KIEWA valley irrigators were reassured by the Murray Darling Basin Authority river modelling would be revised under the draft basin plan.
Irrigators, frustrated at the Kiewa's bundling with the Ovens and Murray systems in the plan, confronted authority staff at an "open house'' forum in Albury today.
Of the Kiewa's flow, 97 per cent enters the Murray as environmental water while three per cent is used for irrigation.
Tawonga beef producer Sue Ryder said the Kiewa was linked to the Ovens River for groundwater purposes, and to the Murray for surface water under the plan.
Mrs Ryder said the valley's share of the 971 gigalitre downstream component had not been made clear.
She said the Kiewa hydro scheme was not mentioned in the plan despite it regulating river flow for hydro electricity generation.
"There has been no modelling on the Kiewa River - it is bundled in with other systems it is not connected to,'' Mrs Ryder said.
Murray Darling Basin Authority chief executive Rhondda Dickson reassured valley irrigators local modelling would be examined over the next three years.
Almost 40 farmers and residents turned out for the open house forum.
They were given the opportunity to discuss environmental watering planning and delivery, sustainable diversion limits, socio-economic analysis and water buy backs with authority technical staff.
Further meetings are planned for Wangaratta tomorrow and Renmark on Friday.
MDBA board member Diana Gibbs said the "open house'' was a preferred approach over the large public meetings.
"I don't see that as consultation,'' Ms Gibbs said.
"People want to express their anger and that is quite valid.
"We have two members of a six member board here and can float and chat to people.''
Ms Gibbs said an Albury stakeholder meeting had raised concerns over the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder and Strengthening Basin Communities project.
"For the last two years these communities have been grappling with how to find a future with less water,'' she said.
"I was impressed and heartened by the positive thinking and outcomes from that program.''
Rutherglen farmer Roger Hall said the draft plan was a golden opportunity to build a stronger basin community.
Mr Hall said infrastructure works needed to be built to increase available water for now and future generations.
"Engineering works such as dams to catch flood flow water should be built to increase the amount of available water and help alleviate flood damage,'' he said.
"Environmental needs must be based on real science which takes into account the ephemeral nature of Australian rivers and how wildlife has adapted to this.
"The present wasteful environmental water management must be rectified.''
An interest in conservation and the environment prompted retired Albury professional Peter Esler to attend the forum.
"I came along to get information and listen to the arguments intelligently because it is not going to go away,'' Mr Esler said.
"Initially Albury itself won't be affected but communities downstream of Corowa will start to feel the effects.
"The Murray was in such a mess for this long - it was really dying.
"We don't want this to happen again, we need a plan.''
