How we recover water in the Murray–Darling Basin

Under the Murray-Darling Basin Plan there are two different water recovery targets and many different measures used to achieve them

Each approach impacts the water recovery targets in a different way and together they help to ensure a sustainable future for this vital water resource and the communities and industries that depend on it.

‘Bridging the Gap’

The Basin Plan’s primary water recovery target was calculated by comparing the difference between the Baseline Diversion Limit (BDL) and the Sustainable Diversion Limit (SDL). This difference is known as the ‘gap’ and is a total of 2,750 GL per year.

Water recovery towards ‘Bridging the Gap’ is mostly done through the Sustainable Rural Water Use and Infrastructure Program which involves:

• infrastructure investments
• water purchases
• Other state and federal recoveries.

This makes up most of the water recovery under the Murray-Darling Basin Plan and has been successful in reducing diversions.

Recovery target amendments

In 2018 there were two amendments to the Basin Plan’s ‘Bridging the Gap’ water recovery target in line with:

• the Murray-Darling Basin Authority’s 2016 Northern Basin Review
• the Basin Plan’s Sustainable Diversion Limit Adjustment Mechanism (SDLAM).

The two adjustments were made to achieve made to achieve environmental outcomes required through the Basin Plan with less water. This meant more water available for productive use without impacting the environment.

The Northern Basin Review

In 2016 the Murray-Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) completed a review of the impacts the Basin Plan was having on the Northern Basin. Through this review they found that 70 GL / y could be saved by improving management of environmental water in the Northern Basin.

In 2018 the ‘Bridging the Gap’ water recovery target was amended in light of the Northern Basin Review’s findings. This amendment reduced the target by 70 GL / y subject to the implementation of a package of measures that would address the review’s findings. These measures are included in the Northern Basin Toolkit.     

The Sustainable Diversion Limit Adjustment Mechanism

The Murray-Darling Basin Plan included a mechanism to allow the Sustainable Diversion Limit to be adjusted up or down. This is called the Sustainable Diversion Limit Adjustment Mechanism (SDLAM) and its inclusion in the Basin Plan was to allow flexibility to achieve the environmental outcomes with less water.
This can be achieved through projects to deliver water to the environment more efficiently including:

• supply projects
• constraints projects.

In 2018 the MDBA determined that the Sustainable Diversion Limit could be reduced by 605 GL / y under the SDLAM subject to the implementation of 36 supply and constraints projects.

This meant that the ‘Bridging the Gap’ recovery target was again reduced, and 605 GL / y more water was available in the Basin for productive use without impacting environmental outcomes.

Video transcript - SDLAM – Quick Overview DOCX [20 KB]

450 GL for enhanced environmental outcomes

The Basin Plan includes 450 GL per year additional water recovery above the gap bridging target. This is for enhanced environmental outcomes on the condition that there are neutral or positive socio-economic impacts from this water recovery.

Water recovery towards this target is being done through efficiency measures. This creates water savings that are shared between environmental and productive water users.

The water recovery equation

After the two Bain Plan amendments the ‘Bridging the Gap’ water recovery target reduced from 2,750 to 2,075 GL / y. Meaning more water remains available for productive use while achieving the environmental outcomes with less water.