vewh watering update - edition 4
DESCRIPTION
This update gives you an overview of the environmental watering actions happening across Victoria, and a general news updateTRANSCRIPT
Edition 4, April/May 2012 environmental waterings
Welcome to the latest edition of the Victorian Environmental Water Holder (VEWH) Watering Update. This edition includes an update of environmental watering actions that happened across Victoria in April and May 2012. It also includes details about the release of the VEWH Seasonal Watering Plan 2012-13 and Corporate Plan 2012-13 to 2015-16.
The VEWH is an independent statutory body responsible for holding and managing environmental water entitlements in Victoria. The VEWH works with waterway managers (catchment management authorities and Melbourne Water), the Murray-Darling Basin Authority, Commonwealth Environmental Water, storage operators, Parks Victoria and the Department of Sustainability and Environment to deliver environmental water.
A full list of VEWH Holdings is available in the Seasonal Watering Plan 2011-12 and at www.vewh.vic.gov.au. If you have any suggestions or feedback, or wish to subscribe to this update, please email [email protected] image - Pobblebonk (Banjo) Frog. Source - Keith Ward.
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Moorabool systemWhere - Release from Lal Lal Reservoir into the Moorabool River.
When - Began late April for 10 days.
What/how much - The third summer fresh targeted flows of 31 ML a day at Morrisons, delivered on top of Barwon Water consumptive water releases.
Why - Improve in-stream habitat, enhance fish movement and flush the system of organic matter and sediment that has built up in habitat pools.
Who - Corangamite CMA, Barwon Water, Central Highlands Water.
Macalister systemWhere - Released from Lake Glenmaggie into the Macalister River.
When Winter baseflows - began in mid-April and will continue through to June.Autumn fresh - began in late April for seven days.
What/how much Winter baseflows - targeting 320 ML a day.Autumn fresh - targeted 350 ML a day.
Why - Provide spawning and migration flows for native fish, including the Australian grayling.
Who - West Gippsland CMA, Southern Rural Water.
Thomson systemWhere - Resease from Thomson Reservoir into the Thomson River.
When Winter baseflows - began in mid-April and will continue through June.Autumn fresh - the first fresh occurred in late April and the second in mid-May.
What/how much Winter baseflows - targeting 230 ML a day.Autumn fresh - targeted 800 ML a day.
Why - Provide spawning and migration flows for native fish, including the Australian grayling.
Who - West Gippsland CMA, Melbourne Water.
Watering recap
Southern Victoria
Great egret, Yarra RiverSource - Bridie Velik-Lord, VEWH
Moorabool RiverSource - Corangamite CMA
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Glenelg systemWhere - Release from Rocklands Reservoir into the Glenelg River.
WhenSummer baseflows - Began mid-December 2011 and will end in May 2012.Summer fresh - Began in early May for six days.
What/how muchSummer baseflows - Targeted 16 ML a day at Dergholm.Summer fresh - Targeted 65 ML a day at Harrow.
WhySummer baseflows - Maintain permanent pool habitat for fish.Summer fresh - Improve water quality for fish.
Who - Glenelg Hopkins CMA, Grampians-Wimmera-Mallee Water.
Wimmera-Mallee wetlands systemWhere - Roselyn Wetland and Barbers Swamp.
When Roselyn Wetland - Begn early May and will continue into June.Barbers Swamp - Began in early May ended mid May.
What/how much - Delivery of 15 ML each to Roselyn Wetland and Barbers Swamp.
Why - Improve the condition of fringing black box vegetation and provide habitat for waterbirds, including the Australian painted snipe.
Who – Mallee CMA, Grampians-Wimmera-Mallee Water.
Moree on the Glenelg RiverSource - Glenelg Hopkins CMA
Barbers SwampSource - Mallee CMA
Hospital SwampsSource - Corangamite CMA
Wimmera systemWhere Wimmera River - Release from Lake Lonsdale via Mt William Creek, and Taylors Lake into the Wimmera River. MacKenzie River - Release from Lake Wartook into the MacKenzie River.
When Wimmera and MacKenzie Rivers - Environmental water has been used to deliver summer baseflows during December 2011 to May 2012, when target flows were not met by unregulated flows.
What/how much Wimmera River - Targeted summer baseflows of 5 ML a day at Lochiel.MacKenzie River - Targetied summer baseflows of 2 ML a day at Distribution Heads.
WhyWimmera River - Maintain water quality and habitat for fish including the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act-listed freshwater catfish.
MacKenzie River - Maintain permanent pool habitat for fish.
Who - Wimmera CMA, Grampians-Wimmera-Mallee Water.
Western Victoria
Barwon systemWhere - Diversion into Hospital Swamps from the lower Barwon River.
When - Inlet was opened in late May, and closed in early June. The inlet may be opened again up until the end of August.
What/how much - Filling flows. Actual volume is determined by river heights.
Why - Maintain the condition and extent of wetland vegetation, and maintain opportunities for waterbird breeding, recruitment and foraging.
Who - Corangamite CMA.
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Broken system (lower Broken Creek)Where - Releases from the Murray and Goulburn systems into Broken Creek.
When - Began late December 2011 and ended in May 2012.
What/how much - Targeted summer minimum flows of 150 ML a day at Rices Weir. Environmental flows were not required during March and April as high unregulated flows exceeded targeted flow rates. Environmental releases were reinstated in early May to address dissolved oxygen decline as unregulated flows subsided.
