65-854: The Strzelecki Creek , part of the Lake Eyre basin , is an ephemeral watercourse located in the Australian state of South Australia . The Strzelecki is a distributary of Cooper Creek and branches off near the town of Innamincka and flows in a southerly direction thought the Strzelecki Desert for about 200 kilometres (120 mi) towards Lake Blanche . While being feed by the Cooper Creek, it does have its own catchment and can flow independently after ‘heavy localised storms.’ Flows on ‘exceptional’ occasions can reach Lakes Blanche, Callabonna , Frome and Gregory . Its watercourse
130-609: A Community Advisory Committee to provide advice and facilitate community participation and a Scientific Advisory Panel to advise on scientific and technical issues. On 7 September 2018 the Lake Eyre Basin Ministerial Forum agreed to release the second review of the agreement. Low density grazing is the major land use, occupying 82% of the total land within the basin. Significant minerals deposits such as oil and natural gas, including Australia's most significant onshore petroleum reserves, are found within
195-453: A fairly confident estimate has been made of these animals and the current status of their population. The study found that there were: Historical records show that the previous abundances of fish provided a reliable food source. The bountiful fish became concentrated when the early stages of a flood left shallow water across the floodplain. Today, roughly 24 native freshwater fish and another 15-25 marine and estuarine species are existent in
260-583: A few days a year (in many years it does not flow at all) is home to seven species of fish, two of which are found nowhere else. The waters of the Finke disappear into the sands of the Simpson Desert and are not definitely known to ever make it as far south as Lake Eyre, although the story is told that this happened once early in the 20th century. In extreme events, water from the Finke River flows into
325-460: A high degree of variability anywhere. It supports about 60,000 people and a large amount of wildlife , and has no major irrigation, diversions or flood-plain developments. The Cooper Creek , Finke River , Georgina River and Diamantina River are the four main rivers of the basin. Other desert rivers include the Hale River , Plenty River and Todd River that flow from the south east of
390-528: A number of protected areas established within the Lake Eyre Basin. The Bradfield Scheme was an ambitious proposal by Dr John Bradfield in 1938. It would use large pipes , tunnels, pumps and dams to divert water from the monsoon -fed Tully , Herbert and Burdekin rivers into the Thomson River , Queensland . After a critical review in 1947 support for the scheme fell through. However, in
455-406: A part of western New South Wales . During years of especially high rainfall , all the riverbeds in this vast, mostly flat, arid and semi-arid area lead inland (not towards the sea) towards Lake Eyre in central South Australia. Lake Eyre itself lies approximately 16 metres (52 ft) below sea level , and usually contains only salt. In flood years, it fills and, for a short time, undergoes
520-402: A period of rapid growth and fertility: long-dormant marine creatures multiply and large flocks of waterfowl arrive to feed and raise their young before the waters evaporate once more. The annual mean runoff in the Lake Eyre Basin is lowest of any of the world's major drainage basins. None of the creeks and rivers in the Lake Eyre Basin are permanent: they flow only after heavy rain –
585-516: A problem because they feed by sucking gravel from the riverbed and taking all the edible material off it, before returning the rest to the water. This stirs up all the sediment, reducing the quality of the water. A project for developing daughterless carp shows promise for eliminating carp from the river system. Cane toads have entered the upper reaches of the Darling Basin and there are several reports of individuals being found further down
650-481: A quarter of the Basin lays in the state, the commission was an advisory body with no authority for enforcement of provisions. For a long time the commission was only concerned with water quantity until salinity became a problem. This led to minor reforms in 1982 in which water quality became part of the commission's responsibilities. However, it was soon recognised that a new organisational structure which considered
715-480: A rare to very rare event in the arid interior of Australia. Average annual rainfall in the area surrounding Lake Eyre is 125 millimetres (4.9 in), and the pan evaporation rate is 3.5 metres (11 ft). Annualised average figures are misleading: since 1885 annual rainfall over the 1,100,000 square kilometres (420,000 sq mi) of the Lake Eyre Basin has ranged from about 45 millimetres (1.8 in) in 1928 to over 760 millimetres (30 in) in 1974. Most of
