Murray Darling Basin Geographic Research Report

The Murray Darling Basin is located in the south-east of Australia. It covers 1,059,000 square kilometres/14% of Australia's
land area;15% of ACT and Queensland, 75% of New South Wales, 60% of Victoria, and 7% of South Australia.

The Murray Darling Basin is responsible for most of Australia’s food production. It generates 39% of Australia’s total value
of agricultural production and provides $22 billion worth of food each year. Beef, cattle, crops, cotton, dairy cattle, grapes,
rice, sheep, citrus, wheat, and more are all grown/produced in the Basin.

Majority of agricultural land is used for sheep. Sheep are often produced in areas near the lower Murray-darling, for
example, New South Wales. To specify, certain population centres in the basin such as Wentworth and Mildura, which are
also near Lake Mungo, produce a high number of sheep compared to other population centres. However, areas to the
northeast of the basin like Condamine and Maranoa-Balonne do not produce many sheep.

In the northern areas of the basin, beef cattle are produced. Generally located in population centres such as Charleville and
Roma. The Maranoa-Balonne produces the most beef cattle in the basin; whilst Wimmera, which is in the south of the basin,
produces a very small number of beef cattle.

Wimmera’s land is not used for beef cattle, but a high amount of its land is put towards broadacre crop production.
Broadacre crops will often be found in northern areas of Victoria and to the south of New South Wales. Broadacre crops are
also grown in other regions including The Mallee, which covers the most north-westerly part of Victoria. Little to no
broadacre crops are produced in the ACT.

Cotton is usually grown in northern regions of the Basin but can also be grown in the central and southern Basin. Cotton is
specifically grown in the Condamine-Balonne, Gwydir Shire, and Namoi regions. The Moree district and Murrumbidgee
district make a significant contribution to Australia’s cotton supply. Due to Australia’s fluctuating climate and lack of water,
the remaining regions of the Basin are not particularly used for cotton farming. Considering the amount of water that cotton
requires, it is hard to grow cotton in most of Australia.

The Murray-Darling Basin has been modified in many ways so that it can benefit food production. By changing the
environment, a larger variety of food can be produced in each area. The environment is mainly altered by ploughing the land,
draining dams, irrigation and building structures like greenhouses to grow plants. Farmers also use technology like
motorized equipment and modified housing for animals in biotechnology. Majority of irrigation water use occurs in the 3
large southern catchments of the Murray, Murrumbidgee, and Goulburn-Broken Rivers. Major dams store the water that falls
in the Basin, the Snow Mountains Hydro-electric Scheme adds to the dams by releasing water downstream. The water is
diverted into large canals and delivers water to irrigation areas through channels or is pumped from pipes to farms. The
demand for irrigation water in the southern Basin often increases mainly for permanent plantings. The northern basin often
uses less irrigation water, because it receives less rainfall than the southern basin and has fewer large dams for storing water.

Other options such as pumping groundwater, pumping river water into farm dams, and capturing/storing floodwaters behind
levees are utilised instead. Whilst irrigation has a significant contribution to the production of higher quality crops and
higher yields of crops, it can also have many severe negative factors if the irrigation becomes excessive. As irrigation
increases water evaporation, it impacts surface air temperature and pressure, and can also affect atmospheric moisture
conditions. Irrigation can also alter the physical properties of soil, which changes them to be like other types of soils that are
formed in arid/semi-arid climates. It can sometimes even destroy the soil and lead to topsoil erosion where nutrients and
topsoil particles are removed form uneven fields because of gravity. Therefore, many alterations are made to the land to suit
food production.
Goondiwindi, located in the southern Basin, has a local steppe climate. Goondiwindi does not receive much rainfall annually,
with the rainfall being around 526 mm of precipitation falls annually.

Climate Graph for Goondiwindi

65 27.5
Average temperature (℃ )

55 22.5
45

AVerage rainfall (mm)

17.5
35
12.5
25
15 7.5
5 2.5
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

65 A 56 56 26 36 33 25 24 30 52 58 65
v
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r
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f
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l

(
m
m
)
27.5 A26.4 24.4 20.8 16.3 13.1 12.2 13.9 18.3 21.5 24.1 26
v
e
r
a
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e

t
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m
p
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r
a
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(
°
C
)

Australian crop production is already heavily impacted by of seasonal variations, and it may be even more of a struggle to
produce crops in Goondiwindi, since most plants will require a higher amount of rainfall compared to Goondiwindi’s
average precipitation. Crops such as banana and sugar cane would not be able to survive in Goondiwindi, as bananas require
around 1200-2200 mm of water for their total growing period and sugar cane requires 1500-2500 mm. These crops are also
highly sensitive to drought; therefore, a drier climate like Goondiwindi’s would not be able to provide for most crops, as
opposed to a tropical and wet climate. However, some other crops that do not require as much water and are less sensitive to
drought may be able to grow in Goondiwindi. Barley, wheat, oats, sorghums, and more, have a low/low-medium sensitivity
to drought and require less than half the amount of water that bananas and sugar cane would need to grow. Most of
Goondiwindi’s crops would thrive more in January and December as these months have the most rainfall (65mm monthly)
rather than April and August (24-26mm).

