Murray-Darling Basin Authority executive director of river management Andrew Reynolds said the update to the 2022-23 Annual Operating Outlook highlighted the widespread rain and flooding that dominated the 2022 water year.
The update is normally released before Christmas but was delayed until the main Murray River flood peak passed.
The report aims to provide a range of climate and weather scenarios to help water users and river managers with planning for the year ahead.
“The volume of water flowing into the Murray River system in November and December was the largest recorded in 127 years,” Mr Reynolds said.
“This followed record-breaking rainfall in many southern basin communities, particularly between August and December.
“It is heartening to see the Murray River system positioned to provide strong water availability for communities and the environment well into 2023-24.
“This also means it is unlikely the MDBA will need to draw water from the Menindee Lakes into the Murray system any time soon.”
Mr Reynolds said parts the Murray were expected to return to regulated conditions in the coming months if conditions remained relatively dry; however, water storages remained at very high levels for this time of year, with Dartmouth Dam and Hume Dam virtually full.
“The release of water to manage air space has already started at Dartmouth Dam, and if reasonable rain persists into autumn, releases from Hume Dam will be required as we approach winter,” he said.
“The latest climate outlook issued by the Bureau of Meteorology points to average rainfall across the basin for February to April 2023, with a possible trend to drier conditions from March to May 2023.”
The full update is available on the MDBA’s website.
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