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#1732773187246780-514: A vast area of meandering ephemeral channels, making its way roughly south into the far south-west corner of Queensland before turning due west into South Australia towards Lake Eyre. It takes almost a year for water to reach Lake Eyre from the headwaters . In most years, none does: it is absorbed into the earth, goes to fill channels and the many permanent waterholes , or simply evaporates . Water from Cooper Creek reached Lake Eyre in 1990 and then not again until 2010. The deserts that have formed in
845-515: Is 3,375 kilometres (2,097 mi) in length, with the Murray River being 2,508 km (1,558 mi) long. Most of the 1,061,469 km (409,835 sq mi) basin is flat, low-lying and far inland, and receives little direct rainfall. The many rivers it contains tend to be long and slow-flowing, and carry a volume of water that is large only by Australian standards. The Snowy Mountains Scheme provides some security of water flows to
910-527: Is a drainage basin that covers just under one-sixth of all Australia . It is the largest endorheic basin in Australia and amongst the largest in the world, covering about 1,200,000 square kilometres (463,323 sq mi), including much of inland Queensland , large portions of South Australia and the Northern Territory , and a part of western New South Wales . The basin is also one of
975-583: Is a large geographical area in the interior of southeastern Australia, encompassing the drainage basin of the tributaries of the Murray River , Australia's longest river , and the Darling River , a right tributary of the Murray and Australia's third-longest river. The Basin, which includes six of Australia's seven longest rivers and covers around one-seventh of the Australian landmass, is one of
1040-765: Is an Australian Aboriginal language spoken on Wangkangurru country. It is closely related to Arabana language of South Australia . The Wangkangurru language region was traditionally in the South Australian-Queensland border region taking in Birdsville and extending south towards Innamincka and Lake Eyre , including the local government areas of the Shire of Diamantina as well as the Outback Communities Authority of South Australia. Indigenous Australians have lived with
1105-523: Is lined by trees, bordered by “large parallel sand ridges” and includes “a series of waterholes.” Parts of the creek system are within the protected area known as the Strzelecki Regional Reserve . The creek system is also within the boundaries of the non-statutory Strzelecki Desert Lakes Important Bird Area . The former pastoral lease property Tinga Tingana straddled the creek which also passes through Blanchewater Station . It
1170-407: Is lost to evaporation, to seepage , and in the many ephemeral wetland systems, with the result that downstream flows are typically smaller than upstream flows. Only in exceptional years is there sufficient upstream rain to provide a flow into Lake Eyre itself. The Finke River , starting roughly west of Alice Springs is thought to be the oldest riverbed in the world and although it flows for only
1235-530: Is one of the physiographic provinces of the larger East Australian Basins division, and encompasses the smaller Naracoorte Platform and Encounter Shelf physiographic sections. Total water flow in the Murray–Darling Basin 1885 to the present has averaged around 24,000 gigalitres (24,000 hm ; 19,000,000 acre⋅ft ) per year. This is the lowest rate of the world's major river systems. About 6.0 percent of Australia's total rainwater falls into
1300-540: The Great Artesian Basin underneath. The basin began as a sinking landmass mostly covered by forest and contained many more lakes than now. The climate has changed from wet to arid over the last 60 million years. Most of the rivers in the Lake Eyre basin are now slow flowing, flat and completely dry for lengthy periods. When the country north of the basin floods, floodwaters drain via the main rivers of
1365-664: The Guide to the Proposed Murray–Darling Basin Plan , was released in October 2010 as the first part of a three-stage process to address the problems of the Murray–Darling Basin. The Plan was in response to the 2000s Australian drought , and designed to secure the long-term ecological health of the Murray–Darling Basin. This entailed cutting existing water allocations and tree growth environmental flows . The Basin Plan
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#17327731872461430-1044: The Macumba River , which empties into Lake Eyre , a total distance from headwater streams of around 750 km (470 mi). Major tributaries include Ellery Creek, and the Palmer and Hugh Rivers. The Georgina River system originates on the Barkly Tableland , near the Northern Territory-Queensland border, north-west of Mount Isa and not far south of the Gulf of Carpentaria . In this relatively humid northern area, rainfall can be as high as 500 millimetres (20 in) per year and evaporation as low as 2.4 metres (7 ft 10 in). The Georgina flows through innumerable channels leading south through far-western Queensland for over 1,000 kilometres (620 mi), eventually reaching Goyder Lagoon in
