Posted on November 29, 2023
Dredging at the Murray Mouth has resumed after an extended pause throughout the River Murray flooding event.
The removal of sand from the Murray Mouth had been on hold due to the high flows from the flooding, however stable flows and dry weather have caused the mouth to become impacted again.
Previously undertaken by two small dredges, the restarted operations will now use one larger dredge currently located at Tauwitchere Barrage.
It is estimated that more than 14 million cubic metres of sand has been removed at the Murray Mouth since 2002.
Water Minister Susan Close says dredging is only necessary because of the previous failed Murray Darling Basin Plan.
“Ideally, the mouth of our country’s biggest river should not need to be dredged continuously to keep it open,” Close said.
“This is just another expense caused by the failure of upstream states to ensure enough water flows down the system to ensure the health of the whole river system.”
