Overview

Environmental Flow Management Plans (EFMPs) are fundamental to the effective delivery of environmental water. They provide the ecological rationale for watering decisions, establish management objectives, and guide the adaptive management of rivers, wetlands, and floodplains over time.

This project involved updating a suite of Environmental Flow Management Plans to ensure they reflected the latest scientific understanding, contemporary monitoring data, current policy requirements, and the practical knowledge gained through years of environmental water management.

The Challenge

Environmental flow management is not static. As ecosystems respond to environmental watering, and as new scientific knowledge emerges, management plans must evolve to remain effective and relevant.

The challenge was to ensure that existing Environmental Flow Management Plans continued to provide robust guidance for environmental watering by incorporating recent ecological research, monitoring outcomes, management experience, and evolving State and Murray–Darling Basin policy requirements. Equally important was recognising the value of local knowledge developed through ongoing management of these systems.

Our Approach

The review adopted a rigorous, evidence-based approach, combining comprehensive desktop analysis with local engagement coordinated by the Mallee Catchment Management Authority (CMA).

The assessment integrated multiple sources of information, including:

• Contemporary ecological research and scientific literature
• Long-term monitoring results and environmental watering outcomes
• Management actions implemented since the previous plans
• Current State and Murray–Darling Basin policy requirements
• Local operational knowledge and stakeholder input

This ensured that each management plan reflected both the best available science and the practical realities of managing environmental water within complex river and wetland systems.

Key Findings

The review confirmed that while the existing Environmental Flow Management Plans provided a strong foundation for environmental water management, updates were required to reflect advances in ecological understanding and management practice.

Key findings included:

• New scientific knowledge and monitoring data provided a more comprehensive understanding of ecosystem responses to environmental watering.
• Lessons learned from previous watering events enabled refinement of ecological objectives and management recommendations.
• Recent management actions and operational experience strengthened the evidence base for future watering decisions.
• Updating the plans ensured continued alignment with evolving State policy and Murray–Darling Basin Plan requirements while improving the relevance and usability of management guidance.

Outcome

The project delivered updated Environmental Flow Management Plans that reflect current ecological knowledge, contemporary management practice, and the latest policy framework.

The revised plans provide clearer guidance for environmental water managers, strengthen the application of adaptive management, and ensure that future watering decisions continue to support the protection and restoration of high-value aquatic ecosystems.

Impact

This project supports more effective environmental water management by:

• Updating management plans using the best available science and monitoring evidence.
• Integrating local knowledge with contemporary ecological understanding.
• Strengthening adaptive management through improved ecological guidance.
• Maintaining compliance with State and Murray–Darling Basin policy requirements.
• Supporting the long-term resilience of rivers, wetlands, and floodplain ecosystems through evidence-based environmental watering.

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