Avon River Management Programme
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AVON RIVER MANAGEMENT AUTHORITY GOVERNMENT OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA AVON RIVER MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT SERIES WATER AND RIVERS COMMISSION REPORT WRM 11 1999 WATER AND RIVERS COMMISSION HYATT CENTRE 3 PLAIN STREET EAST PERTH WESTERN AUSTRALIA 6004 TELEPHONE (08) 9278 0300 FACSIMILE (08) 9278 0301 WEBSITE: http://www.wrc.wa.gov.au AVON RIVER MANAGEMENT AUTHORITY 254 FITZGERALD STREET NORTHAM WESTERN AUSTRALIA 6401 TELEPHONE (08) 9622 7055 FACSIMILE (08) 9622 7155 Reference Details The recommended reference for this publication is: Water and Rivers Commission and Avon River Management Authority 1999, Avon River Management Programme,Water and Rivers Commission, Water Resource Management Series, No WRM 11. ISBN 0-7309-7396-4 ISSN 1326-6934 Text printed on recycled stock August, 1999 Cover photograph: Gwambygine Pool, York (Section 11) [Taken by Martin Revell] AVON RIVER MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME Water and Rivers Commission Avon River Management Authority WATER AND RIVERS COMMISSION WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT SERIES NO WRM 11 AUGUST 1999 i Acknowledgments This report was prepared by Roger Underwood, The Avon River Management Authority would Principal Consultant, FORTECH and the Avon like to thank Viv Read (former Regional Manager River Management Authority, in conjunction Mid West Avon Region now the Swan with the Swan Goldfields Agricultural Region Goldfields Agricultural Region) and Martin of Water and Rivers Commission. Revell for their considerable input into this report. This final version was edited by Lisa Chalmers The following organisations or individuals made and Phyllis Graham with input from Dr Luke submissions to ARMA during the preparation of Pen, Jason Byrne and Brendan ONeil, Water this management programme: and Rivers Commission. Avon Valley Environmental Soc Inc For more information contact: Boyle, Tony Mr Martin Revell Brookton Shire Council A/District Manager Commission of Elders, Wheatbelt Water and Rivers Commission Aboriginal Corporation 245 Fitzgerald Street Northam WA 6401 Department of Conservation and Land Telephone (08) 9690 2825 Management, Narrogin Office. Email [email protected] Department of Conservation and Land Management, Mundaring Office Gelmi, Alan Lawrance, Ray Masters, Jim McLean, Trevor Northams Avon Descent Association Inc. River Conservation Society Inc. of York Shire of Northam Shire of Toodyay The Toodyay Naturalists Club Inc. Toodyay LCDC Yenyenning Lakes Management Group ii Foreword I have lived and worked by the Avon River all my life, as did my father, my grandfather and my great grandfather before me. As a boy I swam in the pools, and fished, hunted and explored along its reaches and rapids. Later, under the guidance of far-seeing people like Jim Masters, I came to learn about the river as a living part of our environment. A healthy river is one of natures greatest gifts. It is a the job is simplified if there is a blueprint for action. That source of fresh water, a haven for native plants and animals, is what this Management Programme sets out to provide. a place for recreation, adventure and appreciation of natural It is a statement of the Avon River Management Authoritys beauty. It carried away the floodwaters and it provides a plan for the next 20 years, laying down the things we think living, ever-changing element to the landscape of our towns need to be done and in what order of importance. Our and farms along its banks. This is the way the Avon River plans are based on the input of local government, ARMA was in my youth. members, the community, river managers, scientists, farmers and recreationists. In the 1950s I also learnt something else about the Avon River. It was a river in trouble. The waters became polluted ARMA understands that it cannot work alone. Fixing the with salt and chemicals, many plants and animals began to river means fixing a lot of other things as well. Cooperation disappear, and the pools began to fill with sand and silt. among many organisations is therefore going to be The river began to change from a living ecosystem into a essential. drain. I urge all interested in the future of our great river to read Luckily, these changes did not go un-noticed, and this Management Programme, to comment on it if you think concerned people began to do something about it. The it is deficient in any way and to support it in its history of the communitys response to the Avon Rivers implementation. It is a living document and will be troubles is described in this Management Programme. upgraded as we learn by experience and study, and listen Many organisations and individuals have done wonderful to what the community is telling us about the sort of river work. they want. But the job has only just begun. It is a huge and complex Finally, I thank the many people and community job and will take many years. The problems of the river organisations who contributed to this document and the must be tackled at their source, in the towns and farms members of ARMA who put it together. along the river and out on the wider catchment. Like the canary down the coal mine which warns of danger, the Avon River warns all of us of larger land management problems beyond the river banks and pools. I have found over many years that whenever there is large Doug Morgan and complex work to be done and many players involved, Chairman, ARMA iii iv Contents Acknowledgments .................................................................................................... ii Foreword.................................................................................................................. iii 1. Introduction........................................................................................................ 1 1.1 The purpose and aim of this Management Programme .............................................................................. 1 1.2 The process adopted in preparing this Management Programme............................................................... 1 1.3 ARMA and its relation to the Water and Rivers Commission .................................................................... 1 1.4 Background: introduction to the river and its catchment............................................................................ 3 1.5 The natural values of the Avon River ......................................................................................................... 3 1.6 Impacts of settlement: major influences ..................................................................................................... 4 1.7 River management : .................................................................................................................................... 6 Phase I: The Avon River Systems Management Committee ...................................................................... 6 Phase II: The Avon River Management Authority ...................................................................................... 6 Phase III: ARMAs involvement in the Swan Avon ICM and the Avon Working Group ........................... 8 1.8 Other contributors to management ............................................................................................................. 8 2. The resource ...................................................................................................... 10 2.1 The physical characteristics of the Avon River ........................................................................................ 10 2.2 River flow ................................................................................................................................................. 11 2.3 Floods and flood management.................................................................................................................. 12 2.4 The inland catchments .............................................................................................................................. 12 2.5 The river pools ......................................................................................................................................... 12 2.6 The lakes .................................................................................................................................................. 13 2.7 Flora and fauna ......................................................................................................................................... 14 2.8 Subdivision of the river into 18 management sections ............................................................................. 14 2.9 Recent research and surveys ..................................................................................................................... 14 3. The management issues .................................................................................... 16 4. The basis of management.................................................................................. 18 4.1 ARMAs mission ...................................................................................................................................... 18 4.2 Guiding principles .................................................................................................................................... 18 v 4.3 ARMAs management philosophy ............................................................................................................ 18 4.4 ARMAs 2020 vision for the Avon River ................................................................................................