Received Evidence for Deteriorating Water Quality in the Murray River

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Introduction

It is rare for both sides of federal politics to agree.  Both the Government and Opposition agree that saving the River Murray is a national priority.  Both the Government and Opposition have canvassed the possibility of taking water from irrigators to increase environmental flows - in the case of the Opposition 1,500 gigalitre. 

Why such drastic action?  The river is apparently very sick.  What is wrong with it? According to the Wentworth Group , The Economist magazine , and everyone in Ticky Fullerton’s book Watershed, including Ticky Fullerton , a major problem is deteriorating water quality in particular a worsening salinity problem. 

The CSIRO website includes the statement, “…look at Australia’s largest and most developed river system, the Murray-Darling Basin, shows the nature of the problem we face.  Salt levels are rising in almost all of the Basin’s rivers and now exceed WHO guidelines for drinking water in many areas.  Business as usual is not an option.  If we do nothing, the salinity of the Lower River Murray – where Adelaide pumps out its drinking water – will eventually rise to exceed WHO guidelines.” 

But the facts do not support these claims of deteriorating water quality.

Key water quality indicators include turbidity (a measure of sediment load), nitrogen and phosphorus (nutrient levels) and electrical conductivity (saltiness).  According to the Australian Water Resources Assessment 2000 we spend $142- $168 million each year on water quality monitoring.   So let us consider the water quality data for key sites in the River Murray.

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