For update information on the Barren Box Swamp project: www.mirrigation.com.au 

Water Saved 20,000 ML (20 GL)

MIA Conveyance Entitlement

Barren Box Swamp is a water storage basin within the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area (MIA) used for balancing operational water demands.  The previous storage was shallow with a broad surface area covering 3,200 hectares.  MIA has completed works that deepened the storage and reducied its surface area. Water loss due to evaporation will now be reduced.  At the same time the now unused portion of the swamp will be returned to ephemeral wetland.

This project will:

• Achieve 20 gigalitres in water savings which can be returned to the river system for use in environmental flows
• Improve the reliability of supply to the Wah Wah Irrigation District
• Restore a more natural flooding regime, and therefore ecological system, to the area dedicated to the rehabilitation of the Barren Box ephemeral wetland.

The Barren Box Swamp project will create:

• An active storage cell covering 1,230 hectares (30% of current area) with a storage volume of 24,000 ML at full supply level
• An intermediate storage cell covering 320 hectares with an effective storage volume of 4,000 ML (10% of current area)
• A wetland cell covering approximately 1,650 hectares (60% of current area)