1495-609: The Ramsar Convention of Wetlands of International Importance. The rivers listed below comprise the Murray–Darling Basin and its direct significant tributaries, with elevations of their confluence with the downstream river. The tributary with the highest elevation is Swampy Plain River that rises in the Snowy Mountains, below Mount Kosciuszko at an elevation of 2,120 metres (6,960 ft), and ends merging with
1560-537: The 1890s. Currently, 4 major reservoirs, 14 lock and weir structures, and five coastal barrages interject the water flowing down the Murray–Darling. Of the approximately 13,000 gigalitres (13,000 hm ; 10,500,000 acre⋅ft) of flow in the Basin, which studies have shown to be divertible, 11,500 gigalitres (11,500 hm ; 9,320,000 acre⋅ft) are removed for irrigation, industrial use, and domestic supply. Agricultural irrigation accounts for about 95 percent of
1625-494: The 2010s interest in various updated or amended Bradfield schemes have increased among various politicians. Other less-developed diversion schemes have been proposed to divert river or sea water into the Lake Eyre Basin from time to time. 25°59′49″S 137°59′57″E / 25.99686697°S 137.99905382°E / -25.99686697; 137.99905382 Murray-Darling Basin The Murray–Darling Basin
1690-479: The Basin, a very low biodiversity. Over Christmas 2018 and January 2019 there were two mass deaths of fish in the waters of the Basin, the first numbering 10,000, the second in the hundreds of thousands. Species affected were Murray cod , golden perch , silver perch and bony herring. Some blamed the draining of water from the Menindee Lakes by WaterNSW , with only 2.5% of the original water volume in
1755-474: The Basin, the Murray and Darling, bring water from the high ranges of the east and carry it west then south through long flat and dry inland areas, often resulting in alluvial channel wetlands, such as The (Great) Cumbung Swamp , at the terminus of the Lachlan and Murrumbidgee Rivers. Nevertheless, these waters are subject to major diversions for municipal drinking supplies and irrigated agriculture that began in
1820-463: The Basin. In most years only half of this quantity reaches the sea and in dry years much less. Estimated total annual flows for the Basin have ranged from 5,000 gigalitres (5,000 hm ; 4,100,000 acre⋅ft) in 1902 to 57,000 gigalitres (57,000 hm ; 46,000,000 acre⋅ft) in 1956. Despite the magnitude of the Basin, the hydrology of the streams within it is quite varied. These waters are divided into four types: The two principal rivers of
1885-588: The Gillard Government and following a period of sustained criticism of the Authority and the implementation of the proposed draft Basin plan. He was replaced by former New South Wales Planning Minister, Craig Knowles . In late May 2012, the revised plan was forwarded to state water ministers. It did not alter the recommendation to cut 2,750 gigalitres (2.75 km ; 2,230,000 acre⋅ft) of water entitlements. Following much negotiation between
1950-632: The Lake Eyre Basin Intergovernmental Agreement was signed, and the Lake Eyre Basin Intergovernmental Agreement was set up to ensure the sustainability of the Lake Eyre Basin river systems, particularly to avoid or eliminate cross-border impacts. The Lake Eyre Basin Ministerial Forum was established as the decision making body responsible for overseeing of the Agreement. The Ministerial Forum created
2015-474: The Lake Eyre Basin Intergovernmental Agreement was signed, which was set up to ensure the sustainability of the Lake Eyre Basin river systems. In 2014, the Queensland Government changed the laws protecting the rivers and floodplains. As of 2022 there are fears that mining for coal seam gas could be very detrimental to the fragile environment of the floodplains. The basin began to form in
Strzelecki Creek - Misplaced Pages Continue
2080-548: The Lake Eyre Basin river systems, however, Cooper Creek is by far the most famous, in particular because it was along Cooper Creek that the explorers Burke and Wills met their deaths. It rises in the form of two central Queensland rivers, the Thomson between Longreach and Charters Towers , and the Barcoo in the area around Barcaldine , about 500 kilometres (310 mi) inland from Rockhampton . Cooper Creek spreads out into
2145-403: The Lake Eyre Basin was well supplied with water and largely forested . About 20 million years ago, large shallow lakes formed, covering much of the area for about 10 million years. From that time on, as Australia drifted further north and the climate became gradually more arid, the lakes and floodplains started to dry. Only in the last 2.6 million years did the onset of the ice ages bring about
