Landscape South Australia - Northern and Yorke

This project has now been completed. End of project celebration events were held in November 2025 and included presentations of a summary of project activities in the northern and southern project areas, as well as presentations on river red gum surveys along Baroota Creek and Crystal Brook Creek, groundwater surveys in these areas, and permanent pool and ecological monitoring activities in the Barossa.

Thanks to all the landholders who provided access to their properties for the project activities.

Along with the project partners that supported the successful delivery of the project.

The Environmental and Cultural Flows project focused on three priority catchment areas in the Northern and Yorke region - Baroota, Beetaloo (Crystal Brook) and Barossa. It aimed to improve understanding and awareness of the increasing pressure from resource use and climate change on the health of water-dependent ecosystems within these areas.

This project provides an opportunity to restore environmental and cultural flows to these systems to support ecosystem health in collaboration with landholders agencies and First Nations.

It built on previous work to deliver environmental water releases from Beetaloo Reservoir in 2021 and 2022, and Baroota Reservoir in 2022, and the key recommendations identified in the Barossa Water Security Strategy and the amended Barossa Water Allocation Plan.

View a snapshot of all project activities below.

The project's achievements:

Delivery of flows to the Baroota Creek and Crystal Brook Creek catchment areas through managed water releases from reservoirs - completed
Increased knowledge of the flow requirements of water-dependent ecosystems through surveys and monitoring - completed
Increased knowledge of surface water and groundwater interactions and their association with the delivery of flows through improved science and monitoring - completed
Supported First Nations access to important cultural sites and involvement in monitoring - completed
Supported community involvement and increased knowledge about the importance and benefits of restoring flow regimes - completed

Key project outcomes:

Development of a draft framework for a Barossa Environmental Water Strategy
Identified the current riparian health of each catchment through monitoring activities
Identified the flow regime characteristics (e.g. volume, season) needed to meet environmental requirements and cultural obligations in all three focus areas
Developed and implemented managed reservoir water release programs to deliver environmental and cultural outcomes
Delivered increased flows and improved flow regimes to support environmental and cultural outcomes
Facilitated the involvement of First Nations communities in the delivery of project activities, providing opportunities for training and employment in monitoring activities. Also, in collaboration with landholders, enable visits to cultural sites and restoration and areas of cultural value and significance.

Project update

View a snapshot of the latest project activities:

Nov 2025: Annual health check of river red gums

Autumn and spring 2025: Ongoing monitoring of permanent pools in the Barossa

Apr 2025: Drone imagery and groundwater surveys paint picture of waterways

Mar 2025: Fish surveys of Barossa waterways

Nov 2024: Annual health check of river red gums

Spring 2024: Drone imagery and groundwater surveys during the Baroota water release

Autumn and spring 2024: Ongoing monitoring of permanent pools in the Barossa

Aug-Sep 2024: Water releases delivered from Baroota and Beetaloo reservoirs

Apr 2024: Drone imagery and groundwater surveys paint picture of waterways

Mar 2024: Fish surveys reveal alien species dominate Barossa waterways

Nov 2023: Annual health check of river red gums

Oct 2023: Citizen scientists look for water bugs in Barossa BioBlitz

Sep 2023: Ongoing testing of permanent pools in the Barossa

Aug 2023: Collaboration at heart of Environmental and Cultural Flows project

Jul 2023: Fish, frogs and all things water up for discussion with landholders

What is an environmental flow?

Environmental flows involve the use of water resources to support the health and condition of water-dependent ecosystems, including the plants and animals, and the people that rely on them.

What is a cultural flow?

Cultural flows, or cultural water, are the water resources and water condition determined by First Nations that is required to sustain and benefit their spiritual, cultural, environmental and economic needs.

Lead agency

Northern and Yorke Landscape Board

Funding partners

This project is funded through the Landscape Priorities Fund. It is funded from landscape levies collected by Green Adelaide in the Adelaide metropolitan area that are redistributed to South Australia’s regional landscape boards.

Project partners

First Nations - Nukunu, Ngadjuri, Peramangk and Kaurna
Flinders University
Department of Environment and Water
SA Water
Riverwater Life Pty Ltd
Barossa Australia
Barossa Improved Grazing Group
Regional Development Australia – Barossa Gawler Light Adelaide Plains
Barossa Council
Light Regional Council
District Council of Mt Remarkable
Port Pirie Regional Council

Environmental and Cultural Flows