Grim water outlook for Murray-Darling Basin

The Murray-Darling Basin Commission has given another gloomy assessment of likely water availability over the next few months.

The update says there are no signs of improvement in water availability in the Murray system.

Rain during March and April was below average and system inflows very low.

History shows a dry autumn normally points to low total seasonal inflows and while storages are slightly higher than this time last year, they are still well below long term averages.

The Commission says the prospects for irrigation in the coming year depend entirely on winter and spring rain.

Critical urban, stock and domestic water needs and irrigators' carryover water for the coming season are reasonably assured, but opening allocations for Murray irrigators are again expected to be very low or zero.

The report says the outlook for the lower lakes in South Australia is severe and deteriorating.

The Commission holds environmental concerns and says it might have to refill more wetlands.