The Environmental Water Knowledge and Research Project (EWKR) project has been established by the Australian Government to provide information to support implementation of the Basin Plan. The purpose of EWKR is to improve identification and reporting on the outcomes of environmental flows including the way that these outcomes may be influenced by other threats and stressors. The project will achieve this through generation of new knowledge, development of decision support tools and communication to support achievement of Basin Plan objectives. The Murray-Darling Freshwater Research Centre (MDFRC) has been appointed as the lead organisation that will work in collaboration with other researchers. The project will comprise two phases; the first phase is a planning phase that will identify the key questions and approach. The second phase will undertake research and management tool development. It is anticipated that the project will be undertaken at four sites (including a Queensland floodplain vegetation research site) that will be selected during the first year of the project on the basis of critical research questions. This presentation will describe; 1) key relationships between the MDB EWKR project and other environmental flow and research activities 2) the role of MDB EWKR in the adaptive management of environmental water and 3) Phase 1 of the MDB EWKR project and opportunities for researchers to become involved.