Water quality threats – November 2023 | Murray

The likelihood of water quality issues will increase with higher temperatures as we move towards summer, particularly with hot and dry conditions forecast. Basin rivers and storages are nutrient rich and conditions remain favourable for blue green algae outbreaks.

Summary of key water quality issues

Hypoxic blackwater: There are no current risks from hypoxic blackwater across the Basin.
Low dissolved oxygen: Across the Basin, dissolved oxygen levels remain above critical ecological thresholds.
Blue-green algae: There is currently a risk of blue-green algae across most parts of the Murray–Darling Basin, particularly in New South Wales. For the latest information on blue-green algae alerts, contact the relevant state government contacts via the Getting information about current algal blooms page of our website.

Water quality in the Murray–Darling Basin is monitored by individual Basin state governments. Specific water quality alerts are issued by respective states.

Location	Algal blooms	Acid sulfate soils	Blackwater	Elevated Salinity	High turbidity	Low dissolved oxygen
Coorong	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely
Lower Lakes	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely
Murray (below Lock 1)	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely
Murray (Waikerie to Lock 1)	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely
Murray (SA border to Waikerie)	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely
Murray (Lock 10 to SA border)	Possible	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely
Murray (Euston to Lock 10)	Possible	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely
Murray (Yarrawonga to Euston)	Possible	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely
Murray (Hume to Yarrawonga)	Possible	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely
Murray (upstream of Hume Dam)	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely
Edward–Wakool	Possible	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely
Murrumbidgee (Upper)	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely
Murrumbidgee (Mid)	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely
Murrumbidgee (Lower)	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely
Lachlan (Upper)	Possible	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely
Lachlan (Lower)	Possible	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely
Wimmera–Mallee	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely
Campaspe	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely
Avoca–Loddon	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely
Goulburn–Broken	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely
Ovens	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely
Kiewa	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely
Lower Darling/Baaka (Menindee to Burtundy)	Almost certain	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely
Menindee Lakes	Almost certain	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely
Barwon–Darling	Possible	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely
Upper Macquarie–Cudgegong	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely
Lower Macquarie–Castlereagh–Bogan	Possible	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely
Namoi	Possible	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely
Gwydir	Possible	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely
Border Rivers (including Moonie)	Possible	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely
Condamine–Maranoa	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely
Culgoa–Balonne–Narran	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely
Paroo	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely
Warrego–Nebine	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely

Our reliance on the Basin

What lies beneath the water?

Hume Dam

Water Take Report

Constraints Relaxation Implementation Roadmap

Science in the Basin

2025 River Reflections

Water quality threats – November 2023

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