The current ecological vandalism that is the construction of what the State Government terms the Clayton "regulator" but what is in effect a dam across the lower Murray, must bring tears to the eyes of anyone who truly cares about the future of this iconic and vital river.

To make matters worse, there has been a dire prediction that the level of the Murray below Lock 1 at Blanchetown could drop to almost 1.5 metres below sea level over the next few months: [read article]

The plight of the Murray is graphically illustrated by the image of the nearly-completed and much-criticised regulator, recently circulated by the River, Lakes and Coorong Action Group with the statement that “we are bearing witness to the end of the Murray”.

Fair Water Use considers one of the most pressing issues, of the many which comprise the Murray-Darling crisis, to be the severe degradation of the Lower Murray Lakes and the Coorong. Years of inaction have allowed Lake Alexandrina and Lake Albert to decay to such an extent that an increasing body of opinion believes that they cannot realistically be preserved as predominantly freshwater ecosystems in the long-term.

The image below, with the "Lake", to the left and the sea on the right, bears further witness to the magnitude of the problem.

Sadly, it now appears almost inevitable that the highly contentious Pomanda weir will be constructed in the near future. It is generally agreed that this provides no long-term solution and will have further negative impacts on river health and water quality.

Fair Water Use has previously circulated a proposal, provided by one of its members, which appears to address many of the problems afflicting the lower Murray and incorporates the creation of extensive wetlands, replacing those which have been destroyed as a result of the ongoing anthropogenic impacts on the Lower Lakes.

It must be emphasised that this plan is not FWU policy, but, in view of the critical situation, it is put forward for discussion by FWU members and the wider community.

The "Western Rim Proposal" involves construction of a levee (highlighted in green) around the shore of Lake Alexandrina, effectively extending the River Murray to the current mouth. Lake Alexandrina itself would be opened to the sea, as was the case before the barrages were built.

A weir, which could possibly incorporate a portion of that planned for Pomanda, would be incorporated into the levee to enable diversion of flood water into Lake Alexandrina as and when Murray flows allowed, maintaining it as a quasi-estuarine environment. All other “regulators” and barrages would be decommissioned, with the exception of the existing lock and weir below Goolwa which would enable boat access between the sea and the river. 

Extensive fresh water wetlands would be restored and created along the western edge of the river extension. Flows to these areas would be regulated to simulate natural wet and dry periodicity. The unique and natural Coorong would be preserved as a brackish water system by diversion of several large drainage channels which currently discharge fresh water directly into the sea to its east. Local biodiversity is projected to increase.

This would be a major undertaking, involving both the South Australian and the Federal Governments, but, as it allows the Murray to flow to its mouth and to deposit its salt load into the ocean, it appears to offer the hope of significant improvement in the health of the river.

The project is certainly a long term one, designed to counter the projected effects of climate change as much as the impacts of over-allocation. The sad state of the lake would enable the major on-site earthworks to be undertaken on the dry rim of the lake, reducing construction time significantly and also minimising the displacement of noxious mud associated with the current construction of the regulator at Clayton.

It is generally agreed that the Murray-Darling Basin accounts for around 40 per cent of Australia’s gross agricultural production (calculated by the ABS as $37.3 billion in 2005-6). The one-off price of this major project should therefore not be an issue, as the annual opportunity cost is many times greater. Under the proposal, the levee would be sufficiently wide to be sold for low-density development, with the river on one side and the lakes on the other. The value of this land would partially offset the cost of this ambitious project. 

It is expected that there would be positive economic impact on local communities during the construction period, as employment demand and logistic support opportunities would be immense. Proponents of this project believe that local communities would gain from the development: tourism and related industries would be expected to particularly benefit as boating and fishing sectors would have access to both fresh water and partially-estuarine environments.

Long-term rainfall projections for the Murray-Darling are grim and there is no evidence that governments, state or federal, have the intestinal fortitude to adequately reset Basin allocations to enable the Murray to nurture the Lower Lakes the way it once did. Perhaps it is time to consider a compromise?