Since 2009, water for the environment has helped to preserve key wetlands, plants, fish, and waterbirds in the Macquarie Valley.
The latest achievements are below. To learn more about past water delivery, visit Past water use.
Drought recovery
During 2017–20, the valley suffered its worst drought on record. There valley experienced the highest temperatures on record and less than average rainfall.
Conditions began to improve in early 2020. Water for the environment sent much-needed flows to the Macquarie River / Wambuul and Macquarie Marshes. This water helped:
- Murray cod to breed and grow
- inundate key areas of the Macquarie Marshes
- improve wetland plants
- support habitat for waterbirds, frogs and other animals.
In 2021–22, good rainfall kept tributaries flowing. This meant we only had to deliver a small amount of water for the environment. This water helped waterbirds finish breeding and served as feeding areas for young birds. It also increased connections along Macquarie River / Wambuul down to Barwon River.
Key achievements
July to August 2021
We delivered water for the environment to the Macquarie Marshes. This helped:
- support wetland plants
- preserve habitat for waterbirds to feed and breed
- connect the lower Macquarie River.
We delivered a small amount of water to the mid Macquarie River / Wambuul and marshes. This helped wetland plants to recover and ensured waterbirds could breed.
October to November 2021
Wet conditions in the valley continued. Egrets began nesting in small groups across the marshes.
By November, Burrendong Dam filled up again. We stopped delivering water since releases from this storage kept flows going.
The marshes became home to big groups of birds, such as:
- ibis (Australian white, straw-necked and glossy)
- egrets (mostly intermediate and eastern great)
- nankeen night heron
- spoonbills.
February to May 2022
By the end of February, there were about 90,000 waterbird nests across 31 colonies in the marshes.
We delivered water for the environment to help waterbirds to finish breeding. It created feeding areas for both young and adult birds. It also extended the connection between the lower Macquarie and Barwon rivers.
On top of rainfall and flows from tributaries, delivering water for the environment covered vast parts of the Macquarie Marshes. Many of these areas did not get water for years. They include species of:
- river red gum woodland
- coolibah
- black box.
These areas support a range of waterbirds like the Australasian bittern. It also provided habitat for frogs to breed and grow.