Winter low flows start on Monday, June 1, along the Campaspe River.
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Contributed
Communities along the Campaspe River will see a change in water flows in coming months.
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The winter low flow starts June 1 and runs through to the start of summer, providing ideal conditions for the river and everything that relies on it to survive.
North Central Catchment Management Authority environmental flows project manager Darren White said the flow would be adapted according to conditions.
“Rivers in this part of the world should have water down them over winter and spring,’’ he said.
‘’Animals such as platypus and rakali, and the native vegetation, have evolved in those conditions.
“However, the 800,000 cubic metres of soil and rock of the Eppalock Reservoir wall blocking the flow means that doesn’t happen in the northern part of the Campaspe naturally anymore.
“The flow will start low given the current dry times and will increase if more water becomes available.”
Water flows will be monitored through the winter months as flows start along the Campaspe River, which will flow through the Echuca fishway.
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Trent Gibson
Mr White said the flow would help protect the river against what could be a dry period ahead.
“The next 12 months could be challenging for the Campaspe River,” he said.
“That’s why this flow is the responsible thing to do for the health of the waterway.
“The community has worked so hard over the past four years to repair the damage from the 2022 floods, and we don’t want its recovery to go backwards.”
Mr White said the flow was also important to the health of native fish, rakali and platypus.
“It helps prevent saline pools and associated low oxygenated water downstream of Rochester. Saline pools can mean fish deaths.”
The flow complements activities undertaken to restore high quality riparian vegetation corridors that are resistant to flood-related channel change, such as river bed and bank erosion and creation of new flow paths.
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