Since the millennium drought, wetlands at Hattah Lakes have experienced a return to favourable environmental conditions through delivery of environmental flows and flooding. The health of these wetlands are threatened by changes to the frequency, size and duration of overbank flows from the Murray River. The Living Murray initiative has played an important role in protecting and improving the health of wetlands and the surrounding floodplain at Hattah Lakes. Three large environmental flows were delivered to the lakes in 2013, 2014 and 2015, between two floods (2010–11 and November 2016), inundating the majority of lakes on multiple occasions. Emergency pumping of environmental water was also undertaken during the drought (between 2005 and 2010) to provide habitat in a number of wetlands. Through long term condition monitoring data, this study looks at the ability of flow responsive vegetation to regenerate after extended drought. Wetland vegetation monitoring was undertaken annually from 2007–08 to 2016–17. Community composition is now largely dominated by aquatic, amphibious and damp loving species due to a combination of environmental flows and floods. Therefore, a return to favourable environmental conditions, particularly since 2010–11, has helped to maintain healthy wetland communities at Hattah Lakes.
This project was funded by The Living Murray initiative of the Murray–Darling Basin Authority. The Living Murray is a joint initiative funded by the New South Wales, Victorian, South Australian, Australian Capital Territory and Commonwealth governments, coordinated by the Murray–Darling Basin Authority.