The Murray-Darling Basin suffers from an overall lack of transparency and accountability in water management, an inquiry is set to be told.
Richard Kingsford, from the University of NSW Centre for Ecosystem Science, will appear before South Australia's Royal Commission into the river system on Thursday.
In a written submission he says the lack of transparency affects the Murray-Darling Basin Plan and its implementation, which in turn reduces community confidence.
Professor Kingsford said many of the rivers across the basin did not have metering to adequately record water, particularly from floodplains.
His submission also pointed to the need for "multiple lines of evidence" in relation to water use.
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"This can be achieved through use of satellite imagery, water meter data and by monitoring developments on floodplains," he said.
The royal commission was established in January 2018 to inquire into the operations and effectiveness of the basin plan after widespread reports of water theft.
Its final report is due by February next year.