2210-552: The Murray River, descending 1,860 metres (6,100 ft). The ordering of the Basin, from downstream to upstream, is: The Basin affects five states and territory governments, which according to the Constitution , are responsible for managing water resources. The River Murray Commission was established in 1917. Under the River Murray Waters Agreement , which did not include Queensland though about
2275-431: The Murray–Darling Basin, providing approximately 2,100 gigalitres (7.4×10 cu ft) of water a year to the Basin for use in Australia's irrigated agriculture industry, which is worth about A$ 3 billion per annum, representing more than 40% of the gross value of the nation's agricultural production. The Basin was once home to a large number of Aboriginal people whose traditional lifestyle and cultures were gradually altered by
2340-498: The Murray–Darling. These structures and irrigation implements were ideal when there was a steady flow of water. However, during "the Big Dry", as the early 2000s drought came to be known, Australian farmers experienced a scarcity unlike ever before. The drought was so severe that numerous rivers and streams such as the Murray–Darling stopped flowing. The Basin contains more than 30,000 wetlands . Eleven of these are protected under
2405-567: The Northern Territory, south. In the western parts of the basin the Neales River and Macumba River flow into Lake Eyre. Rivers within the basin have a low gradient, slow flow rate and a naturally turbid water quality. Several of the major Lake Eyre Basin river systems are well-known. Because the Lake Eyre Basin is almost flat, rivers flow slowly and frequently split up into floodplains or multiple braided channels. Water
2470-610: The Victorian Farmers Federation and Wine Group Growers' Australia. Conversely, support for the Murray–Darling Basin plan has been received by various groups, including Australian Conservation Foundation , and Environment Victoria . New legal advice from Commonwealth government lawyers is changing the plan. The Government's interpretation is that the plan must give equal weight to the environmental, social, and economic impacts of proposed cuts to irrigation. Environmentalists and South Australian irrigators, at
2535-591: The arrival of Europeans, while others were outright killed by the settlers. Although some tribes organised resistance, such as the Maraura , whose territory lay around the Rufus River above Renmark and the Tanganekald near The Coorong , they were eventually either killed, exiled, or succumbed to disease. The Murray–Darling Basin is home to many native animal species. The true numbers may not be known, but
2600-566: The basin as far south as Lake Eyre. In 2014, the Queensland Government changed the laws protecting the rivers and floodplains, which, according to environmentalists , could lead to shale gas mining or fracking in the area. As of 2022 there are fears that mining for coal seam gas could be very detrimental to the fragile environment of the floodplains. The Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre National Park , Strzelecki Regional Reserve , Witjira National Park , Sturt National Park , Diamantina National Park , and Simpson Desert National Park are among
2665-402: The basin, Cooper Creek , Georgina River and Diamantina River southwards towards Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre , the country's lowest point at 16 metres (52 ft) below sea level. The water overflows the river banks, across the floodplains , filling waterholes and wetlands and carving new channels, giving rise to the name Channel Country . Most of the rain which falls in the north never reaches
Strzelecki Creek - Misplaced Pages Continue
2730-532: The basin, including Sturt Stony Desert , Tirari Desert and the Strzelecki Desert , are most probably the southern hemisphere's largest source of airborne dust. A total of 27 individual species of fish are found in Lake Eyre basin, with 13 of them being endemic. The largest fish species is the Macquaria , reaching a maximum weight of about 3 kilograms (6.6 lb). Wangkangurru ( also known as Arabana/Wangkangurru, Wangganguru, Wanggangurru, Wongkangurru)
2795-596: The basin. The mining and petroleum industries account for the greatest economic activity in the Lake Eyre Basin. Opals , coal, phosphate , gypsum and uranium are also mined from the basin. In 2009, the Queensland Environmental Protection Agency confirmed that heavy metals from mining operations near Mount Isa had entered the upper reaches of the Georgina River. The spill has the potential to contaminate parts of
2860-628: The cause to (naturally occurring) hypoxic blackwater . Initial investigations by the New South Wales Environment Protection Authority (EPA) included single water samples at six sites and were criticised as inadequate. Subsequently it was announced that the New South Wales government will treat the deaths as a "pollution incident", thus giving the EPA greater investigative powers; earlier testing
