The Darling River Run is Australia’s third longest river. It winds 2,740km through Outback New South Wales. Part of the Murray-Darling Basin, the Darling River system is fed primarily from the summer rains of southern Queensland. It makes its journey southwest across the state to Wentworth, where it joins the mighty Murray River.
The waters continue their journey to Lake Alexandrina and into the Southern Ocean. The beautiful Darling River has few equals. Its lifeblood is sourced from outback tributaries, striving to survive over 1400km of blistering arid conditions before finally merging with the River Murray. Standing at the juncture of these two mighty rivers, one could be forgiven for thinking the state of these river systems is perfectly fine. There is water as far as the eye can see, enough for big houseboats and canoeists to share.
Darling River Fish Communities
The recent catastrophic collapse of the Darling River fish communities is truly heartbreaking. As fingers continue to be pointed in all directions, two questions bubble to the top of my mind can this system recover? And, if so, how? from even the darkest hour comes hope. Meet aboriginal elders who will show you ancient Darling River fish traps it was wonderful to hear the basin’s various governments speak about developing a strategy over recent weeks. And the good news is that one already exists and can guide our actions from here.
Native Fish Strategy Darling River
The Native Fish Strategy for the Murray-Darling Basin is a living document. It was developed in 2001 and lays out a plan for helping the basin’s fish communities recover from where they are now, at 10% of pre-European levels (0% in some parts), back to 60% over 50 years.
The strategy is one of the rare documents agreed on by the federal government, and all basin states. Because it made sense, it was visionary and forward-thinking – contributed to by a multitude of scientists, managers, Indigenous groups, and basin communities.
During the first ten years of its life, the strategy helped us learn more about our native fish than in any other period. But direct funding ceased in 2012. Since then, the implementation of its recommendations has been opportunistic and without central coordination. That said the strategy is still relevant and the need to resurrect its funding has never been greater.
Darling River
We also know the Darling River is an important fish swim away. There is a famous story among fish scientists of a tagged golden perch which, during 1974 flooding, migrated from Berri in South Australia to the Condamine River in Queensland. It is a stark demonstration that fish in the basin ignore political boundaries. But in non-flood years such migration is impossible; there are far too many barriers such as weirs and dams.
There is strong evidence. That in some years the Lower Darling contributes significantly to fish populations in Victoria and South Australia. This connectivity is of paramount importance for affected reaches of the Darling. For these reaches to recover, fish need to migrate from elsewhere. The Native Fish Strategy taught us that providing fishways (also known as fish ladders) and fish-friendly regulators with lay-flat gates helps larvae drift downstream, improving recovery. There is already a blueprint available to connect the Darling river it only needs to be implemented.
What does Darling River’s future look like?
The Native Fish Strategy has provided us with a range of tools to help the Darling River quickly recover and there is much to share on social media. So the future of Darling depends on what they do now. It is up to them to ensure what they leave in future generations a river in better condition than it is in now.
