River Murray lockage numbers rebound to pre-flood high

The number of boats, kayaks and other vessels passing through South Australia’s network of locks along the River Murray is at its highest level since the 2022-23 floods, according to new data from SA Water.

The utility’s River Murray Operations team recorded 6,097 lockages in 2024, marking the second highest lockage figures recorded since 2019.

On behalf of the Murray-Darling Basin Authority, SA Water manages Locks One to Six in South Australia as well as Lock Seven at Rufus River and Lock Eight at Wangumma in New South Wales, and Lock Nine at Kulnine in Victoria. The utility also operates barrages at Goolwa, Mundoo, Boundary Creek, Ewe Island and Tauwitchere.

SA Water’s Senior Manager of River Murray Operations Garry Fyfe said the numbers show a gradual increase in boat traffic.

“With flooding down the River Murray impacting our normal lock operations for the entire 2022-23 summer season, it has taken some time to see similar levels of river traffic return to what they were before the flood event,” Garry said.

“To notch-up more than 6,000 annual lockages for just the third time in the past decade, and around 1,300 greater than what was recorded in 2023, is a great sign that more locals and tourists are back exploring this beautiful part of the world.

“In terms of our most popular sites, Lock Four, located just south of Berri, recorded the highest number of visits for our Riverland-based assets for the second year running, with around 660 lockages recorded by our local team for the year.

“The Goolwa Barrage, located at the end of the River Murray system, once again recorded the largest overall vessel number for the year, with a total of 2,053 lock visits making up more than a third of all lockages recorded.

“We’re proud of our dedicated team who work every day to assist people on their river travels and explain the rich history of the Murray, and we thank everyone for continuing to visit our locks in a safe way.”

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