Big Ideas
These are the ideas that we hope you will take away with you when all other information has been forgotten ·

• It is cheaper to maintain ecosystems than to restore them. ·
• Nothing in nature is stable; river systems are dynamic. ·
• Land and water are coupled; the floodplain, the groundwater and the river are all connected – change one you change them all. ·
• The average doesn’t exist, the extremes drive the system. In their natural state inland rivers of the Murray Darling Basin experience extremely variable flows, from flood to drought. ·
• Climate change modelling suggests a 30% reduction in runoff in the Murray-Darling Basin.

Relevant Terms
See our Terminology page for a list of definitions and further links to help understand terms ·

• Over-allocation ·
• Wetlands ·
• Floodplain ·
• Riparian zone ·
• Water regime ·
• Catchment ·
• Regulated river ·
• Unregulated river ·
• Groundwater ·
• Recharge ·
• Discharge ·
• Dryland salinity ·
• Irrigation salinity

Action Stations! What you can do to understand more...


Using MDBC maps from internet or other publications, explore the Murray Darling Basin – extent, towns and rivers, produce and industries.


Using publications available on internet, add to the following lists about the Murray-Darling river ecosystems

Threatened Species	Endangered Ecological Communities	Invasive Species
Eastern freshwater cod Trout cod Macquarie perch Silver perch River snail Adams emerald dragonfly Buchanan’s fairy shrimp	Lower Murray River catchment Lowland catchment of Darling River	Carp Redfin perch Gambusia

There are number of Key Threatening Processes. Find out more on

• Removal of large woody debris from rivers and streams
• Degradation of native riparian vegetation along water-courses
• Instream structures and mechanisms that alter natural flows

Tips for fish friendly farms

1. Have large woody debris (snags) in your streams.
2. Grow native vegetation on the stream banks (riparian zone)
3. Install fish-friendly crossings
4. Control and treat agricultural runoff
5. Provide water for stock off-stream
6. Control the opening of floodgates (mainly coastal)
7. Protect your wetlands

Bird breeding – the connection


Dams and Irrigation

• Impact of upstream reservoirs on small, medium and large flood events
• Impact of On-Farm Water Storage on Environmental River Flows
• Water transport systems
• Water delivery systems
• Making irrigation sustainable

The case for/ against willows



River Demo.
If you are in a large enough group, carry out the River Demo. (See attachment.) This was developed for students visiting the Warrumbungles Environmental Education Centre but is just as appropriate for other groups. It takes a bit of preparation but is worth it because of the impact.

? Want to know more?

? You can ask a question any time by selecting the Start a Thread near the bottom of this web page (or select Discussion Forum in the menu right at the bottom of the page.
Check out the Resources section below...

?You can explore this topic further yourself...

Here are some extension topics you might like to investigate...
Salinity

? Check out these Resources (If you have some more tell us by starting a discussion thread below.... we would love to find out more!)


Online Resources

NSW Department of Primary Industries – publications on Fish Friendly Farms, Primefacts and Fishnotes – www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/aboutus/resources/factsheets – www.fisheries.nsw.gov.au – www.wetlandcare.com.au

Full list of Key Threatening Processes are in Schedule 6 of Fisheries Management Act 1994

GoogleEarth

Murray Darling Basin Commission
Sustainable Rivers Audit 2008 - www.mdbc.gov.au/SRA - This one is excellent for understanding the state of health of your river.
Activities for kids www.kids.mdbc.gov.au/games

Organisations & People

Books, brochures... anything in print