Why - Provide habitat and connectivity for native fish.
Who - Goulburn Broken CMA, Commonwealth Environmental Water, Goulburn-Murray Water.
Loddon systemWhere Loddon River - Release from Loddon Weir into the Loddon River.Birch’s Creek (Bullarook) - Release from Newlyn Reservoir into Birch Creek.WhenLoddon River - Began in late May and will continue into June.Birch’s Creek (Bullarook) - Began late May and ended in early June.
What/how much Loddon River - Targeted winter low flows of 100 ML a day downstream of Loddon Weir.Birch’s Creek (Bullarook) - Targeted a summer fresh of 15 ML a day.
WhyLoddon River - Maintain habitat and connectivity for macroinvertebrates and native fish (including river blackfish), maintain water quality, support aquatic vegetation growth, and prevent encroachment of terrestrial vegetation.Birch’s Creek (Bullarook) - Maintain habitat and connectivity for macroinvertebrates and native fish (including river blackfish), promote a diverse range of aquatic and riparian vegetation.
Who - North Central CMA, Goulburn-Murray Water.
Broken CreekSource - GBCMA
Birch’s CreekSource - North Central CMA
Goulburn system Where - Release from Goulburn Weir into the Goulburn River.
When - Began late December 2011 and ended in May 2012.
What/how much - Targeted summer baseflows of 940 ML a day at McCoys Bridge. Environmental water was also used in the Goulburn River to slow the recession of high flows from operational releases between early April and late May. Environmental flows were postponed in late May as high unregulated flows met targeted flow rates.
Why - Maintain aquatic vegetation, pool habitat, low flow and slackwater zones to provide habitat and connectivity for macroinvertebrates and native fish.
Who - Goulburn Broken CMA, Commonwealth Environmental Water, Goulburn-Murray Water.
Northern Victoria
Ovens system*
Where - Releases from Lake Buffalo and Lake William Hovell into the Ovens River via the Buffalo and King Rivers.
When - Began in early May and ended in mid-May.
What/how much Lake Buffalo release - 20 ML of Commonwealth environmental water was combined with a 7,000 ML release made for dam maintenance, which was transferred to the Murray system. Water was released to create a fresh.
Lake William Hovel release - 50 ML of Commonwealth environmental water was combined with a 120 ML a day release being made for hydro-electricity purposes, which increased the flow to 170 ML for the day.
Why - Improve in-stream habitat and food sources for macroinvertebrates.
Who - North East CMA, Commonwealth Environmental Water, Goulburn-Murray Water.*The VEWH currently has no Water Holdings in the Ovens system.
Lake William HovellSource - North East CMA
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The Seasonal Watering Plan 2012-13 and a summary of the VEWH’s first corporate plan will be publicly released on 29 June 2012. The latest seasonal watering plan provides the blueprint for the Victorian environmental watering program. It builds on the solid foundation established in the 2011-12 plan, while incorporating learning and experience from the VEWH’s first year of operation. In light of this, the plan incorporates a number of improvements and refinements, reflecting what has been learnt. This includes increasing the scope of the plan to allow for increased flexibility in decision making, and removing the need to have schedules by incorporating the key information for decision making throughout the year into this one document.
The corporate plan outlines the framework for the VEWH’s future performance and provides clear direction for the VEWH’s second year through to its fifth year of operation. It includes the VEWH’s mission, values and behaviours, defining what the organisation stands for and what it is striving to achieve. The Seasonal Watering Plan 2012-13 and a corporate plan summary brochure will be available for download from the VEWH website on 29 June 2012.
Seasonal Watering Plan 2012-13 and Corporate Plan 2012-13 to 2015-16
VEWH news
Where - Gunbower Creek
When - Releases into Gunbower Creek began in mid-November 2011 and continued until mid-May, using consumptive water en route with environmental water used to cover additional losses.
What/how much - Provision of baseflows and a series of freshes, with environmental water being used to account for losses associated with the delivery of consumptive water through the creek.
Why - Build resilience and enhance native fish populations in Gunbower Creek. The watering will also have benefits for fringing vegetation.
Who - North Central CMA, Murray-Darling Basin Authority on behalf of the Living Murray program, Goulburn-Murray Water. Gunbower Creek
Source - VEWH
Spoonbills at Dowd MorassSource - West Gippsland CMA
Where - Lake Carpul, via Lake Powell.
When - Mid-December 2011 continuing into winter 2012.
What/how much - Pumping of 2,500 ML into Lake Carpul.
Why - Provide environmental benefits including:
• improving the condition of the long-term water-stressed black box community
• facilitating the establishment of aquatic lake bed and fringing understorey vegetation
• providing habitat, food sources and breeding resources for many wetland dependent species
• renewing the seed bank.
Who - Mallee CMA, Lower Murray Water.
Northern wetlands and floodplains
Macroinvertabrates are animals that have no backbone. Most freshwater macroinvertebrates are very small but many can still be seen with the naked eye.There are many kinds of macroinvertebrates in our waterways. They include worms, snails, mites, bugs, beetles, dragonflies and freshwater crayfish. Macroinvertabrates are a valuable food source for fish and bird species and are a good indicator of river health. A group of different macroinvertebrates living together in the same aquatic habitat is called a biological community.Source - http://www.waterwatch.org.au/publications/module3/introduction.html
What are macroinvertabrates?
Dragonfly at Dowd MorassSource - West Gippsland CMA