The Murray/Coorong Estuary: Meeting of the Waters?

This chapter gives an overview of natural and anthropogenic factors that have shaped the lower reaches of the River Murray – the Murray Estuary (nowadays called the Coorong Estuary) including the Lower Lakes – Lake Alexandrina and Lake Albert. The reader will learn of the traditional owners, the Ngarrindjeri peoples, whose enduring stories recall the transformation of the landscape by their pioneering culture heroes whose deeds widened the River Murray and created the distinctive ecology of the Lower Lakes and the Coorong some 10–12,000years ago. The reader will also learn that the natural environment of the river has been severely degraded over the last 150years through extensive water extraction used for irrigation and the construction of barrages. It becomes obvious that modifications to the system have been so detrimental and far reaching that a return to natural conditions is an almost impossible task. It is uncertain whether current water management plans will prevent an irreversible collapse of the system. This chapter celebrates the ecological richness of the watershed that the Murray once was and pays respect to the wise stewardship of its traditional owners.