THE Murray Darling Basin Authority says rainfall across the basin is forecast to above average in autumn.
The authority said that across the Murray–Darling Basin, water storage levels remained high at 92 per cent — an unusual position at the end of summer.
La Niña is forecast to persist into early autumn and river management acting director Andrew Kremor said with the current high storage level in both Dartmouth Dam and Hume Dams, there was a possibility of water releases to create airspace in winter-spring.
Inflows to the Menindee Lakes from widespread rainfall in November last year have started to recede and a blackwater event at the head of the flow into the lakes was successfully diluted by WaterNSW river operators to minimise risks of fish deaths.
The watchpoint for river managers across the Murray–Darling system is now blue green algae and the risk of potential blooms, particularly as temperatures remain warm.
The authority said that as floodwaters make their way through the Murray River, the system is slowly returning to regulated conditions, while in the Lower-Darling, spill rates from Menindee Lakes are also decreasing.
Under the Murray–Darling Basin Agreement, the MDBA may order water from Menindee Lakes but with the wet outlook, any volume called is likely to be small.
