Has the mouth of the murray been explored yet.
Does their need to be an outflow, or is the passage for pleasure craft.
What is the ecenomic benefits of keeping the mouth open.
In the days before weirs, the murray ran when there was water only, so what has changed to make keeping the mouth open a priority.
Maybe the outflow of the murray needs looking into, it may be a cheaper option.

WELL SARNIAN, what a store of misinformation and spite you are.
Your first two comments in relation to JM are obviously false and more importantly reflect very badly on you.
Your claim that following floods the wetlands replenished until the next flood can only be based on ignorance.
That is not what did and still does not happen.
The only dam on the Murrumbidgee River is Burrunjuck (1.026M megs.)it was built 90 years ago.
Guess what?
In the 80 years following its building there have been nearly twice as many floods as the 80 years prior to its building.
sarnian what you apparently do not realise is that the volume of water that flows down all of the valleys in flood time is many, many times the capacity of any dam in the system.
For your information, with the exception of the lower Lachlan for a very short period NONE of the towns or cities were ever under threat of water shortage.
There was at all times more than 3 years water to supply the first three priorities for water in the lower basin.
I have no idea what your perception of "equilibrium" might be.
The system is not in crisis as you claim.
It is healthy (except for Eropean Carp)and if you doubt that I suggest you join me for a good look and see.
k-jim,
Time to get out and see the real world and stop being such a Hanrahan."
Things are not as bad as you imagine.
All the best.
Pikey

Hey Pikey,
Your "Real World" tells me that lately we lead the world with Gold Medal Status ,in Species Extinction .
I suggest you catch up in the Australian Museum where you, along with the School Environment Class will see some of what we have allready lost, with your "she'll be right mate "! attitude .
That's my real World .

Beatles and bugs are everywhere, Get rid of the barrages at the mouth of the river,and allow the river to act as it was meant to. Then there will be no need for starving the grapes from water.
Why allow fresh water flow into the sea without restriction. The continual dredging of the murray mouth, is not natural, it opened and closed according to conditions.
Allow the river to flow its normal path, as nature provided.
You can have as many weirs as you like it wont stop the river running.
The Coorongs and Alexandrina were meant to be tidal, and thats the way it should be.