Fantastic frog habitat at Overland Corner wetland complex
As usual, spring is a busy time for environmental water managers and scientists along the wetlands of the River Murray – and spring 2020 was no exception! Similar to your garden, plants and animals along the river flourish in a good spring. With good rainfall across the southern Basin, it was the perfect time to deliver water for the environment to the wetlands along the South Australian stretch of the Murray.
After early monitoring of the flows, science teams are confident that water for the environment is hitting the spot. Early results indicate exciting responses from the fish, frogs, and birds that call the Murray home.
Frogs flourishing at Overland Corner
Overland Corner Reserve is a 300-hectare wetland on the River Murray floodplain, downstream of Barmera. A few weeks after water was delivered to the wetland, wildlife began to flourish.
Endangered Southern bell frog tadpole numbers were 50% greater than last year—which was already considered a good season! These results were from surveys at key breeding sites by Berri Barmera Landcare and Murraylands and Riverland Landscapes monitoring teams. Scientists will keep an eye on juvenile frog numbers as water continues to flow into Overland Corner through summer, to make sure the health of the frogs are sustained.
Monitoring teams also recorded flourishing plants, numerous birds flocking to the area, such as regent parrots, sacred kingfishers, striped honeyeaters, and many different duck species. There were also high numbers of frogs and tadpoles, with a staggering 23,000 tadpoles from five different species of frogs found at one site alone.
Although watering and ecological recovery is in its early stages, monitoring indicates that water for the environment is doing its job to help key wetland species after many years of drought.
Southern bell froglet and frog at Overland Corner
Benefits flowing across the floodplain
The benefits from water for the environment at Overland Corner are also being observed at nearby Banrock Station.
The Banrock Station wetland complex is located opposite Overland Corner on the River Murray floodplain, and is a known home for breeding populations of regent parrots. Refreshing the wetlands at Overland Corner has helped produce exciting results in recent regent parrot surveys, as nest numbers at Banrock Station, and overall parrot activity across the floodplain has increased relative to recent years. This is a promising result for this bird which is listed as nationally vulnerable!
“When the parrots come into Banrock, they usually fly in from the mallee to the south, pair up, then one adult stays with the nest and the other does the feeding runs. This year, almost all the adults are flying to and from Overland Corner floodplain across the river and are doing multiple back and forth trips to this food resource area. It’s like a local supermarket.” Tim Field, Banrock Station Wetlands Manager.
Regent parrot at Banrock Station, South Australia
Watering at Overland Corner is providing positive results beyond its boundary, extending to other nearby sites on the floodplain. This demonstrates the importance of considering landscape outcomes when planning for environmental water delivery.
Murray hardyhead booming
Early monitoring is showing that environmental flows are hitting the spot for frogs and birds, but what about the fish?
Murray hardyhead are a threatened small native wetland fish, and currently survive in just a handful of places in northern Victoria, in the Riverland and Lower Lakes in South Australia. Recent monitoring results show these little fish are loving the flows, too.
Key populations of Murray hardyhead have been maintained in the Disher Creek Basin near Renmark, and on the Katarapko floodplain. In the last couple of years, two additional populations have been found nearby and are being closely managed by using water for the environment to keep the conditions just right.
Recent surveys at newly established habitat sites have uncovered some very exciting results with over 25 000 Murray hardyhead recorded! These are great numbers, as 500-1000 fish indicate a reasonably healthy population. The big catch shows that environmental flows are providing great conditions for native fish, along with many other species that depend on the river system.
The Murraylands and Riverland Landscapes Wetlands team carrying out Murray hardyhead surveys
Hitting the spot
The exciting results we’re seeing at these wetlands couldn’t be achieved without water for the environment. Recent water deliveries have helped provide better conditions for threatened fish, frogs and birds, providing important refuges for key species and demonstrating the ability of these ecosystems to respond and recover in response to watering.
The results will continue to be monitored over the next few months to keep track of species populations, but early results are bringing exciting signs for the future health of these wetlands, and many others in the Riverland.