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Environmental Water

'Environmental water' in Australia, is water that is set aside in regulated river systems (those which have dams and other structures to control water) to improve the health of rivers and wetlands. This includes the plants and animals that depend on these water systems.

Dams and weirs have been constructed on many Australian rivers to regulate and control water. Regulated water is used to support growth of food and fiber to support human populations. In south-eastern Australian, an area named the Murray-Darling Basin - governments have long realized that too much water has been diverted from rivers. This imbalance has resulted in large-scale declines of river and wetland health. Species of waterbirds and native fish have become locally extinct, river red gum trees are dying and wetlands are disappearing or shrinking in size.

Environmental water is being used in states and territories in the Murray-Darling Basin to bring life back to rivers and wetlands.