SOUTH West Water Users Group chair Howard Jones has labelled a NSW Government decision that will ruin any chance of flows from recent heavy rain reaching Menindee "despicable".

The NSW Government on Monday approved water to be taken by floodplain harvesting from the northern basin until Thursday.

The news reached lower Darling water users on Tuesday.

"Any chance of flows reaching Menindee are gone," Mr Jones said.

"I think it is the most disgusting and disgraceful thing I have seen in 40 years of being involved in irrigation management – it makes you sick.

"They are totally abandoning their people in the west.

"All those poor beggars that still have sheep on their properties and are trying to maintain those sheep with reasonable drinking water and they have just lost another chance."

The NSW Government claimed the reason for its decision was more than 250mm of rain drenching locations across the Namoi and lower Gwydir valleys.

"This has resulted in large volumes of overland flow on the floodplains in these areas, as well as flash flooding," a government report said.

"All interim flow targets have been met in the Namoi valley and it is now forecast that interim targets will be met at Tilpa, and possibly Wilcannia, on the Barwon-Darling system.

"Flow forecasting indicates that flows will not be adequate enough to provide any flows into the lower Darling system.

"Flows from the Mehi (River) have been backing up due to high flows in the Barwon-Darling."

The report said the main intent of lifting a temporary restriction on floodplain harvesting, which was in place until February 28, was to minimise flood impacts and allow farmers to move water around their property to avoid damage to farm infrastructure.

"I think it is the most disgusting and disgraceful thing I have seen in 40 years of being involved in irrigation management – it makes you ...