River system levels still dire

Daniel Lewis
August 20, 2007

THINGS still look grim for irrigation in the Murray-Darling Basin this summer, with most storages very low.

Burrinjuck Dam on the Murrumbidgee River has climbed to 42 per cent capacity and Hume Dam on the Murray 22, but Copeton Dam on the Gwydir River is just 11, Keepit on the Namoi 7, Burrendong on the Macquarie 13, Wyangala on the Lachlan 17 and Menindee Lakes on the Darling River 4 per cent.

Irrigators on the Lachlan and Murrumbidgee rivers now have access to 30 per cent of their high-security entitlement this summer but in the Murray Valley farmers can only carry out survival watering of citrus and chardonnay wine grapes

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