Northern region << BACK TO CONTENTS Although the Goulburn River flooded naturally in late 2016, the river’s banks experienced less erosion and slumping than in previous floods, due in part to the earlier use of water for the environment. Regular use of water for the environment has helped stabilise the riverside vegetation and strengthened the banks of the lower Goulburn, making it more resilient to floods. “The annual monitoring we’ve conducted shows that using environmental water to top-up water delivered to irrigators and other users at this time of the year has helped bank-stabilising plants establish along the lower Goulburn,” Goulburn Broken CMA Environmental Water and Wetlands Manager Simon Casanelia explained. “Because of this vegetation, we saw far less bank slumping and erosion during the natural flooding we experienced late last year than we did during 2010 to 2012.” Winter and spring rainfall provided the second-largest overbank flood in the lower Goulburn River in the past 20 years. The flooding triggered native fish to breed, and monitoring found good numbers of golden and silver perch spawning. “We planned an environmental flow in November to stimulate golden perch migration and spawning, but we cancelled it due to the high natural flows,” Simon said. “It was great news that nature ran its course and triggered a fish spawning event, and it provided ideal conditions for the further recovery of vegetation as well.” Waterway manager: Goulburn Broken CMA Storage manager: Goulburn-Murray Water After Site Goulburn River Volume delivered in 2016–17 (ML) VEWH MDBA CEWH 27,500 Total 20,000 182,253 Regular environmental water deliveries have helped re-establish vegetation on the banks of the lower Goulburn River, by Goulburn Broken CMA Before 229,753 61 | Victorian Environmental Water Holder
65 Publizr Home