2925-646: The country's most significant agricultural areas providing one-third of Australia's food supply. Located west of the Great Dividing Range , it drains southwest into the Great Australian Bight and spans most of the states of New South Wales and Victoria , the Australian Capital Territory , and parts of the states of Queensland (the lower third) and South Australia (the southeastern corner). The Basin
2990-521: The cycles of the land for thousands of years and traditional owners are protective of its natural systems. Management of the area has been problematic as it is covered by four different states' jurisdictions . As the ecological significance of the basin has become known and mismanagement of the Murray-Darling Basin became apparent during several drought cycles , it became clear that ongoing management issues had to be resolved. In 2001
3055-553: The early Paleogene (about 60 million years ago) when south-eastern South Australia started to sink and rivers began to deposit sediment into the large, shallow basin. A remnant of an old oceanic plate is currently sinking in the mantle beneath the basin. The suction effect of this sinking likely caused both the Lake Eyre Basin as well as the Murray-Darling basin to form. The basin is still gradually sinking, and still gradually accumulating sediment. For many millions of years,
3120-739: The end of the river in South Australia, say that the authority should stick to its original figure. In October 2010, a parliamentary inquiry into the economic impacts of the plan was announced. In late October 2010 the Water Minister, Tony Burke, played down the prospect of a High Court challenge to the Murray–Darling Basin plan, as confusion continued over new legal advice released by the Government. In response to community concerns that MDBA had put environmental issues first over social and economic needs, Burke released new advice on
3185-511: The entire flow of the Murray-Darling would be insufficient to fill Lake Eyre, merely keeping pace with evaporation. (In contrast, the flow of the Mississippi could fill Lake Eyre in 22 days, that of the Amazon in just three days. ) Other lakes in the basin include Lake Frome , Lake Yamma Yamma and Lake Hart . The basin is also one of the largest, least-developed arid zone basins with
3250-498: The lake 1,000 km away, which only fills occasionally. Management of the area has been problematic as it is covered by four different states' jurisdictions . As the ecological significance of the basin has become known and mismanagement of another Australian basin, the Murray-Darling Basin , became apparent during several drought cycles , it became clear that ongoing management issues had to be resolved. In 2001
3315-596: The lakes being left; after the first fish kill, both the Department of Primary Industries (DPI) and WaterNSW blamed the ongoing drought affecting Australia, while the DPI blamed the second kill on a disruption of an algal bloom caused by a sudden fall in temperature. In March 2023, millions of fish were reported dead along the Darling River at Menindee, following a heatwave. As the cleanup began, police attributed
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#17327731872463380-425: The largest, least-developed arid zone basins with a high degree of variability anywhere. It supports only about 60,000 people and has no major irrigation, diversions or flood-plain developments. Low density grazing that sustains a large amount of wildlife is the major land use, occupying 82% of the total land within the basin. The Lake Eyre basin of precipitation (rain water) to a great extent geographically overlaps
3445-697: The national perspective was needed for effective management. The Murray–Darling Basin Agreement was first adopted in 1985 but it wasn't until 1993 that its full legal status was enacted. The Agreement led to the creation of a number of new organisations under what is known as the Murray–Darling Basin Initiative. These included the Murray–Darling Basin Ministerial Council and the Murray–Darling Basin Commission . The Murray–Darling Basin Authority (MDBA)
3510-634: The north-eastern corner of South Australia. Australia's early bush poets immortalised the Diamantina River , making it a symbol of the remote outback. It too rises in northern Queensland, roughly between Mount Isa and Winton , flowing 800 kilometres south and west through Birdsville and the Channel Country to join the Georgina at Goyder Lagoon (and then, if there is sufficient flow, down Warburton Creek towards Lake Eyre). Of all