The Murray-Darling Basin has a sub-tropical climate in the north, semi-arid climate in the west, and temperate in the south.
Rainfall in the north is summer dominant and graduates to winter dominant towards the south of the Basin. Overall, average
temperatures in the Murray-Darling Basin will range from 31.6℃ – 17.9℃. Near the eastern side of the Basin, the average
annual precipitation will go up to 1500mm. Snow falls for several months during winter in the south. The western side is
much drier, and often hot. Its average annual rainfall is usually less than 300mm. Areas with higher average temperatures
will lose a higher amount of water due to evaporation, and soil moisture will be reduced. The rainfall gets absorbed into the
soil, which can cause many problems with the river flows, result in less runoff, and reduce amount of water being stored and
regulated by dams. In the very hot areas, harvesting crops will be almost impossible, especially without the use of irrigation.
The plants may wilt or die, and there will be no seed or grain since flowers do not grow after pollen becomes unviable.
Winter temperatures ranging from 2℃-13 ℃ results in poor growth and low yields as photosynthesis is slowed down by the
low temperatures. These temperatures will also make plants go into dormancy (stop growing because plant processes shut
down), reduce the germination of seeds, and kill flowers along with plants.

Without plant growth, there will be no food for animals, resulting in less livestock. Heat stress can also have a drastic impact
on livestock growth, reproductive success, and milk production. The water lost to evaporation also decreases water
availability and quality for livestock, leaving the animals malnourished; this could even cause death during severe droughts.
Not only will Australia’s meat, poultry, and dairy supply be affected, but supply for materials such as wool and leather may
reduce as well.

Climate Change involves long- term changes to average weather conditions, affecting temperature, humidity, weather
patterns etc. For example, the weather could become significantly drier, for several decades or sometimes longer. Climate
change differentiates from natural weather variability as it is a long-term effect. Although it is possible for climate change to
be caused by natural circumstances, such as the solar cycle; human activities are the primary source of climate change.
Humans have been burning fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas, since the 1800’s. Greenhouse gas emissions, such as carbon
dioxide and methane, come from these fuels that society uses. Furthermore, lots of land and forests have been cleared for the
benefit of mankind. These affect the climate drastically, as they also greenhouse gas emissions. Greenhouse gas emissions
trap the sun’s heat and raise temperatures. Additionally, gasoline use is very common, as it is used every day for driving cars;
and coal is used for things such as heating buildings. Therefore, the Earth’s climate is being heavily impacted by using fuels,
and the greenhouse gases that are emitted from these fuels.

Climate change is currently affecting the Murray Darling Basin and will most likely continue to impact the future climate
along with water availability in the Basin. Since 1910, the Basin is about 1° hotter (on average) relative to 1910. It is
predicted to further increase by 0.6-1.5°C in 2030 relative to 1995, and by 0.9-2.5°C in 2050 without reducing the risk. The
Basin will experience more hot days and fewer cold days. As the average temperature and number of hot days increase, the
intensity of extreme rainfall, time in drought, and frequency of severe drought also increase. Higher average temperatures
will increase the amount of water lost to evaporation. This causes water to be scarcer, and increases the demand for water in
agriculture, urban centres, and various ecosystems that depend on water. A warmer climate also reduces soil moisture,
meaning more rainfall will be absorbed into the soil, resulting in less runoff, reduced river flows, and less water being stored
and regulated by dams. An aspect of climate change, global warming, causes riverbeds to become completely dry. With
continuous water catchments, the riverbed dries even more severely. Riverbeds would be drying, yet the dependency on river
flows would increase with the higher temperatures, since the soil for crops would not be moist.

