Publication (Technical report): Snapshot of the Murray-Darling Basin River Condition

Publication Type:	Technical report / Consultancy
Publication Name:	Snapshot of the Murray-Darling Basin River Condition

Reference Information

Norris, R., Liston, P., Davies, N., Coysh, J., Dyer, F., Linke, S., Prosser, I., Young, B. (2001) Snapshot of the Murray-Darling Basin River Condition . Report to the Murray-Darling Basin Commission, MDBC, Canberra.

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Snapshot of the Murray-Darling Basin River Condition
The Snapshot of the Murray-Darling Basin River Condition (2001) presents an interim picture of river health at two scales -- the first a broad view of river health across all rivers in the Basin; the second a more detailed assessment of the health of the River Murray and Lower Darling. It does not pretend to be more than a glimpse of river health, but the picture is clear -- rivers in the Basin are generally in poor ecological condition.

The report has been prepared to guide discussion on matters affecting river health in the Basin. It does not provide either a fully detailed assessment of condition. Nor does it provide an assessment of trends.

This snapshot is the first collation of river health information prepared specifically for the Basin. It uses information from the National Land and Water Resources Audit, which had collated and recorded the information obtained in state and national programs.

The snapshot report was reviewed by the MDBC's Independent Sustainable Rivers Audit Group and their overview comments are included. Importantly, they note that the current level of health is less than that required for ecological sustainability, and that the evidence for decline is inescapable.

Report authors: R.H. Norris*, P. Liston*, N. Davies*, J. Coysh*, F. Dyer*, S. Linke*, I. Prosser^c, B. Young^c,
*CRC for Freshwater Ecology
^cCSIRO Land and Water, Canberra.

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