This year marks 10 years of continuous flows to the Coorong since the Millennium Drought broke in 2010.

The iconic Coorong is Storm Boy country, a 140km stretch of estuarine habitat and home to over 80 species of waterbirds and 40 species of fish.

Keeping the Murray flowing all the way to the Coorong has been made possible thanks to water for the environment.

Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder Jody Swirepik said the prudent use of water for the environment had kept the Coorong connected with the Murray over the last decade, which has been key to maintaining salinity levels in the Basin and improving the health of this internationally important wetland.

At the height of the Millennium Drought the end of the Murray was in dire trouble.

Acid sulphate soils were exposed in drying lake beds and the Coorong became too salty for many plants and animals to survive.

Despite the recent record-breaking drought, water for the environment has helped avoid the damage seen during the Millennium Drought.

The volume of water flowing through the barrages over the last decade is only a fraction of what it would have been under natural conditions.

Monitoring shows environmental flows have played a critical role in maintaining the crucial link between saltwater and freshwater habitats many fish species need to survive.

“This is the Basin Plan in action. The same water released upstream to help wetlands and rivers in Victoria and New South Wales flows downstream to South Australia, bringing benefits all the way to the end of the River Murray system,” Ms Swirepik said.

Ngarrindjeri elder Ellen Trevorrow said the river system was vital for all River Murray communities, including First Nations people.

“The Murray is the heart of our people. When it was too dry for our reeds to grow, we could not do our weaving,” she said.

“Weaving is where we come together with our young people to share stories and pass on Culture”.

“Keeping the Murray healthy keeps our people and our culture healthy.”