Rivers might not be as resilient to drought as once thought

Years after a lengthy drought, some southeastern Australia rivers show no signs of recovering

image of the Gwydir River

A drought in 2019 reduced water flow in the Gwydir River near Moree, Australia (shown). A decade earlier, the Millennium drought from about 1997 to 2010 drove many of southeastern Australia’s rivers into a longstanding low-flow state. As of 2017, many of the regions’ rivers still showed no signs of recovery.

David Gray/Getty Images

Rivers ravaged by a lengthy drought may not be able to recover, even after the rains return.