The Gomeroi Warrambools (Gwydir Wetlands) make up a part of the Gomeroi Peoples Country. Its water is the life source of the Gomeroi People and has been for thousands of years. The wetlands play a major cultural and environmental role, and we explore many elements within with our Gwydir Flow-MER stories.

Dr Paul Frazier and Dr Mark Southwell met up with Bourke's Western Herald Newspaper and Rod Corfe from Radio 2WEB to discuss the recent Culture to Science day at Toorale, a part of the Warrego-Darling Flow-MER project.

On June 17 the Kurnu-Baakandji People, 2rog Consulting, University of New England, DPI Fisheries and members from the Toorale Joint Management Committee and National Parks and Wildlife Services gathered on Toorale National Park to share cultural and science knowledge. Thank you to everyone who joined us for the day.

The composition of inland floodplain vegetation communities, such as those on the Western Floodplain of the Warrego River, fluctuates as the floodplain alternates between wet and dry periods. Water loving species dominate wet periods, but as the floodplain dries these species die off, creating space for terrestrial species to move in.

As part of the Flow-MER program, scientists investigate what impact Commonwealth environmental water flows are having on fish, birds, vegetation and river connectivity in the Murray-Darling Basin. Felix Noble works for the University of New England’s Aquatic Ecology Restoration and Research Group as a field technician. Felix Noble composed a photo essay compiled from multiple trips Felix has made with Flow-MER scientists to the Gwydir Wetlands and Toorale National Park.

Whilst common to northern and central Australia, in the Murray-Darling Basin Hyrtl’s tandan is only present in the Warrego, Paroo (PaaRu) and Condamine Rivers. The preservation of Hyrtl’s tandan in the Warrego River is aided greatly by the contribution of Commonwealth water for the environment.

Following another spring of high water flows and water across floodplains, colonial-nesting waterbird breeding occurred for the second time in two years, and only the second time in 10 years. Water for the environment was released to create these large flows and trigger breeding. Since the beginning of 2023 flows have been maintained at steady low flows to minimise the risks to the colonies breeding successes.

The northern Basin has been rapidly drying. The Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder (CEWH) arranged for large volumes of water to be released during February, this water has provided refreshing flows in the lower Balonne. One benefit of this flow has been successfully ensuring that the wetlands areas have remained wet for waterbird breeding. Among the waterbirds breeding, has been large colonies of pelicans.  Photo: Pelican colony at Narran Lake. Shot by Harro on behalf of CES, UNSW.