Organisations join forces to help restore wetlands

A total of 440 mega litres of adaptive environmental water is being transferred through Murray Irrigation channels to Boomanoomana State Forest to help restore the forest ecosystem.

The water transfer is a cooperative effort between NSW Murray Wetlands Working Group, Forestry Corporation, Murray Irrigation Ltd, Berrigan Shire, Rural Lands Protection Board and the Murray Catchment Management Authority.

Delivery of the water started in early October at a rate of six to eight mega litres a day for approximately 55 days to Boomanoomana State Forest, which is down stream of Lake Mulwala, about half way between Yarrawonga and Barooga. 

Water will be delivered from Murray Irrigation Limited's Mulwala One Escape to 75 hectares of wetland using an existing 450-millimetre diameter pipe under the Tocumwal-Mulwala Road.

Senior Project Officer with the NSW Murray Wetlands Working Group, Dr Deborah Nias, said the forest's wetlands was now only flooded once in five years instead of every year, which was the case before river regulation.

“Without regular flooding, wetland vegetation is affected and certain species dominate at the expense of others. The loss of diverse wetland vegetation is a major problem for biodiversity so numbers of insects, frogs, birds and so forth can be badly affected,” she said.

Dr Nias said the floods that now took place in Boomanoomana State Forest were usually insufficient to allow native birds to breed successfully.

“The main aim of the water release is to establish a trial to help us understand how much water is required for this wetland during a three-month period, the time necessary to allow for such things as bird breeding and recovering some of the lost biodiversity,” she said.

“Other things we need to know include how the water actually flows throughout the forest. We want to better understand the flow pattern so we can more accurately target areas and know exactly how much water we need to use.

“We need to clever about how, when and where we put the water to achieve the best outcome for everyone concerned.

“This trial also demonstrates how numerous organisations can successfully co-operate to improve wetlands in their region.

“The timing of the water delivery needs to be carefully managed with Murray Irrigation Limited so as to not impact on their operations, but it must also be timed for when the wetlands really need it.

“With assistance from Berrigan Shire and the Rural Lands Protection Board, we have also been able to work through the various legal requirements involved.”

Media contact: Deborah Nias on (02) 6043 0127 or 0417 287 651.