Australia Weather News

Good flows down the River Murray look set to do wonders for frog populations in South Australia's Riverland, according to one expert.

River flows coming into South Australia have significantly increased throughout the winter months, due to good rainfall and spills from Lake Victoria.

With some of these flows unregulated and therefore unable to be captured for irrigation purposes, the environment — such as wetlands and floodplains — will be major recipients.

FrogWatch SA's coordinator Steve Walker said revitalised habitats would provide a safe haven for the amphibious creatures.

"Many of these floodplains, when the water level rises and they spill out, provide areas where the frogs can breed where things like some fish cannot necessarily get in," he said.

"You have got a greater survival rate of the tadpoles, so those frog population numbers can increase.

"When the water levels drop and conditions get harsh again, there is enough of a population to sit it out through those periods."

Highest inflows in 20 years

Significant winter rainfall has seen a remarkable turnaround in water flowing down the River Murray, with July seeing the highest inflows in 20 years.

Manager of Water Resource Operations with the Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources, Jarrod Eaton, said the environment was one of the big winners.

"Generally with the higher flows coming down the river, it enables water to be pushed out through creeks, into wetlands, backwaters," Mr Eaton said.

"We can flush also some of the saline disposal basins along the River Murray.

"This flow event now provides some opportunities for us which we have not actually had over the last couple of years in terms of managing water for the environment."

SA is home to frogs not seen elsewhere

According to Mr Walker, frogs play a vital role in the River Murray ecosystem, with South Australia home to species rarely seen in other parts of the country.

"You have got eight species which are commonly found in the Riverland ... upstream of Walkers Flat, and they include a threatened species which is the southern bell frog," he said.

"Over the years it has been undergoing a major decline [but] still seems to be hanging on in parts of the Murray and parts of the south-east.

"We are quite lucky to still have them here in South Australia."

Mr Walker said while there was often negative stigma about the humble frog, they did play a vital role in the environment.

"Frogs are also very important because they eat a lot of the pest species that we do not like; things like flies, mosquito and spiders," he said.

"If we did not have frogs, there would be a mass increase in the populations of those creatures.

"If we can get the frogs in to try and control these pest species, the better it is for everyone."