Dry riverbed in Murrumbidgee near Hay – February 1994

Climate change is expected to increase river salinity levels due to more frequent and longer periods of low or zero flow. The
longer periods of low flow, along with higher temperatures, will increase the risk of blue-green algal blooms. This could
possibly impact native fish and town water supplies. The natural cycle of floods and droughts will be affected by reduced
rainfall and streamflow, and increased temperature; also changing the hydrology of the river system. All of the
environmental impacts are certain to increase production risks to agriculture. The requirements of animals and vegetation are
highly unlikely to be met under the conditions of climate change. Agricultural industries and irrigation industries are
adapting to these circumstances with new operating models and changes in business.
Agricultural technology involves the use of technology, tools, and equipment to improve output, efficiency, productivity,
profitability, and quality of crop and livestock production in agriculture. It develops solutions for the difficulties faced in the
agriculture industry with science and engineering principles. There are many innovations emerging in agriculture, examples
include vertical farming, drones, temperature and moisture sensors etc. With the help of agricultural technology, farmers in
the Murray-Darling Basin have improved their production process and found new markets. The drones help monitor crops
and fences, computers can be used to determine irrigation demand, crop yields are improved with satellite-linked global
positioning, and pest plants are distinguished with infra-red equipment. Fertilisers and herbicides are developing to become
more efficient, and there are more selective pesticides and drought tolerant. The Basin is often pressured by drought, so the
use of technology is highly beneficial to the Basins water resources. Utilising modern water infrastructures and other
inventions supports farms and their crop production during droughts, helps to free-up water for sale, and lessens the impacts
of climate change in the future, where society may not have as much water. Some of the water saved from agricultural
technology has even improved the rivers health. Farmers can supply the market on a regular basis, because of more
transportation options marketing advice, and supply chains. Whilst agricultural technology has its advantages, it can also
have various negative impacts on the environment. The excessive use of synthetic chemicals, which agricultural technology
depends on, can potentially contaminate the soil and water sources. The Basin completely relies on water sources to sustain
plants and animals, communities, agriculture, and tourism. If the water sources were to be contaminated, all communities,
ecosystems, and productive farmlands would be disrupted. Moreover, the use of synthetic chemicals can lead to soil
degradation, which reduces the fertility of the land and makes it harder to grow crops. The Murray Darling Basin can
experience water scarcity quite frequently and is prone to long periods of drought, meaning the availability of water must be
protected, rather than losing more water to contamination.

Prior to European settlement, Indigenous Australians sourced food from several forms of sustainable land use practices. The
Indigenous Australians had deep respect and understanding for the land and its fauna/flora. Practices involved hunting
strategies, fire use for plant growth and managing the landscape, cultivation of crops and vegetation, relying on resources
that could be found naturally in the environment, and more

Many traditional Indigenous Australian people were hunters and gatherers. Men often hunted for large animals such as
kangaroos, emus, birds, reptiles, and fish. All these animals were of course native to Australia, no livestock was imported as
it would have been with the European settlement. Women and children were responsible for hunting small animals and
collecting fruits, honey, insects, and plants. As they had much care for their environment, they only collected the required
number of animals and plants, and all resources were used.

The use of fire was a key aspect of Indigenous land use. Indigenous Australians implemented controlled burning strategies
on various areas of the land. By using these techniques, they promoted the germination and regrowth of native vegetation
whilst also minimising the risk of destructive bushfires. The Indigenous Australians’ controlled burns could be executed in
modern agriculture to encourage sustainable plant growth and crop management.

As established previously, Indigenous Australian farming practices fully relied on what could be sourced from nature, which
helped to preserve the health of soil over time. Natural fertilizers including bones, animal manure, and plant material were
utilised to enrich the soil.

Indigenous Australian ancestors passed down knowledge and wisdom about the environment, plants and animals which was
used to learn more about the environment and how to take advantage of resources in nature. The Indigenous Australians
benefited from their knowledge very efficiently as they were able to preserve plants and choose plants that would thrive in
certain seasons.

Additionally, monoculture was not a feature in Indigenous Australian farming. Indigenous Australian farming techniques
involved intercropping methods. This Indigenous Australian method of cultivation was operated by planting a mix of crops
within the same field, which creates a more diverse and sustainable ecosystem for plant growth.

To conclude, there are many issues facing the Murray Darling Basin, including climate change, drought, algal blooms,
salinity, fish deaths, social issues, and economic issues, which all have negative impacts on the environment and
communities. Agricultural technology is evidently transforming the way that farmers grow crops and raise livestock as it
allows them to increase productivity and reduce production costs. However, it is important that the several negative
consequences are considered, and that the use of agricultural technology continues to advance towards more sustainable and
equitable agricultural practices. Therefore, we can lessen the impact of these issues and prevent more severe outcomes in the
future of the Murray Darling Basin with the use of technology innovations. Along with technological innovations,
Indigenous Australian farming techniques should be more commonly incorporated into modern agriculture, because it fosters
crop growth, promotes sustainability, protects the environment. These natural Indigenous Australian land use practices can
be highly beneficial as they ensure that the environment is sustained.
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