Planning and managing environmental water for native fish outcomes in the Murray-Darling Basin has come a long way over a short space of time. We used to celebrate the achievement of spawning in the River Murray, but now we seek system-wide recruitment outcomes. Environmental water holders and managers have undertaken a paradigm shift, moving from a simple local approach for a singular outcome, to a system-scale, population dynamics approach to water management. But how did this happen? It has taken time, the efforts of many scientists and water managers, and some key pieces of research and monitoring. We will reflect on the influential pieces of research, the important policy and management changes, and the major outcomes that have shaped this journey so far. We will also show how native fish knowledge is helping to communicate the benefits of water for the environment to a broader audience, and build support for water reform more broadly.