A new report has suggested six options to address the threat to the Murray River’s Barmah Choke, which is in danger of eventually closing due to a sand slug moving down the river bed.
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Six potential options that could address the declining flow through the Barmah-Millewa reach of the Murray River have been detailed in a report released by the Murray-Darling Basin Authority.
A 2020 report found the choke will eventually lose flow capacity as more sand accumulates on the bed, with the Murray River forced into a new course.
One of the six options includes removal of sand from the river, believed to have found its way into the river through gold mining operations more than 100 years ago.
The study is assessing the technical feasibility of sand removal and identifying the environmental, cultural, economic and social impacts. This will lead to the preparation of a final options report for the project.
The final options report would identify the preferred option, and would then proceed to business case development if approved by the Murray-Darling Basin Officials Committee.
One third of the river channel at Picnic Point is believed to be filled with sand.
The choke is the narrow section of river that runs through the Barmah-Millewa Forest.
The MDBA believes the capacity has been reduced from 11,300 Ml/day in the 1980s to 9200 Ml/day today.
One of the options proposes irrigation channel infrastructure works within the Murray Irrigation Limited area to increase the capacity to deliver bypass flows around the Barmah-Millewa reach.
The option uses MIL’s infrastructure for bypass flows and explores opportunities to leverage the infrastructure for improving deliveries of environmental water within the Edward River system.
A section of the Barmah Choke: Illustration: MDBA.
The six options being explored are:
Stabilising the banks to prevent further incursion of water into the Barmah-Millewa Forest.
Removing sand from key locations.
Changing the timing of water delivery to Lake Victoria to be better attuned to environmental watering events.
Using Goulburn Murray Irrigation District infrastructure to deliver water downstream.
Using Murray Irrigation Limited system to deliver water through the Edward/Wakool River system.
Releasing water to the Murray River via the Murrumbidgee River through the Snowy Hydro scheme.
The options will be presented to governments in December for them to decide which options to investigate further or to proceed to a business case and formal community consultation.
