There is a belief by the Aborigines "All things living are connected", and they request that people respect their country. A complete diversity of all human races that live in Australia, the health of the Eco system, flora, and fauna living in and around the River Murray, and the Lower Lakes, are disappearing. The life cycle of the River Murray from Blanchetown to the Murray Mouth near Goolwa including the Lower Lakes is affected.

The Location

The River Murray from Blanchetown, (lock1) enters into the lakes at Pomanda Island South Australia, which is a distance of about 211 kilometers long, 3,548 hectares in a area which covers about 4,633 hectares of beautiful Wetlands. From lock1, to the Murray Mouth near Goolwa, is a distance about 275 kilometers.

A Brief History

The Ngarrindjeri tribe, were the traditional owners, that understood "All things living are connected" and they requested that people respect their country as it was created by Kaldowinyeri (A law of creation from indigenous people before and during dreamtime).

Under the care of the Aboriginal Tribe Ngarrindjeri pondi,(Murray Cod), kanmeri (Coorong Mullet), and Wambulgal, (Black Duck) flourished; food was plentiful, Bull Rushes were picked and baskets were made, eel traps, and mats woven, bark canoes were made from trunks of the great Australian Giant Red Gum. Stories of the great River and Lakes were told creating hero's linked to the past and the future generations of this country. One story that comes to mind is the Australian Movie "Storm Boy", where a young boy befriends an injured pelican and they become inseparable. He also makes friends with an Aborigine whom is the caretaker of the land, where the pelican is found injured. This is one great story told, where the young boy whom made the movie is grown up, living in Canada came back to Australia to help the people of the Coorong, and surrounding towns fight for their land and water.

Before Regulations

Before regulations, and diversion of the River, the Lakes were predominately fresh, becoming slow and black at times of drought and low flows. Under natural conditions, seawater only advanced gradually towards Point Sturt. Sharks were observed at River Murray, this is common for some species to swim both ways in estuaries. Research shows that the River Murray Mouth did not close for at least 8,000 years. In 1981 the mouth closed for the first time.

Events since European Settlement

1) The explorer Captain Charles Sturt, travelled the River Murray in 1830.

2) South Australians complained of Water Extractions in 1889 in New South Wales and Victoria as salt-water advances gradually towards the Lower Lakes.

3) The Murray Mouth "sanded up" in 1908.

4) The Murray Town of Mundoo constructed a test Barrage in 1919.

5) Leading to the construction

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