THE MIA covers 660,000 hectares (ha), of which 170,000ha is irrigated.

First established in 1912, it is the largest irrigated area in Australia and, from an output perspective, is the most productive.

It is also home to more than 50,000 people.

Water for the MIA is supplied by Burrinjuck and Blowering Dams in the upper Murrumbidgee catchment.

Blowering Dam stores water that has been released from storages further upstream in the Snowy-Tumut Development of the Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Scheme.

The MIA receives high quality water from these storages and required annual releases underpin the area’s high water reliability.

Water releases from Blowering and Burrinjuck Dams are managed by Water NSW, to provide for town water supply, irrigation and environmental use requirements.

Water diverted into the MIA is used to supply the major townships of Griffith and Leeton, as well as over 3000 agricultural landholdings.

Irrigators in the MIA have licences that allow them to use a prescribed volume of water each year. This irrigation water is delivered and metered by Murrumbidgee Irrigation (MI).

Irrigated agriculture is the major industry in the MIA and includes broadacre farming, horticulture, livestock and poultry operations.

Reliable and quality agriculture outputs support the region’s processing businesses, which market premium food and fibre products domestically and around the world.

This special publication was supported by the following businesses: