcomes," he said. The New South Wales water minister, Rose Jackson, has been sought for comment on the new restrictions.