Latest water use - Lachlan

Last updated:

This page provides information on watering actions taking place in the Lachlan River this water year. We’ve grouped them by status: planned or on hold, in progress, and completed.

For watering actions completed in previous water years, visit Past water use.

Note, the figures and dates provided in the tables may be estimates only. 'CEW' refers to Commonwealth environmental water. All water volumes are in megalitres (ML).

Planned

LocationEstimated water (ML)Start dateObjectives
Noonamah Pumping

CEW: 150ML

NSW: 150ML

Pending
  • Maintain native vegetation to enhance resilience during drought conditions.
  • Support waterbirds and flow-dependent frog species.
  • Support waterbird dispersal to avoid large scale aggregations.
Jemalong (Wilbertroy and Evergreen)CEW: 1,350MLPending
  • Support a range of aquatic and semi aquatic plants and fringing black box and river red gum.

In progress

LocationEstimated water (ML)Start dateObjectives
Lower Lachlan Swamps and Cumbung Flow

CEW: 53,000

NSW: 25,000

1/07/2026
  • Provide and protect a range of refuge across the landscape.
  • Maintain the extent and improve condition of freshwater habitats.
  • Support native species of birds, fish, frogs and plants in floodplains and wetlands.

Completed

LocationStatusDelivered water (ML)Completion dateObjectives
Willandra Creek full systemCompleteCEW use: 13,007 

NSW use: 6,156 

Total: 19,163		20/11/2025
  • Support non-woody plants in wetlands and on floodplains.
  • Maintain the extent of and improve of waterbird habitat condition.
  • Support seedlings and condition of river red gum and black box communities.
Lachlan full system scale watering actionCompleteCEW use: 8,315

NSW use: 21,704

Total: 30,019		31/12/2025
  • Support native fish breeding and recruitment.
  • Provide a period of stable flows in the mid and lower Lachlan during the nesting period for Murray cod.
  • Maintain a steady flow of water into Cumbung Swamp to support frogs and waterbirds.
Jemalong (Wilbertroy and Evergreen)CompleteCEW use: 915.513/05/2026
  • Support a range of aquatic and semi aquatic plants and fringing black box and river red gum.
Greater Cumbung Autumn FlowCompleteCEW use: 3000
(up to 3600)

NSW use: 3000		15/03/2026
  • Support young southern bell frogs.
  • Support a range of native plants.
  • Maintain the extent of and improve habitat condition for other animals such as birds, fish and turtles.
  • Enhance wetland connectivity.

Learn more

The Water Management Plan 2025–26 has more information about Commonwealth environmental flow planning.

To learn more about the results of watering actions, visit Science and monitoring. You can also: