If you ever venture out to the north western parts of NSW to Broken Hill, you simply must spend some time at Menindee Lakes. The Menindee Lakes are situated about 110kms south-east of Broken Hill, and 200kms upstream of the Darling River’s junction with the Murray River. The drive to Menindee Lakes from Broken Hill is a fairly easy drive on a sealed road. The lakes themselves are a series of shallow natural ephemeral lakes along the Darling River which have developed into a water storage system. When full, these lakes hold three times the water of Sydney Harbour, which will give you sense of scale, which can sometimes be difficult to grasp in the outback.
The Menindee Lakes were originally a series of natural depressions that filled during times of flood. As the flow receded, the water in the natural depressions drained back into the Darling River. Periods of drought and extended low flow can cause the lakes to run dry. Modifications to make use of the lakes for water conservation and regulation along the lower Darling River were undertaken during the mid-20th century. The idea to use the Menindee Lakes for water conservation was first proposed in 1894.
However, it wasn’t until 1949 that the Menindee Water Conservation Act was passed in the New South Wales parliament. Work started that year, with major works finished in 1960 and overall completion in 1968. In 1963, the NSW Government agreed with the Australian, Victorian and South Australian governments that water from the lakes could be shared to meet downstream water needs, when the volume of the lakes rises above 640 GL and until it drops below 480 GL.