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Chowilla Creek Environmental Regulator Frequently Asked Questions Maximising Ecological Benefits on the Chowilla Floodplain by Managing Environmental Water

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Chowilla Creek Environmental Regulator Frequently Asked Questions Maximising Ecological Benefits on the Chowilla Floodplain by Managing Environmental Water Chowilla Creek Environmental Regulator Frequently Asked Questions Maximising ecological benefits on the Chowilla Floodplain by managing environmental water The Chowilla Floodplain is one of the last parts What has been constructed at Chowilla? of the lower Murray that has kept much of its A number of important environmental works have been natural character. undertaken on the Chowilla floodplain (see map) to enable the effective use of environmental water to improve the health It contains the largest remaining natural river red gum forest of the floodplain. The works include: in the lower River Murray and a range of aquatic habitats, including fast and slow flowing creeks, backwaters, wetlands • construction of an environmental regulator on and lakes. Chowilla Creek incorporating fishways Chowilla is: • construction of ancillary structures to be operated in conjunction with the Chowilla regulator including: • an area of high environmental and cultural importance – Woolshed Creek South regulator • part of the Riverland Ramsar wetland of international importance – Woolshed Creek East regulator • part of one of the six The Living Murray (TLM) Icon Sites – Chowilla Island Loop channel and channel regulator in the Murray-Darling Basin. – Chowilla Island Loop regulator Development in the Murray-Darling system over the past 100 years • the upgrade of existing weirs on Pipeclay and Slaney Creeks has greatly reduced the frequency, extent and duration of floods. (major inlet creeks from the River Murray into the Chowilla Chowilla has experienced severe ecological decline due to lack of anabranch) to provide for more flexible operations for flooding over long periods. This decline accelerated during the environmental management and incorporating fish passage extreme drought of 2006-10, resulting in the widespread loss of • replacement of Bank E with a rock ramp fishway and mature river red gum and black box trees. replacement of Boat Creek Bridge to remove flow restriction, improve fish passage and improve access. 2 | Chowilla Creek Environmental Regulator Frequently Asked Questions These works have been constructed through The Living will always be maintained over the structure and downstream Murray (TLM) Environmental Works and Measures Program. water levels will remain as normal. When the stop logs are This program funded works for ecological restoration activities removed, the supporting piers allow uninterrupted flow with no at TLM Icon Sites. impact on water levels in Chowilla Creek. Fish passage is not hindered when the regulator’s stop logs are What is the Chowilla Creek environmental removed. When the regulator is in operation, fish will be able to regulator and how does it work? move past the regulator through two fish-ways. These have The environmental regulator is a weir-like structure built across been specifically designed to enable fish passage for large, Chowilla Creek downstream of Monoman Island. The structure medium and small-bodied native fish. is designed to raise water levels to enable inundation of large The regulator can be used in a variety of ways: areas of the floodplain and wetlands. • Low level operation; to raise and vary the water levels within The regulator consists of a series of concrete piers and a deck. the channels of the anabranches and creeks. When the regulator is being operated, removable concrete stop • Medium level operations; to raise water levels to a height logs (similar to those in existing River Murray weirs) will be where water flows out into wetlands and starts to spill out onto inserted between the piers to raise the water level in Chowilla the broader floodplain. Creek by up to 3.5 metres. During operation, continuous flow orth Road Wentw To Wentworth Lake Limbra tworth Road Coombool Wen To Wentworth Swamp SOUTH AUSTRALIA Lake NEW SOUTH WALES LEGEND Limbra Coombool tworth Road Swamp Wen To Wentworth Existing Weirs SOUTH AUSTRALIA Punkah NEW SOUTH WALES LEGEND CLakere Limbrae Coombool k Upgraded Weirs Swamp Existing Weirs Coombool LEGEND SOUTH AUSTRALIA Punkah NEW SOUTH WALES Cre Existing Fishways (outstation) Lake e Old Wen k two Littra rth Existing Weirs Upgraded Weirs R Punkah Cr o New Fishways Coombool ee a Werta P S k d ipe (outstation)la Upgraded Weirs Existing Fishways c n Lake Old Wen Wert l e tw a Coombooly Punkah or Environmental y C Littra th r Existing Fishways C (outstation) Old