Fish Passage in the Murray-Darling Basin; Long-Lived Species (Fish and People) Require a Long Term Vision

Water has been managed for over 120 years in the Murray-Darling Basin, with irrigation the largest consumer in a largely arid landscape.  Infrastructure to store, divert and re-regulate flow is pervasive.  Impacts of these on migratory fish were recognised early, with the first fishway built in 1930.  Unfortunately, early fishways were salmonid designs and were not effective.  The last 15 years, however, has seen an ambitious program to restore fish passage to 2000 km of the Murray River, overcoming 15 weirs.  Critically, the program was interdisciplinary and supported by monitoring and research, which led to new fishway designs.  There has been a “ripple” effect across state borders with research and new fishways being applied at key barriers.  However, the enthusiasm of institutions and individuals over the last 15 years needs to be fostered as full aquatic connectivity within the Basin will require decades of ongoing commitment and a vision of a rehabilitated river system.