NSW restricts water use as Menindee Lakes hit five-year low
Storage volumes have dropped below critical thresholds, prompting officials to act ahead of a predicted summer die-off.
By Giulia Donovan ·
The New South Wales government has restricted upstream water extraction after Menindee Lakes storage levels fell to their lowest point in five years. The move aims to protect essential water supplies and ecological health while experts warn that mass fish deaths are likely this summer without improved river flows.
Combined storage across the lake system slipped below 480 gigalitres earlier this month. This marks the first time the total has dropped under that level since 2021. In the upper Menindee Lakes, volumes have now fallen below 250 gigalitres. That specific threshold triggers temporary state water restrictions across parts of the northern Murray-Darling basin.
The restrictions limit access for some irrigators. They follow twelve months of low rainfall in the catchment area. Jamie Pittock, a professor at the Australian National University and member of the Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists, stated that officials are predicting with certainty that fish kills will occur unless more water flows into the Darling-Baaka River. He called for a major rainfall event and urged state governments to stop irrigators from pumping the first flush of water.
Graeme McCrabb, a local resident who raised alarms during previous disasters, described the current situation as having reached drought reserve volumes. He said this means water must be conserved at all costs. McCrabb noted that small inflows are arriving from Queensland after recent rain there, but he emphasized that much more water is needed. He warned that the risk of fish kills would be very high in January or February without those inflows.
Menindee has experienced catastrophic fish kills in 2018, 2019, and 2023. In those years, millions of dead fish washed up along stretches of the Darling-Baaka. After winning the 2023 state election, Premier Chris Minns and senior ministers visited Menindee. They committed to investigating the mass fish kills and established an expert panel under the northern basin connectivity program.
The panel recommended limiting upstream overextraction during dry periods to sustain flows in tributaries feeding the Darling-Baaka River and Menindee Lakes. The goal was to reduce the risk of fish kills and large-scale drying. The panel delivered its final report two years ago, but the state government has not yet implemented the recommendations. McCrabb expressed disappointment that agencies have made no policy changes to improve water quality outcomes since the previous events.
The New South Wales water minister, Rose Jackson, has been sought for comment on the new restrictions and the current status of the lake system.
