Menindee Lakes locals fear more fish kills as hot summer forecast
The Menindee Lakes have been a constant in Sunset Strip man Darryn Clifton's life, but the lakes he remembers as a child are not the same.
The former Darling River Action Group vice-president found 100,000 dead fish in Lake Menindee in February and said the river "needs a lot of attention" to bring it "back to life".
But with another hot summer forecast ahead and reduced inflows, fears of more fish kills are heightened, as is the increased chance of the lakes drying up.
Darryn Clifton hopes the review brings positive change for the lakes and community of Menindee, but is not optimistic. (ABC Broken Hill: Coquohalla Connor)
"If you've got no inflows coming into the lakes, then the water deteriorates over time … creating a cesspool for breeding up the cycle of more fish kills, when the changing of the weather occurs."
Mr Clifton said the water mismanagement is "a never-ending situation", with water extraction by northern basin irrigators, priority for water given to South Australia and "bad decisions" made by the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder to release water.
An aerial view of the upper lakes, where irrigators want permanent access to water. (ABC Broken Hill: Soofia Tariq)
"We are the meat in the sandwich," he said.
"Menindee Lakes has always drawn down first out of the three major storages in the basin.
"I think there'll be change but I don't think it's going to be change that people who live around the lakes and in Menindee will be happy with."
Review underway as lakes handed to NSW
The ephemeral lakes system in the middle of outback New South Wales, about 117 kilometres south of Broken Hill, is three-and-a-half times the volume of Sydney Harbour, connecting the Upper Darling River to the Lower Darling River.
The Murray Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) is reviewing the operating rules of the lakes, which have largely been unchanged since the 60s, when they were developed into a water storage and as a shared resource between NSW, Victoria and South Australia.
Last month the lakes were handed back to the NSW government to be a NSW-only resource after they dropped below 28 per cent of their total capacity and the Darling River's Northern Basin was placed under water restrictions.
The lakes support a range of wildlife, with locals hoping future decisions ensure their survival. (ABC News: Bill Ormonde)
The review has received about 160 public submissions, including from Mr Clifton.
MDBA's senior director of river modernisation, Joe Davis, said the submissions will help inform options for a long-term vision for the Lakes.
"There was a strong agreement on a lot of issues, but there was also different views on priorities, that balance between environmental outcomes and water security, whether the change should focus on infrastructure, operating rules or the broader basin reform."
Grape grower fears dying vines
Locals are unconvinced the review will fix their concerns for the lakes they live and work next to.
Menindee grape grower Steve Howse said current management decisions, like water drawdowns, meant a lack of security for his vines, which can take more than two years to fruit.
Steve Howse at his property on the Darling River in March 2020. (ABC Rural: Saskia Mabin)
"I suppose without a secure water source we really are taking a bit of a gamble," he said.
"It's not a cheap exercise."
Mr Howse said making water accessible in the top two lakes would give growers two years' worth of secure water without the need for a review.
Steve Howse says he is worried about the longevity of his crops. (ABC Broken Hill: Lily McCure)
"A lot of the changes and the reviews that we're hearing about are to secure fish habitat," he said.
"We're not going to have fish habitat if we have no water."
The MDBA is expected to release draft options to the community for review before the end of the year, with a final report to be released next year.
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