Adelaide to use less Murray water

The South Australian government will take less water from the Murray River for Adelaide residents this summer, with plans to use the city's desalination plant instead.

The move will allow the government to allocate an extra 50 gigalitres to irrigators, Agriculture Minister Leon Bignell says.

"Every drop of water is vital when it comes to keeping permanent plantings alive and helping growers with their annual crop," the minister said on Friday.

The plan will provide security to all water users as well as maintain the environmental sustainability of the river, Water Minister Ian Hunter said.

"We carried out extensive consultation on this water allocation plan so that primary producers, industry and communities could have their say," he said.

He said the plan would help the environment by ensuring water flows during dry years and flush salt from the system.