Inland New South Wales rivers may never recover from the last drought, expert warns MonMonday 21 Declining flows in the Namoi River forced Manilla back to water restrictions in early December. ( Share Print text only Cancel River levels in inland New South Wales are in decline despite above-average rainfall in much of the state throughout 2020. Key points: Experts argue the last drought was so severe that catchments have lost the ability to absorb water It means rivers are less likely to keep flowing in dry periods It's prompted the return of water restrictions and kept irrigator allocations low, even after good rainfall