Updating the Lower Ovens Environmental Flow Recommendations,

Considering Changes in Climate

A community engagement workshop will be held on Wednesday 17 May 2023 at the Oxley Shire Hall to allow the community an opportunity to learn more about the project and to provide input and feedback.

The project summary

A lot of scientific, cultural and community knowledge exists about the water needs of plants and animals in rivers and wetlands. Using this knowledge, flows studies are undertaken to identify the types of flows a particular river needs or the wetting and drying patterns needed by wetlands.
Flow studies tell us about the timing, watering duration and amount of water needed to sustain environmental values. They provide flow-dependent environmental objectives and outline the flow regime required to meet these objectives through environmental flow recommendations.
This project will incorporate climate projections for water availability and develop ‘climate ready’ objectives and flow recommendations for the Lower Ovens System. Climate ready objectives and recommendations are those that are considered achievable under changing climate and water availability.
This study will also incorporate how cultural and social values in the Lower Ovens System can be maintained through preserving environmental water in the rivers and wetlands.
The project will have input from key stakeholders, the broader community and Traditional Owner groups at stages throughout the project. See details below for engagement opportunities.
Updated environmental flow recommendations will feed into the water management strategies, to be used by the North East CMA and environmental water holders to deliver environmental water entitlements and provide a better understanding of the limits to which extraction can occur.

For more information go to

Lower Ovens Flows Study (necma.vic.gov.au)

The Lower Ovens River System project area

For this project the Lower Ovens River System includes:

The Buffalo River below Lake Buffalo
The King River below Lake William Hovell
The Ovens River from the confluence of the Buffalo River to the Murray River
The Lower Ovens floodplain wetland complex from Killawarra to the Murray River