THE mighty Murray River is currently being kept alive only by water from the Ovens and King rivers.

The riverbed is bare in long stretches below Lake Hume as precious water supplies are held back for the coming summer.

And according to Ken Jasper (MLA, Murray Valley), the current situation highlights the very real need to enlarge both Lake Buffalo and Lake William Hovell.

Mr Jasper, a strong supporter of extending the dams system to underpin the supply of water in the Murray Darling Basin, said the current situation emphasised the extremely stressed streams resulting from years of dry weather and continuing drought conditions.

"The State Government has received a report relating to the development and extension of water storages across Victoria, which it has not made public, which, in my view would have included a recommendation for an investigation process for further water storages," he said.