The Murray darling basin is Australia’s largest catchment area, it covers the equivalent amount to 14% of the country’s total landmass, however the amount of water flowing has decreased as much of the river system flows through semi-arid land and that wind and water induced erosion's are a major land degradation problem.
The Murray Darling stretches across four Australian states and includes 23 separate river valleys. The basin contains 65% of Australia’s total area of irrigated crops and pastures and around 52% of all water used in Australia comes from the Murray Darling Basin. Some 95% of all water in the basin is used for irrigation, in 1887 George Chaffery from Canada, introduced an irragation system which led to framing and trading settlements becoming established along the Basin. The Murray River is one of the main resources of water in Adelaide, industries and towns would not cope without this water supply, it is a basic necessity.
The Murray Darling was faced with a short term effect when Adelaide was left with an unprecedented water shortage in the year 2007, fortunately the prime minister at the time Kevin Rudd, put forward a 10 billion dollar management plan to prevent future shortages.
The river has a high salt content, meaning that it is difficult to use for anything other than irrigation and hydroelectric power. Australian officials are also concerned about overuse of the river's water, which can lead to erosion and overall poor quality. It is estimated that now, only 20 percent of the water in the river basin at any one time actually reaches the ocean, meaning that manmade elements like dams, reservoirs, and pollution are hampering the river's natural flow.
The increase of marina developments and caravan parks are evolving along the basin and intensive agricultural developments such as farms like piggeries and cattle feedlots are major threat's to the water and it's quality. This is a serious long term effect as it is a major source of water for the amount of 1.25 million people.
The Murray Darling stretches across four Australian states and includes 23 separate river valleys. The basin contains 65% of Australia’s total area of irrigated crops and pastures and around 52% of all water used in Australia comes from the Murray Darling Basin. Some 95% of all water in the basin is used for irrigation, in 1887 George Chaffery from Canada, introduced an irragation system which led to framing and trading settlements becoming established along the Basin. The Murray River is one of the main resources of water in Adelaide, industries and towns would not cope without this water supply, it is a basic necessity.
The Murray Darling was faced with a short term effect when Adelaide was left with an unprecedented water shortage in the year 2007, fortunately the prime minister at the time Kevin Rudd, put forward a 10 billion dollar management plan to prevent future shortages.
The river has a high salt content, meaning that it is difficult to use for anything other than irrigation and hydroelectric power. Australian officials are also concerned about overuse of the river's water, which can lead to erosion and overall poor quality. It is estimated that now, only 20 percent of the water in the river basin at any one time actually reaches the ocean, meaning that manmade elements like dams, reservoirs, and pollution are hampering the river's natural flow.
The increase of marina developments and caravan parks are evolving along the basin and intensive agricultural developments such as farms like piggeries and cattle feedlots are major threat's to the water and it's quality. This is a serious long term effect as it is a major source of water for the amount of 1.25 million people.
In 1987 it was estimated that 960 square kilometres of the Murray Darling's irrigated land was salt affected and some 5600 square kilometres had a watertable lying with two metres of the lands surface.
Salinity remains one of the significant environmental challenges that the Murray-Darling is faced with, and if this problem is left permanent, salinity has serious implications for problems such as the quality of the water, biodiversity, land productivity, plant growth and the supply of water we need.
Environmental Programs have been studying ways to reduce salinity problems, strategies include the development of action plans, for educational programs on engineering and famers solutions. Another main study that they found was to reduce or have a better management of our daily pesticide use. Environmentalists are working hard to improve land management through Natural Recourses Management Strategy at both government and community levels.
The Murray Darling is only 5% of an average rainfall. The catchment of the upper Basin above Albury contributes more than one-quarter of the total flow in the river's system, from an area which is less than 2% of the catchment area. The average rainfall over the Murray basin is 430 mm.