Murray Darling Basin Authority News

Dredging of the River Murray mouth has begun as the South Australian Government was granted funding from the Murray Darling Basin Authority to keep the channel open over summer. The State and Commonwealth Governments announced in December dredging would be undertaken to keep the mouth open. A dredge will pump more than 1,300 cubic meters of sand a day to nearby Sir Richard and Younghusband Peninsulas. SA River Murray Minister Ian Hunter said conditions of the mouth in the Coorong had "deteriorated significantly" over the last few months and there is no other go than dredging should begin soon. It’s important that the mouth remains open to allow the exchange of water between the Coorong and the Southern Ocean which helps to keep Coorong ecosystems healthy.