The 2018–19 water year was hot and dry with limited rainfall and low natural flows.
The Barwon–Darling watercourse relies on rainfall and inflows in its tributaries to support river health downstream. Some of the tributaries which flow into the Barwon–Darling watercourse are regulated by dams and weirs, while others are not. This influences the ability of water managers to actively plan events to enhance river and wetland outcomes.
In 2018–19, the Barwon–Darling watercourse experienced:
- less variability in flows
- an increase in the duration of cease-to-flow periods
- fewer and smaller pulses
- an overall reduction in the amount of water reaching the Lower Darling.