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South Australian Liberal MPs and voters have reacted angrily to National MPs trying to rewrite the Murray-Darling Basin Plan (MDBP) in Federal Parliament.

The MDBP was legislated in 2012, with bipartisan support across the Commonwealth and basin states, to provide more water for the environment.

Nationals senators on Wednesday failed in their attempt to effectively rewrite the plan by introducing amendments to federal water legislationaimed atdelivering less environmental waterand preventing any further Commonwealth buybacks ofwater rights from irrigators.

Caren Martin is a third-generation farmer and runs a 200-hectare irrigated almond orchard in South Australia's Riverland region, which relies on flows from the River Murray.

Ms Martin, who is also the chair of the South Australian Murray Irrigators, said the move in Parliament hadcaused anxiety among irrigators.

"It just leads us into a world of uncertainty and we have to constantly adjust to deal with that political uncertainty," Ms Martin said.

"I don't appreciate it.It just puts further angst into people's lives."

The move has also caused upset amongLiberal voters.

ABC News

Gio, who did not provide his last name, grew up in the New South Wales Riverina region but now lives in Glen Osmond.

He said he would no longer vote for the Liberal Party.

"I'm a lifetime Liberal voter," he said.

"I've always accepted that you've got to take the Natswith the Libs, but I'm sorry,I'm not voting for the Liberals anymore.

"I don't know who I'm voting forbecause I don't know if I can vote for Labor, but it's just so disheartening and frustrating that this Coalition now is very one sided.

"There's so much selfish ambition in what's going on and I'm despondent."

South Australia's Water Minister, Liberal MP David Speirs, reiterated the concerns of votersand said his party absolutely rejected the proposed changes.

"I think federally, if the Coalition doesn't have a tight hold of the Murray-Darling Basin issueand doesn't show that much-needed leadership South Australians in seats like Boothby and Mayo will be turned off the federal Coalition when it comes to federal election time," Mr Speirs said.

"As a government, we've got to show leadership, we've got to continue to ensure that critical environmental water flows into South Australia for our environment, but also for our irrigators and economic viability as well."

With a federal reshuffle expected imminently, South Australian MPs and farmers are warning of the risks ofchanging the water portfolio.

Sources have told the ABC that Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie has put her hand up for it, but Mr Speirs said that would not be inappropriate.

"Unfortunately Bridget McKenzie has particularly unusual views about the management of the South Australian reaches of the river," Mr Speirs said.

"Particularly her voodoo science around the Lower Lakes,I just find that out of step with the evidence that has been developed around the management of the Lower Lakes.

"She would flood them with seawater and that's a great concern."

Ms Martin said she wouldlike to see the portfolio stay with Senator McKenzie's colleague, Queensland Nationals MPKeith Pitt.

"He's outside the basin, he resides in Queensland so he doesn't come in with the 'protect-my-patch' sort of attitude that other ministers have had in the past," Ms Martin said.

"If they just keep their eye on the ball that we all want water security, we want this river to run and give good quality and reliable water supply to everybody, then we'll get there in the end."

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SA Liberals, locals frustrated by National Party bid to change Murray-Darling Basin Plan - ABC News