Water purchased for Australia's Narran Lake Ramsar site

25/03/08

Dear Ramsar-ites,

Some happy news at long last concerned the water-deprived Ramsar sites in Australia's Murray Darling Basin. The Narran Lake Ramsar site is a semi-terminal wetland in the New South Wales northern part of the basin, whose headwaters in the state of Queensland have had their waters over-allocated for irrigation farming. The Basin's state and national government Commission has just purchased 11,000 megalitres of water to top up a modest natural flood over the next six weeks, to provide the high water levels needed to enable colonial water birds breeding on the lake to fledge their chicks. The Ramsar site had been largely waterless for nine years.

Earlier January, a small environmental flow was released into the NSW Murray Forests Ramsar site to keep a population of a threatened fish species - the Southern Pygmy Perch - alive.

For expert & independent commentary on Narran Lake from Dr Richard Kingsford interviewed by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, go to:
http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2008/s2198888.htm

To see the governments' media release on Narran Lake, go to:
http://www.mdbc.gov.au/__data/page/29/Easter_water_gift_will_boost_Narran_Lakes_environment.pdf

To see the governments' media release on the Southern Pygmy Perch, go to:
http://www.mdbc.gov.au/__data/page/29/millewa-state-forest-watering.pdf

The governments' ministerial communique from 7 March on the action they plan to take to deal with the declining riverine environment (including Ramsar 'icon' sites) is at:
http://www.mdbc.gov.au/__data/page/915/MC_Communique_March_2008.pdf

Cheers - Jamie Pittock

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