Science helps us track how native animals and plants respond to water for the environment. It also helps us to track water quality and flow in the Macquarie Valley.
Lessons learnt
Monitoring, evaluation and research shows us what's working and what's not. This knowledge helps us manage water for the environment in real-time and in the future.
Native fish
Delivering water in spring and early summer can trigger breeding events for small-bodied species. This includes:
- Australian smelt
- unspecked hardyhead
- Murray–Darling rainbowfish.
It's also likely to support the growth of Murray cod and freshwater catfish. Higher flows and in-stream productivity also helps.
Murray cod and freshwater catfish also benefit if stable flows in spring extend into summer. Extra pulses in August and September can also help create more food and productivity.
Frogs
Frogs love wet conditions. They also respond well to warm temperatures and high aquatic plant growth.
Flooding is key, helping frogs breed and move between wetlands.
Longer periods of inundation allow frogs to breed more and complete their life cycle.
Monitoring shows that if we keep water levels up until late November, it improves the growth of frogs.
Waterbirds
Delivering water supports the growth of wetland habitat which attracts threatened and migratory bird species. This is ideal during the warmer months when waterbirds and their food sources are most active.
Delivering water during dry periods is also crucial, as it creates a source of food and refuge areas.
Connectivity
Water for the environment helps connect the Macquarie and Barwon rivers. This helps native fish move between them to spawn, disperse, and grow.
Freshwater mussels
Freshwater mussels like to stay wet. They rely on permanent river reaches and waterholes. They also rely on native fish to survive.
Freshwater mussels are vulnerable when rivers dry out during long dry periods. Protecting baseflows helps these species to recover from the drought.
Floodplain mussels can survive for months in dry conditions, as long as it's cool. River mussels can only survive for a few weeks under the same conditions. If it gets too hot, they may survive for only a few days.
CEWH science
We support several projects through our CEWH science programs.
In the Macquarie Valleys, we work on these projects with:
- state departments
- scientists
- First Nations people
- local community.
Flow-MER Program publications
On-ground activities for the Flow-MER Program are underway. Read the Macquarie River and Marshes science publications containing detailed information on the monitoring, evaluation and research activities planned for 2024-2029, including updates and reports.