Water Availability Under a Microscope

A word of warning from the Murray Darling Basin Authority, saying all water stakeholders need to keep a close watch on water availability as summer approaches, with the Basin's water storage level dropping below 50 percent.

Head of River Operations Andrew Reynolds says in a climate as variable as the Murray-Darling Basin’s, it’s normal for water storage levels to fluctuate.

Which meant business managers, including farmers, needed to take into account the possibility of decreasing water availability when planning ahead.

Mr Reynolds says across the Basin, we have 10,848 gigalitres of water in storage right now, which translates to 49% of capacity.

This time last year storage was at 71%.

Mr Reynolds says with dry conditions expected to continue into summer, they’re anticipating high demand for water to continue.