Menindee Water Crisis: Storage Falls Below 480 Gigalitres

Water resources in the northern Murray-Darling basin are tightening as Menindee Lakes in western New South Wales record their lowest storage levels in five years. The decline has forced the state government to activate temporary water restrictions for upstream users.

Combined storage across the Menindee Lakes dropped below 480 gigalitres earlier this month, a threshold not breached since 2021. In the upper lakes, volumes have fallen under 250 gigalitres, which triggers mandatory state limits on water access for certain irrigators in the region.

The restrictions aim to preserve water for critical human consumption and environmental health after 12 months of low rainfall in the catchment. Hydrologists warn that the current conditions increase the likelihood of mass fish mortality during the upcoming summer months.

Prof Jamie Pittock of the Australian National University stated that officials predict fish kills will occur without increased inflows. "Government officials are predicting with a level of certainty that unless there's more water flowing into the Baaka-Darling River that there will be fish kills at Menindee this summer," Pittock said. He advocated for state governments to halt the extraction of the initial flush of water and called for substantial rainfall events.

Local resident Graeme McCrabb, who previously alerted authorities to the 2018-19 disasters, described the current state as "drought reserve volumes." He noted that while small inflows have recently arrived from the Queensland border, the risk of a major die-off remains very high in January or February without further water. "I'm worried about fish kills to be honest," McCrabb said, citing the visible green algal changes in the water.

The Menindee region has experienced catastrophic fish kills in 2018, 2019, and 2023. Following the 2023 events, Premier Chris Minns and senior ministers visited the area to commit to an investigation. An expert panel established under the northern basin connectivity program recommended limiting upstream overextraction during dry periods to sustain river flows. The panel delivered its final report two years ago, but the state government has not yet implemented its recommendations.

McCrabb expressed disappointment that agencies have made no policy changes to improve water quality outcomes since the previous fish kills. The NSW water minister, Rose Jackson, has been contacted for comment.