Sunshower Lagoon. Photo: Vince Bucello - Midstate Video Productions - Griffith NSW.
Posted: 7 October 2020
Sunshower Lagoon on the mid Murrumbidgee has become a haven for large numbers of waterbirds, frogs and turtles. Even the threatened southern bell frog has been found at the site for the first time in almost a decade.
The installation of pipes and a mobile pump has meant water from the river could be pumped into the wetland in spring last year. After years of being dry, plants are coming back, and the lagoon has been transformed into a wildlife magnet.
Located on private land, the landholder has been working with state and federal government agencies to help the lagoon recover. NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment installed the pipes for the pump so Commonwealth water for the environment could be delivered to the site.
Before rivers were changed to provide water for towns, industry and agriculture (known as ‘river regulation’), birds and plants relied on winter-spring rainfall to trigger feeding and breeding. Now winter-spring rains are held in storage and released largely in summer for irrigation use. There’s also less water flowing in our rivers, so wetlands receive less water than they would have naturally.
Governments use water for the environment to restore some of the natural flow pattern and seasonality to help keep rivers and wetlands healthy. Water is delivered to targeted sites during the year when native plants and animals need it most.
“In dry years when our allocations are low and we only have small amounts of water available, we need to be especially careful about where and how we deliver water, to squeeze the most benefits for the environment out of every drop”
— Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder, Jody Swirepik.
“To deliver water in the most efficient way possible, we partner with local landholders and use their infrastructure to get water to key sites like Sunshower Lagoon. This restores seasonal cues for fish to spawn, waterbirds and frogs to breed and helps native plants bounce back from long dry spells.”
Monitoring over the next few years will track how Sunshower Lagoon recovers now that part of the natural watering pattern has been restored. It’s early days, but the return of southern bell frogs is an exciting sign for success in the future.
Further information
- Rehabilitation of Murrumbidgee wetland - Sunshower Lagoon project
- Commonwealth Environmental Water Office - water for the environment
Sunshower Lagoon. Photo: Vince Bucello - Midstate Video Productions - Griffith NSW.