Native fish play an important role in the environment of the Murray Darling Basin. They also have a large social and cultural value to many Basin communities. How we use water in our rivers has changed their natural flow patterns and impacted native fish communities. Deciding how we use water for the environment can therefore provide major benefits to sustaining our native fish.
Lippia (Phyla canescens) is a significant weed in the Gwydir wetlands. It spreads along the ground smothering native grasses, reducing both our native habitat and our natural pastures for cattle. Water couch and lippia tend to live in the same areas. What we have found is that the delivery of environmental water can benefit water couch, allowing it to dramatically out compete the lippia weed.
To the west of Moree the land gets flat, very flat. So flat that the Gwydir River disperses into several channels and flow paths, forming the Gwydir wetlands. These wetlands support some of the largest breeding colonies of waterbirds in Australia and include areas that are listed as Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar convention).
Do you know that the Warrego River is a super-rich nursery for yellowbelly (Golden Perch)?
The Warrego river is having its best flow in ages. The floodplain is connected to the channel and hundreds of hectares of habitat is being inundated. We can’t get out there to have a look because we are in our homes helping to keep the community safe. But we can guarantee the frogs are having a field day.
Flows have enabled the revival of ecosystems within the Lower Balonne with monitoring showing good responses in waterbird activities and others.
A warm welcome to Shjarn Winkle Shjarn is an Environmental Scientist, passionate about the conservation of Australian ecosystems. She is keen to get in the field and study the environment in Australia and abroad. In the 2rog office, Shjarn is busy with engagement, reporting, compiling and sharing our stories. The weekend often sees Shjarn at…
