Environment & Climate
Menindee Lakes storage falls to five-year low, raising fish kill warnings
The Guardian reports that Menindee Lakes levels have hit a five-year low, with experts warning of fish kills this summer without more inflows.
The short version
- Water levels at Menindee Lakes in western New South Wales have fallen to their lowest point in five years.[The Guardian]
- Combined storage fell below 480 gigalitres earlier this month, the first time since 2021, and upper lakes dropped below 250GL, triggering temporary state restrictions.[The Guardian]
- Prof Jamie Pittock says government officials predict fish kills at Menindee this summer unless more water reaches the Baaka-Darling River.[The Guardian]
- An expert panel recommended limiting upstream overextraction in dry periods two years ago, but the state government has not implemented it.[The Guardian]
Key facts
- Combined storage at Menindee Lakes fell below 480 gigalitres earlier this month, the first time since 2021.[The Guardian]
- Water volumes in the upper Menindee Lakes dropped below 250GL, a level that triggers temporary state water restrictions across parts of the northern Murray-Darling basin.[The Guardian]
- Water levels at Menindee Lakes have fallen to their lowest point in five years.[The Guardian]
- Prof Jamie Pittock of the Australian National University and the Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists attributed to government officials a prediction, made with a level of certainty, of fish kills at Menindee this summer unless more water flows into the Baaka-Darling River.[The Guardian]
- An expert panel under the northern basin connectivity program delivered its final report two years ago, recommending limits on upstream overextraction during dry periods, which the state government has not yet implemented.[The Guardian]
What remains uncertain
- Whether fish kills will occur this summer is a projection attributed to experts and government officials, not an established outcome.[The Guardian]
- The description of the lakes having reached drought reserve volumes is a resident's characterisation, attributed to Menindee resident Graeme McCrabb, not an official measurement.[The Guardian]
Sources
Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.