3575-583: The plan's environmental outcomes. With the release of the Guide to the Proposed Murray–Darling Basin Plan there have been a number of protests and voiced concerns about the plan in rural towns that the MDBA visited to present the plan to consultation meetings. More than 5,000 people attended a MDBA meeting in Griffith where Griffith Mayor, Mike Neville, said the plan would "obliterate" Murrumbidgee valley communities. Other groups also echo this feeling, such as
3640-416: The present climatic regime and the consequent fairly rapid desertification of the area. The basin covers just under one-sixth of all Australia and is the largest endorheic basin in Australia and amongst the largest in the world, covering about 1,200,000 square kilometres (463,323 sq mi), including much of inland Queensland , large portions of South Australia and the Northern Territory , and
3705-405: The public meeting that more work is being done to look at how the proposed cuts would affect regional communities. He stated: "Importantly, we want to make sure the social and economic impacts—which under any sort of scenario is very significant—were fully teased out". Taylor resigned as he allegedly believed that the overriding principle should be the environmental outcome which was in conflict with
3770-640: The requirements of the Water Act . Burke stated that the Act does allow for the authority to "optimise" the needs of all three areas, but constitutional lawyer, George Williams, had cast doubts over the interpretation of the laws, stating it could be subject to a legal challenge. The MDBA announced in November 2010 that it might be forced to push back the release of its final plan for the river system until early 2012. The then MDBA chairman, Mike Taylor , reassured
3835-454: The system. Cane toads compete with native amphibians and are toxic to native carnivores. Phyla canescens has invaded wetlands and floodplains with heavy clay soils in the Murray–Darling Basin, to the detriment of the native vegetation; the plant does best in habitats that are inundated occasionally, although it cannot compete with the grass Paspalum distichum and the sedge Eleocharis plana in more heavily inundated sites. This area
3900-537: The water reaching Lake Eyre comes from the river systems of semi-arid inland Queensland, roughly 1,000 kilometres (620 mi) to the north. To provide a sense of scale, the Lake Eyre Basin is about the size of France, Germany and Italy combined. It is slightly larger than the Murray-Darling basin (which drains inland eastern Australia and is responsible for a large proportion of the continent's agricultural productivity ) but has vastly less water. Nevertheless,
3965-423: The water removed, including for the growing of rice and cotton . This extraction is highly controversial among scientists in Australia, regarding the agriculture industry's high water use in a region extremely short of water (as much due to exceptionally low run-off coefficients as to low rainfall). These extensive irrigation systems require a reliable supply of water, not the unpredictable flows that characterise
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#17327731872464030-495: Was described as being primarily intended to ensure public safety. Four varieties of carp were used to stock up fish dams. Since then they have made their way into the river systems, where they spread quite quickly. Human introduction, possibly by anglers using small carp illegally as live bait, has also increased their distribution. These fish are very mobile, breed rapidly and can survive in very shallow water and through long periods of very low dissolved oxygen content. Carp are
4095-444: Was designed to set environmentally sustainable limits on the quantities of water that may be taken from Basin water resources , to set Basin-wide environmental, water quality and salinity objectives, to develop efficient water trading regimes across the Basin, to set requirements for state water resource plans and to improve water security for all Basin users. It also intends to minimise social and economic impacts whilst achieving
4160-626: Was formed in 2008 to manage the Murray–Darling Basin in an integrated and sustainable manner. The MDBA is responsible for preparing and overseeing a legally-enforceable management plan. In October 2010, MDBA released a draft Murray–Darling Basin Plan (MDBP) for consultation. On 22nd November 2012, Tony Burke signed the Murray–Darling Basin Plan, which passed the Australian Parliament's disallowance period on 19 March 2013. The MDBA's draft Murray–Darling Basin Plan, titled
4225-688: Was named by the British explorer, Charles Sturt on 18 August 1845 after Paul Edmund de Strzelecki , the Polish scientist and explorer. Explorer Augustus Charles Gregory and his party found that following Strzelecki Creek proved to be the best way to travel through the interior from the Pacific to the Southern Ocean. Lake Eyre basin The Lake Eyre basin ( / ɛər / AIR )
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