South Australia's Murray Darling Basin Royal Commission will not cross–examine federal officials.

The commission has abandoned a push to compel evidence from Commonwealth and Murray Darling Basin Authority officials.

The decision has seen the Federal Government give up its own High Court challenge to the SA commission's power to compel testimony and documents from bureaucrats.

Senior counsel assisting the commission Richard Beasley said the State Government had refused to extend the commission's reporting deadline beyond February.

This means it will not be able to examine witnesses that want to give evidence but would not to do so unless they were compelled.

Federal Water Resources Minister David Littleproud said welcomed the discontinuation of the High Court case.

“I remain focused on delivering the basin plan in full and on time for the 2 million Australians who live in it,” Mr Littleproud said.

The commission is reviewing the methods that the MDBA used to come up with the 2,750 gigalitre environmental water recovery target contained in the Murray Darling Basin Plan.