Environmental water needs for the Daly River Go Back

Governments have a strong vision for future development in northern Australia, including the expansion of irrigated agriculture. However, we need to further our knowledge to understand the ecological impacts of changes to river flows. Making decisions involving trade-offs between the water needs of communities, the environment and future industries is made more challenging without this knowledge.

The need to understand how our river systems work is particularly pressing in the Northern Territory’s Daly River catchment. Most of the Northern Territory’s current irrigation activity occurs in the Daly, and its reliable groundwater reserves and relatively good soils make it a prime candidate for further agricultural development. The Daly River is a unique, perennial river system in northern Australia that supports an abundance of aquatic wildlife, including 90 species of fish and eight species of freshwater turtle. The river is highly valued by the region’s Indigenous people for cultural purposes and as a food source. Furthermore, the river is arguably home to some of the best recreational fishing in northern Australia.

To better assess the impacts of further water development on these values, we need an increased ecological understanding of the river. A priority is the risk of reduced flows during the dry season and understanding the effect on the river’s ecology.