Northern region << BACK TO CONTENTS Barmah Forest Water for the environment in 2016–17 built on the benefits of the largest flood in Barmah Forest since 1993. Floodplain plants, fish and frogs responded well, and conditions were ideal for a waterbird breeding boom. More than 4,200 bird nests were counted in one 20-hectare area in the forest, mostly of rufous night-herons (also known as nankeen night-herons). Another similar-sized area supported over 2,000 white ibis and straw-necked ibis nests. A significant number of endangered Australasian bitterns and little bitterns was also recorded. Barmah Forest was the only known nesting site in Victoria for great egrets and intermediate egrets this year, and it hosted one of the state’s few nesting events for night-herons. Water for the environment was delivered to complement the wet conditions to maintain water around nesting waterbirds until February, so they could fledge their young. “Water releases from Hume Reservoir helped maintain some shallow inundation of key wetlands,” said Goulburn Broken CMA Environmental Water Manager Keith Ward. “Without it, the adult ibis and spoonbills would have abandoned their nests in response to the dropping water levels before their young could fly.” Monitoring of native fish also showed Murray cod, silver perch and golden perch spawned in spring. Larval Murray crayfish were found in the River Murray below Barmah Lake. This was an important finding as crayfish became extremely uncommon in this area of the river after a 2010–11 blackwater event. Another unusual finding was a platypus recorded in a Barmah Forest wetland, adjacent to the river. Site Barmah Forest floodplain Boals Deadwood Volume delivered in 2016–17 (ML) VEWH MDBA CEWH Total 91,472 2,687 10,000 10,033 111,505 2,687 - - Without it, the adult ibis and spoonbills would have abandoned their nests in response to the dropping water levels before their young could fly. 79 | Victorian Environmental Water Holder
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