In 1986, the River Murray Riparian Vegetation Survey was initiated by the Murray-Darling Basin Commission to assess the present status of the vegetation along the River Murray, to identify causes of degradation, and to develop solutions for its rehabilitation and long term stability. The Study area was the floodplain of the River Murray and its anabranches, including the Edward-Wakool system, from below Hume Dam to the upper end of Lake Alexandrina, a total of nearly 9,000 square kilometres (900,000 hectares). The survey was conducted by Margules and Partners Pty Ltd, P and J Smith Ecological Consultants, and the then Victorian Department of Conservation, Forests and Lands (DCFL). The results were then compiled by DCFL, a report published (see References) and a GIS was constructed.

Please note that the vegetation mapping uses a mixed floristic/structural classification. VIS_ID 3964