Darling River EEC

The Darling River north of Pooncarie

Title

The aquatic ecological community in the natural drainage system of the lowland catchment of the Darling River.

Description

The Darling River endangered ecological community includes all native fish and aquatic invertebrates within all natural creeks, rivers, streams and associated lagoons, billabongs, lakes, flow diversions to anabranches, the anabranches, and the floodplains of the Darling River within the State of New South Wales, and including Menindee Lakes and the Barwon River. This area includes:

  • The main channels and tributaries of the lower Darling and Barwon-Darling Rivers from Mungindi (28o59'S; 149o30'E) on the Queensland border to the convergence with the Murray River at Wentworth (34o07'S; 141o55'E), and including the Menindee Lakes.
  • The arid-zone intermittent rivers including the Warrego (29o00'S; 145o42'E), Culgoa (29o00'S; 147o22'E) and Narran Rivers (29o00'S; 148o05'E) and their tributaries south of the Queensland border.
  • The border rivers including the MacIntyre River below Graman Weir (29o25'S; 150o58.8'E), Severn River downstream of Pindari Dam (29o23'S; 151o14'E) and the Dumaresq River below the junction with the Mole River (28o59.7'S; 151o31'E).
  • The north-western slope rivers including the following: the Gwydir River from Copeton Dam (29o55'S; 150o55'E) downstream; the Namoi River from the junction of the Manilla River at Manilla (including Mehi River channel west of Moree) (30o46'S; 150o44'E) downstream; the Manilla River from Split Rock Dam (30o35'S; 150o42'E) downstream; the Peel River from Chaffey Dam (31o31'S; 151o08'E) downstream; the Macquarie River from Burrendong Dam (32o40'S; 149o10'E) downstream; the Cudgegong River from Windamere Dam (32o44'S; 149o46'E) downstream; the Castlereagh River from below Binnaway (31o30'S; 149o20'E) downstream; and the Bogan River from below Peak Hill (32o50'S; 148o00'E) downstream.

Excluded from this recommendation are the man made/artificial canals, water distribution and drainage works, farm dams and off-stream reservoirs, and also the Paroo River and Bulloo River Overflow with their associated lakes and tributaries. Other watercourses above 500m not specifically named in this recommendation are excluded.

Fisheries Scientific Committee determination

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