THE amount of water flowing into the stricken Murray River between January and March was the lowest for that quarter in the 117 years that records have been kept.
An unprecedented drought has thrown the river system into decline, according to the guardian for the river.
"We've had big droughts before and big floods before, but what we didn't have was climate change," said Rob Freeman, the chief executive of the Murray-Darling Basin Authority .
A second record has been smashed too - for a three-year period.
Water flowing into the system in the three years to March totalled 5160 gigalitres, less than half the previous 11,300 gigalitre minimum during the 1943-46 drought, according to the authority's update.
"It worries me. Normally you break records by small amounts," Mr Freeman said.
As the Bureau of Meteorology predicts more dry weather for the next three months, irrigators have been put on notice that they can expect similar water allocations to the past two years, which means NSW rice growers will get zero and fruit growers who have left trees to die will get no relief unless they buy water.
Wetland ecosystems and floodplains are at further risk and near the Murray mouth in South Australia, the outlook is grim, Mr Freeman said.
"The lower lakes are a worry to all of us. We've had this river on dredges to keep the mouth open since 2002.
"The sea is now higher than Lake Alexandrina … It is something most of us need to be aware of, the dire straits at the bottom of the system," he said.
The soil beneath Lake Albert is turning to sulphuric acid and, although the level of the lake is holding at half a metre below sea level now, further falls could poison the water.
"If it turns acidic, it will destroy the eco-system," Mr Freeman said.
The authority's total usable water storage has dropped to 11pc of capacity, and sluggish flows and hot weather have led to recent outbreaks of blue-green algae in the Murray.
The authority has already foreshadowed that it will allow only minimal water releases during winter, when the chances of a significant improvement in inflows is rated as very low.
However, the Menindee Lakes, which are fed by the Darling River, have had their first significant inflow since March last year.
But this only increased the storage level from 7pc to 15pc.
"Despite the good rainfall in parts of the northern basin during February, particularly near Bourke and Walgett, much of it fell on flat and dry countryside, and did not reach the river system," its update said.
"The situation is not expected to improve until there is a very significant and sustained improvement in rainfall, system inflows and water storage levels," it said.
The authority will deliver 4.4 gigalitres of water to six sites chosen for their high ecological value, including the Koondrook-Perricoota Forest in NSW. The flow will give stressed red river gums a drink and create drought refuge for waterbirds, fish, frogs and turtles, Mr Freeman said.
The government purchase of Toorale station for its water entitlements had resulted in an extra 11 gigalitres of water reaching the Darling River after heavy rains in February, the authority said.
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