Renmark’s long-held vision to restore Bookmark Creek will be a step closer when the Jane Eliza regulator is officially opened on Thursday, 23 October 2025.
Bookmark Creek – once known as Salt Creek – has a story deeply tied to Renmark’s irrigation heritage. In the early years, the Creek supplied water through various pump stations which allowed the pioneering settlement to thrive.
However, from the 1920s onwards, it became clear that underground drainage was vital for irrigation to continue. Initially, tile drains were installed beneath the soil, funnelling excess water into Bookmark and Ral Ral Creeks. RIT’s drainage scheme introduced in the 1960s and the RADDS scheme in the 1980s helped divert salt water away from the Creek to Noora Basin. However, by this stage the creek’s ecosystem had been badly degraded.
That decline inspired a community-wide effort to bring it back to its natural habitat. Since the 1990s, The Trust, local residents, community groups, such as the Bookmark Creek Action Group, the Renmark Paringa Council and government agencies have worked to restore Bookmark Creek to health.
Today, Bookmark Creek is a living environment that supports native fish, attracts birdlife, and provides spaces for people to connect with nature.
As the last constraint on Bookmark Creek is completed, the Trust thanks everyone who has contributed to restoring Bookmark Creek. It is a great example of what a community can achieve together.
Thanks to the Murray Pioneer for supporting the project and for allowing us to share these articles.