Western region << BACK TO CONTENTS This year, the Glenelg River system received some much-needed relief from the dry conditions of recent years, with heavy rainfall in winter and early spring. Last year, drought was tough on the Glenelg system: inflows were among the lowest ever and the river was reduced to a series of ponds along some stretches. But heavy rain in winter 2016 was substantial enough to inundate the floodplain in many parts of the catchment and provide riparian vegetation with much-needed water. The heavy rain and subsequent high river flows reconnected different parts of the river, providing ideal breeding conditions for some native fish species and enabling migratory species to disperse and recolonise the system. Flows in the river were carefully managed, particularly in summer and autumn, to capitalise on the benefits of the wet winter. “We have fish like estuary perch and tupong moving back into their old range, more than 270 kilometres upstream from where they were just seven years ago,” said Glenelg Hopkins CMA Water Resources Manager Bryce Morden. “Blackfish numbers have doubled and numbers of critically endangered variegated pygmy perch have increased tenfold. Water for the environment in 2016–17 was also really beneficial for the endangered Glenelg spiny freshwater crayfish, which suffered in the recent drought.” Plants and animals can withstand all sorts of conditions, but they all have their limits. Bryce said the flooding scoured and in some cases uprooted drought-stressed riparian and in-stream vegetation. “While we can’t prevent some of the damage of the seasonal extremes we’ve been experiencing, we can use water for the environment to help river plants and animals bounce back from tough conditions, ensuring healthy and resilient populations into the future,” he said. Waterway manager: Glenelg Hopkins CMA Storage manager: Grampians Wimmera Mallee Water Site Glenelg River Volume delivered in 2016–17 (ML) 2,765 Water birds on the lower Glenelg River, by Chloe Wiesenfeld 47 | Victorian Environmental Water Holder
51 Publizr Home