River Murray-South East
River Murray-South East NatureLink
The NatureLink travels the full 650-kilometre length of the River Murray in South Australia to the Coorong and lakes area surrounding the river mouth, before continuing along the interlinking water courses that run to the Victorian border.
Environment
The region's environment features a unique array of interrelated aquatic habitats including floodplains, wetlands and interlinking water courses that provide refuge and habitat for many significant species.
Due to extensive farming and drainage the remaining habitats on land and in water are in poor condition and have lost connectivity. Today only 6% of the region's wetlands remain, while along the Murray River only 5% of vegetation blocks are 100ha or larger.
Decline in habitat quality and increased isolation in the region is limiting the ability of species to disperse and successfully breed. Introduced plant and animal pests, changed fire regimes, damage by overgrazing and climate change are factors compounding the problem of isolation.
Land Use
Irrigated horticulture, cropping, viticulture, dairy farming, livestock production, forestry and fisheries feature across the NatureLink. Various other industries associated with the many townships are reliant on water provided primarily by the River Murray and underground aquifers. Tourism is also a key industry.
Several national parks and protected areas exist across the NatureLink as well as four of the state's Ramsar-listed wetlands.