Vital water delivery underway to River Murray floodplains

River Murray wetlands and floodplains are benefited from a much-needed drink, with water for the environment currently being delivered to 3 sites. Floodplain infrastructure operations commenced at Katarapko Floodplain in August, and Pike Floodplain and Chowilla Game Reserve in September.

At the peak of operations, approximately 735 hectares of low-lying floodplain were inundated in the Murray River National Park’s Katarapko Floodplain, and approximately 1,200 hectares of floodplain are being inundated at Pike Floodplain, located east of Renmark. The operation at Chowilla Game Reserve is inundating between 2,000 ha and 4,000 ha of floodplain and wetlands, depending on river conditions.

The delivery of water for the environment is subject to environmental water availability and River Murray flow and water quality conditions. When higher flows are experienced, regulators can be operated to a higher level and more extensive inundation is possible. River conditions and environmental water activities are closely monitored throughout operations, with management adapted as flow conditions change.

Program Leader, River and Floodplains Jan Whittle said the operations were welcome news for the sites, which have been drying rapidly. 

“We look forward to getting water onto these floodplains to help maintain the significant benefits from the floods and past environmental water delivery” Ms Whittle said.

“This will be the fifth time floodplain infrastructure has been operated at Pike, and the fourth time at Katarapko, since they were commissioned in 2020. It will be the seventh time Chowilla regulator has been operated.”

The floodplain operations coincide with weir pool raisings (WPR) at locks 4, 5 and 6, with additional WPR at Lock 2 (by up to 50 cm above normal pool level) and Lock 1 (small-scale within normal operating range). Managing the weirs for variable water levels helps reinstate some flow variability, which is important for the health of the river and its fringing habitat.

Operations may result in the temporary closure of some public access tracks at Katarapko Floodplain and Chowilla Game Reserve. Up to date information is available on the National Parks and Wildlife South Australia website at www.parks.sa.gov.au and visitors are reminded to stay on public access tracks and proceed with caution on tracks they are unfamiliar with. It is essential to adhere to park signage and not enter any flood waters. 

Benefits of the environmental water operations

The delivery of water for the environment to these important South Australian floodplains will achieve a range of positive outcomes, including:

• supporting the survival and growth of diverse floodplain vegetation communities, such as river red gum woodland, black box woodland and lignum shrubland
• providing conditions for aquatic plants to flourish
• increasing the extent of habitat available for waterbird, frog, turtle, small-bodied native fish and other native fauna breeding and foraging
• improving soil moisture availability to ensure that saplings that emerged following the 2022-23 flood continue to survive and thrive
• connecting waterways and wetlands to enable movement of carbon and nutrients between ecosystems to fuel the food web and encourage a diversity of water bugs to feed fish, frogs, bats, birds and other floodplain fauna
• consolidating improvements seen following the 2022-23 River Murray flood and build on the outcomes from 2024 watering operations.

Water for the environment delivered during these operations is provided through the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder and the Murray-Darling Basin Authority’s The Living Murray program. The Department for Environment and Water works closely with these organisations, along with river operators and upstream states, to support coordinated delivery of water for the environment, which is essential to achieve the greatest benefits from available water and ensure ecosystems along the length of the River Murray thrive.

More information

Subscribe to receive future floodplain operation updates

• Katarapko Floodplain 2025-26 proposed environmental water operations fact sheet
• Pike Floodplain 2025-26 proposed environmental water operations fact sheet
• Chowilla Game Reserve 2025-26 proposed environmental water operations fact sheet
• Water for the environment web page
• Weir pool manipulation web page

Updates regarding water for the environment planning, including operations at Pike, Katarapko and Chowilla floodplains, weir pool manipulations and other activities are also provided in the weekly SA River Murray Flow Report (released each Friday). To view the Flow Report or subscribe to receive it directly to your email, please visit environment.sa.gov.au/flow-report

If you have further queries about the proposed floodplain operations, please contact the Department for Environment and Water’s Environmental Water Team at DEW.ewater@sa.gov.au