W R Slaney ee Lake entw o k k Island or a Regulator New Fishways Werta Littra th d k P S R Monoman Island ip la o New Fishways e e a Wert Werta c n d e l P S e d Island a ip l a r e a y Punkah Existing RegulatorsEnvironmental o B y c n R oa Wert l eC C t Isle a y r h C C e Punkah Environmental t y r k Slaney C e o k r Island C Regulator tw of Man Slaney eek n n k k Island Regulator e a k Monoman Island New Regulators W k Monoman m e Island o e e dn e ao d r Island Island Tareena o oa r Bo Bo Existing Regulators Existing Regulators RM R C a a h C t t Isle Isle th rt C C r o k E R k k New Embankments o tw I V of Man ee tw en n R of Man Cr en W n a Grand S alt New Regulators W ek a om Y New Regulators To Renmark e m on Tareena r no M A H Junction New Channel C o E y k Tareena New Embankments R V R e M R I p Island Cre a u Grand lt l kR V E R S a ek New Embankments l e Y I rn re To Renmarki Chowilla e R C r U A a H JunctionGrand alt ChowillaNew Channel Floodplain w k C y S e YR p o Island To Renmark Island e a u r l M A R Junction l Hr h n New Channel i Chowilla C U ya Chowilla Floodplain C R Lock 6 w p Island Bridges a o Island u l R M l r h n i Chowilla Hypurna C Lock 6 U a Bridges Chowilla Floodplain k w e o Island re M Island Hypurna C h ee k d C Island d C r a r e C Lock 6 e Bridges o d C h d R a e r e o o k e s h R e Hypurna l h rt o s u h k l o k M urt e o o re M Island C o W C W d Chowilla d Chowilla a r e Ro e Homestead h Homestead Chowilla Creek o e s Chowilla Creek h k l t ur MilduraMildura o Environmental M o Environmental Lock 6 Regulator Lock 6 ADELAIDE Chowilla W Regulator Chowilla Island ADELAIDE Chowilla Island Homestead Chowilla CreekWoolshed Creek Loop Channel Woolshed Creek EnvironmentalEastern Loop Regulator Channel & Regulator Mildura Lock 6 MELBOURNE Eastern Regulator & Regulator Regulator MELBOURNEADELAIDE Woolshed Creek Chowilla Island Southern Regulator Woolshed Creek Loop ChannelChowilla Island Woolshed CreekMurtho Loop Regulator Eastern Regulator & Regulator Southern Regulator Chowilla Island MELBOURNE Chowilla Murtho Loop Regulator M N U Island R Woolshed Creek R E 0 2 4 0 Chowilla1 2 R A V VICTORIA Southern RegulatorM Chowilla Island Y R I kilometers Lindsay Point N kilometers U Island Murtho Loop RRegulator R E 0 2 4 0 1 2 R A I V VICTORIA Y R M Chowilla kilometers Lindsay Point kilometers N U Island R R E 0 2 4 0 1 2 R A I V VICTORIA Y R kilometers kilometers Lindsay Point 3 | Chowilla Creek Environmental Regulator Frequently Asked Questions Photo: Todd Wallace The Chowilla Regulator • High level operation; where the regulator is operated to its adversely impacted. Not only is the vegetation affected, but so full extent to generate broad scale inundation of wetlands and is the wildlife that relies on healthy vegetation to survive. the floodplain. Studies indicate that the outlook for this special place is bleak, • Following a natural flood; to extend inundation to allow unless more frequent and extensive floodplain inundation can breeding events to be completed if required. occur. The environmental regulator will enable provision of It is intended to operate the environmental regulator in much needed water to large areas of the floodplain, bringing conjunction with the other structures on the floodplain and substantial benefits for the plants and animals. Lock 6 to maximise ecological benefits. Lock 6 water levels will A program of pumping water onto a number of important be raised in conjunction with the operation of the environmental wetland sites has occurred since 2004 as part of The Living regulator to maintain flows through the Chowilla system. At the Murray Initiative. This watering has been particularly important same time, Pipeclay and Slaney Creek weirs will also be operated in maintaining refuge areas for plants and animals through the to pulse flows through the Chowilla system. recent drought. While the response at these watering sites has Decisions will be made about the timing, duration and levels of been positive, this work has benefited less than ten percent of flow based on consideration of factors including the: the floodplain. • health of the floodplain and wetlands Significant investigations undertaken over a number of years lead to the conclusion that in the absence of increased natural • availability of environmental water flooding that construction of an environmental regulator on • flow in the river Chowilla Creek was the best option to provide water more • requirements of floodplain flora and fauna frequently to large areas of Chowilla. The environmental regulator will enable the benefits of environmental watering • water quality to be spread further over the floodplain, connecting it with • results of native fish population monitoring.
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