Landholders around the Wakool River System gave State Member for Murray-Darling John Williams a first-hand look at the desperate condition of the waterways recently.

Mr Williams met with members of Merran Creek Trust at landholder Geoff McDonald's Woodleigh property to talk about the immediate concerns of the trust - ranging from the impacts of acid sulphate soil, salt intrusions being caused to Merran Creek and its surrounding environment landscape and wildlife, and why Section 323 of the Water Act is hampering farmers' attempts to effectively make a living.

Mr Williams said it was critical that he met with the trust to get a first-hand look at the dire situation and to hear landholders' concerns regarding the Wakool River System.

"It was honestly very sobering and horrific to see what was a beautiful and forging landscape next to Merran Creek . . . eaten away by lack of water because of conditions forced upon landholders under Section 323 of the Water Act," Mr Williams said.

"Under the Act the Department of Water and Energy has imposed on irrigators, Merran Creek . . . has only received two `pulses' of water . . . a year for the past two years.

"Due to the government imposing and enforcing the 323 temporary water restriction on the trust system, it enables the department, to the environment's detriment, to close Merran Creek and disable the irrigators any form of irrigation.

"This then has severe ramifications to Merran Creek and the Wakool River System.

"There are increased fish kills, huge salt intrusions into the creek, and the build-up of acid sulphate soil which kills trees and the reproduction of crayfish.

"The lack of water has also seen the diminishing of massive amounts of bird life and kills to Murray cod," he said.

Mr Williams briefly met with South Australia River Murray Minister and Water Security Minister Karlene Maywald.

While acknowledging that the South Australian Government might call on NSW for water if there was low rainfall during the next financial year, Mr Williams said it was imperative however that if this happened the constituents in the MurrayDarling electorate and their water needs did not suffer in the process.