Water from heavy downpours in March is flowing into Lake Menindee for the first time in five years.
Water is flowing back into Lake Menindee, replenishing the drought parched lakebed and bringing birdlife back to its waterways.
Heavy rain that soaked southern Queensland and northern NSW in March is now flowing south, bringing relief to an area that’s battled drought for years.
Lake Menindee is part of a series of lakes on the Darling River with environmental and cultural significance and the return of water will benefit wildlife through the release of nutrients from dry lake sediments.
Water flowing from the upper lakes of Wetherell and Pamamaroo into Menindee is expected to result in about 300 to 500 gigalitres flowing into Lake Menindee.
Around early June, the two upper lakes are expected to be at capacity, providing
- water security for farm families and communities of the Lower Darling
- increasing food resources for water birds, fish and turtles.
The water flow is expected to deliver up to 850 gigalitres into the lakes system, filling about half of the combined capacity.
WaterNSW estimates the lakes’ total volume could exceed 640GL in May, at that point it becomes the shared resource of the River Murray system.