Bookmark Creek first operations
First operations of Bookmark Creek infrastructure constructed under the Sustaining Riverland Environments program have now commenced.
Update - First operations of the Bookmark Creek infrastructure have been postponed due to wet weather preventing site access for monitoring. First Operations testing will recommence once the floodplain dries.
The Department for Environment and Water's Water Infrastructure and Operations branch recently commenced the first operations of Bookmark Creek infrastructure constructed under the Sustaining Riverland Environments program. Operations began on Wednesday 11 March 2026 and it will run for up to 12 days.
Key objectives of the operations are to:
- commission and verify the performance of infrastructure - regulator, fishway and associated structures
- validate hydrological and ecological outcomes in line with the Bookmark Creek Wetland Management Plan, under a range of regulator, Lock 5 and River Murray flow conditions
- assess and manage operational risks
- calibrate and verify the operational model by comparing observed flow and level data with modelled predictions
During the first operations period, water levels within Bookmark Creek will fluctuate as different operating scenarios are tested, including various combinations of the LayFlat gates, fishway and canoe passage.
The first operations will be undertaken with support from the Water Science and Monitoring Branch to undertake gauging and monitoring activities. Monitoring will assess hydrological performance, ecological and physical responses, and to inform future operations and management.
For any enquiries email DEW.WIOcommunications@sa.gov.au. To find out more visit www.environment.sa.gov.au/bookmark-creek
The Sustaining Riverland Environments program is a $37.6 million program funded by the Australian Government through the Murray-Darling Basin Authority and delivered by the Government of South Australia through the Department for Environment and Water.
