Soil Condition Monitoring to Inform Weir Pool Manipulation in Weir Pool 4 (2026)

Prior to river regulation, wetland and floodplain soils along the River Murray experienced wetting and drying cycles with natural fluctuations in water level. These dynamic flows produced a diversity of soil environments and vegetation communities. River regulation has drastically modified the Murray-Darling Basin’s hydrology. Weir pool manipulation can be used to raise or lower water levels within a weir reach, which can help restore natural wetting/drying cycles and improve soil condition along the river.

The weir pool soil condition monitoring program aims to quantify the extent to which different weir pool manipulation actions impact soil condition and the long-term impacts to floodplain and wetland vegetation along the SA River Murray. This monitoring program will assess the need for the delivery of water for the environment and provide recommendations for future weir pool manipulation management decisions.

Stage one of this monitoring program is to be implemented within weir pool 4 in 2026. The weir pool team seeks to engage a multidisciplinary team to:

• Implement soil condition monitoring at 10 sites between Loxton and Renmark. This will require the collection and analysis of soil core samples from existing vegetation monitoring sites.
• Produce a report that identifies each site’s progress towards soil condition targets outlined in the Long-term Environmental Watering Plan (LTWP) for the South Australian River Murray.