The noise of water returning to parched river beds in Far West New South Wales has dogs barking, and is driving optimism for tour operators.

Floodwater from rain in February has begun to flow into the Menindee Lakes, which as seen people travel hundreds of kilometres to welcome the first of the in-flows to Lake Weatherall.

Menindee Regional Tourism President Rob Gregory told rural editor Eddie Summerfield, optimism is building in the town.

“We grabbed a couple of boxes of cans and watched it come through, everyone was just ecstatic,” Mr Gregory said.

Menindee is home to just over 500 people, and made international headlines when millions of fish were killed last Summer in the drought impacted region.

Up to 285,000 Mega Litres of water is forecast to reach the lakes, that are currently at less than 2 percent of their 1,731,000 mega litre capacity.

With Easter around the corner, and people’s overseas travel plans in the air because of coronavirus, its hoped tourists consider the lakes as a holiday destination.

“I’ve had a few extra phone calls, which I was thinking there may be more, but I think people have been pessimistic as well.”

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