Murray–Darling Basin:
an introduction
Student worksheet
Research
Murray–Darling Basin environment
1. How many wetlands are there in the Murray–Darling Basin?
2. What are macroinvertebrates? Why are they important?
3. Outline the focus of water management since European settlement of the Murray–Darling
Basin.
4. Identify two positive consequences of this management.
5. Identify three negative consequences of this management on the Murray–Darling Basin’s
natural environment.
6. What is meant by the term ecosystem?
7. Compare the likely level of biodiversity in agricultural regions with that in undisturbed regions
of the Murray–Darling Basin.
8. Approximately how many wetlands are there in the Murray–Darling Basin?
9. Explain why wetlands are important.
10. Why are floods important for many native plants and animals in the Murray–Darling Basin?
Murray–Darling Basin geography
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How many square kilometres is the Murray–Darling Basin?
Name the states and territory included in the Murray–Darling Basin.
Name and identify the length of the Murray–Darling Basin’s three longest rivers.
How many major rivers are there in the Murray–Darling Basin?
Approximately how old is the underlying rock of the Murray–Darling Basin?
What is the average height above sea level in the Murray–Darling Basin?
Draw a labeled map or diagram describing the pathway of river flow within the Basin.
Explain why the rivers of the Darling catchment contribute only a small amount of water to the
flow in the River Murray.
9. Identify some of the types of climactic zones found in the Murray–Darling Basin. For each
type, provide one example.
10. In which year did the mouth of the River Murray close for the first time in recorded history?
Murray–Darling Basin people & history
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How many people live in the Murray–Darling Basin?
How many people depend on the water resources of the Murray–Darling Basin?
How many Aboriginal Nations are there in the Murray–Darling Basin?
Describe the trend in population growth in the Murray–Darling.
How did this compare to the National trend across Australia?
Murray–Darling Basin:
an introduction
6. Propose three reasons for this trend.
7. For how many years have Aboriginal people been living in the Murray–Darling Basin?
8. Name the first two Europeans to reach the River Murray.
9. In which year did these two explorers reach the River Murray?
10. Name two sites with significant Aboriginal cultural heritage within the Murray–Darling Basin
and explain why they are important.
Murray–Darling Basin economy
1. How much of Australia’s agricultural production comes from the Murray–Darling Basin?
2. Agriculture is one type of business that takes place in the Basin. Identify five other types of
business that take place in the Murray–Darling Basin.
3. Identify three categories of agricultural produce that are grown in the Murray–Darling Basin.
4. How much water does it take to produce
a. 1kg of rice?
b. 1kg of beef?
5. Compare the water efficiency of Australian farmers to the global average.
6. Why is water efficiency so important for the Australian agricultural sector?
7. What is the effect of diverting water for agricultural use on the volume of water available for
the environment?
8. Outline the current trend in the average age of farmers in the Murray–Darling Basin.
9. Explain the significance of this on the future of agriculture in the Murray–Darling Basin.
10. Explain why a healthy environment is important for the economy of the Murray–Darling Basin.
Managing water in the Murray–Darling Basin
1. What are some of the structures used to manage water in the rivers of the Murray–Darling
Basin?
2. In which year was the first Dam in the Murray–Darling Basin constructed?
3. Name the major water storages in the Murray–Darling Basin.
4. What is the function of a salt interception scheme?
5. What is the function of a barrage and how do they work?
6. What is meant by the term groundwater?
7. Why were the locks and weirs of the River Murray originally constructed?
8. Explain how the flow of the managed rivers of the Basin differs to flow under natural
conditions.
9. Explain the positive and negative effects of managing the rivers flows for the communities,
environments and agriculture in the Murray–Darling Basin.
10. What is meant by the term critical human water needs.