2. Broken Creek Management Program (VIC)

September, 1999 Environmental works in the SIR: 2. LC0024 Broken Creek Management Program ISSN 1329-833X Environmental Management Group, Tatura

This Landcare Note describes the history behind the Cultural evidence since the time of the ‘Great Flood’ when Broken Creek Management Program in the Shepparton the rivers were diverted and the Lakes formed, shows that Irrigation Region, plus environmental threats to the the Broken Creek environment was a rich resource for creek and ongoing restoration activities. Aboriginal people. This is supported by the large number of significant shell middens, kitchen mounds and scarred (canoe) trees found along the Creek. Shortly after European settlement in the 1870’s and following a series of droughts the first of the weirs were constructed in the Creek. These early weirs were simple earthern embankments which ponded water for stock and domestic use. These were later followed by higher earthern, timber, and eventually steel and concrete structures to provide for irrigation and town water supply. Most of these weirs were unable to be regulated. Over time the old weirs fell into decline and became traps for silt and barriers for native fish. Why is the Broken Creek important? Figure 1. The new upgraded Kennedy’s Weir with dropleaf gates and vertical slot fishway 1997. The Broken Creek catchment has many significant environmental values. It forms a habitat network that spans The facts 450 km in length and hosts a variety of Victoria’s threatened flora and fauna species. The Broken Creek, situated on the northern Victorian plains, has a catchment which drains an area covering The Creek provides important habitat for 13 species of 350,000 ha. It branches off the Broken River near Benalla native fresh water fish, nine of which are listed as and runs through Katamatite, Numurkah and Nathalia, to threatened, and is recognised as one of the most important where it outfalls into the Murray River near Barmah. streams in the State for the breeding of Murray Cod. The lower reaches of the Creek also supports a population of Below Katamatite the Creek is utilised for irrigation the threatened Spiny Fresh water, or Murray Crayfish. supply. A series of eight weirs , between Nathalia and Barmah, hold water back to enable diversion for pasture What are the threats to the Broken Creek and crop production. environment? What was Broken Creek like in the past? The major threats which are affecting the stream Approximately 20,000 years ago a landforming event in environment can be divided into five categories: the Barmah area saw dramatic changes to the region. A 1. Land use changes - catchment clearing, agricultural block of the landscape was forced up, (the Cadell Tilt) and urban development. diverting the courses of the Murray and Goulburn Rivers. 2. Flow regulation - unseasonal flow regimes for This flooded the area now known as the Barmah - Moira irrigation and urban supply. Lakes. The lower reaches of the Broken Creek (which 3. Declining water quality - rising watertables and were formerly the course of the Goulburn River) were increased salinity and nutrient runoff. altered to such an extent that it became a seasonal stream. 4. Habitat modification - loss of stream side vegetation Because of this new cycle of seasonal drying the stream and instream habitats. altered to the point where Red Gums grew up in the bed of the watercourse as well as along the banks. 5. Barriers to instream fauna movement - impassable weirs and structures.

What is happening to restore the Broken Creek? The responsible Agencies, listed below, in partnership with the catchment community are working together to develop a program to improve the management and health of the Creek. This will be achieved through implementation of the Shepparton Irrigation Region Land and Water Salinity Management Plan and other Goulburn Broken Catchment Strategies. The program includes: • Replacement of weirs along the Creek with new automated structures with drop leaf gates to enable flows to be regulated to lower levels • Fishways installed in all of the weirs to allow fish passage up through the lower 110 km of the Creek Figure 2. The barrier of Rices Weir before fishway construction • Provision of preferential flows through the fishways to allow for fish migration • Monitoring of the weirs and fishways to ensure they are operating appropriately • Removal of willows and other pest plants and replacement with local native species • Selective desilting, snag realignment and replacement to restore valuable habitat • Fencing of stream side vegetation to prevent damage from stock • Implementation of the Regional Nutrient and Drainage Strategies to reduce drainage inputs • Ongoing liaison with the Catchment community to implement and monitor Catchment Strategies.

Figure 3. The Broken Creek provides significant habitat for Murray Cod.

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