SA: Murray mouth will soon be closed without dredging - Hill
ADELAIDE, Aug 8 AAP - The mouth of the River Murray would soon close without emergencydredging, South Australian Environment Minister John Hill said today.
Mr Hill warned that the Murray mouth, at Goolwa, in the state's south-east, was alreadyin a dire condition.
He said he was writing to Murray-Darling Basin Commission chief executive Don Blackmoreand federal Environment Minister David Kemp to ask for help to keep the mouth open.
"The Murray-Darling Basin Commission should be responsible for the Murray mouth, becauseit's closure is a major environmental issue for the whole Murray catchment," Mr Hill saidin a statement.
"I've asked for urgent discussions on the matter, including the provision of emergencydredging to keep a channel open for fish passage to the sea and to maintain the link betweenthe river and the sensitive Coorong wetlands."
Mr Hill said it was vital to keep the mouth open to allow salt to leave the river,and to allow fish to enter and leave the river system.
He said the mouth's closure would disrupt the feeding patterns of migratory birds inthe the nearby Coorong national park.
AAP scl/cjh
KEYWORD: MURRAY
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