Loving a River to Life

Loving a river to life Restoring the riverbanks of the Upper Murrumbidgee has provided new hope for the endangered Macquarie Perch. Standing ankle deep in the Murrumbidgee Demonstration Reach A special spot Murrumbidgee River in October (UMDR). The UMDR is a local initiative The Bredbo and Colinton gorges 2016, Prue Haantjens became one of formed by government, community and supply healthy deep pools for fish like few people to have ever witnessed the private groups to demonstrate native fish Macquarie Perch, which travel en masse Macquarie Perch spawning. The only recovery along a 100 kilometre stretch of in breeding pairs to spawn there. The others to witness this extraordinary river in NSW and the ACT. perch seek out riffles with a pool above event, which usually occurs at dusk Antia Brademann began working as the or within them to allow for courtship, and dawn, were her colleagues from oxygenated water and water flow. the NSW Department of Primary project’s facilitator three years ago. Industries, standing metres away. “When I started, I sometimes felt quite Willows and blackberries that, until depressed about the enormity of the task recently, lined entire sections of the river The group watched as two of these downstream, provide quite a different native fish, which Prue had tracked for ahead. I’d walk along the river and see erosion, sand build-up and deep mud. environment, as Scottsdale Reserve months, swam to a shallow area in a Manager Phil Palmer explains. riffle (where shallow water flows over Blackberries and willows grew so densely rock) and witnessed a cloud of eggs that it was difficult to pass through. In “Willow roots form a mat over rocks being released into the water. New life some sites you’d be hard-pressed to find in the riffles, where native fish would was in the making. one native species.” otherwise lay their eggs. The fibrous root mat also reduces oxygen and slows the Prue, a fish biologist and PhD student, In contrast, Antia describes the calm and peace she felt paddling her kayak into flow of water. Willows are deciduous tracked the movement of Macquarie so they drop their leaves, which decay Perch in the Upper Murrumbidgee for the Bredbo Gorge, where the river forms Scottsdale Reserve’s western border. and form sludge and mud in the river. three years, sharing what she learnt There is less food for native fish and their with Bush Heritage Australia. Only two “You see Black Cypress Pine breeding habitat is diminished.” significant populations of this species and the greens and greys of the remain in NSW, due to overfishing and It was this scene that so troubled Antia the decline of suitable habitat. gums. The water flows faster – Brademann three years ago. While the you find waterholes nine metres Bredbo and Colinton gorges shone a A river can bind a community deep, and spectacular rock light on the river’s potential, the six- It’s this habitat that Bush Heritage, formations. It’s like entering kilometre section in between was in dire together with other landowners, is another world.” straits. But Antia’s work, together with working to restore as part of the Upper other landholders and Bush Heritage 10 Bush Tracks | Spring 2017 Opposite left: Scottsdale Reserve Manager Above: Revegetation on Scottsdale Reserve, Below: PhD student Prue Haantjens tags a Phil Palmer inspects a threatened Trout Cod, along the banks of the Murrumbidgee. Macquarie Perch before releasing it back into before releasing it back into the river. Photos by Annette Ruzicka the river. Photo courtesy of Prue Haantjens Opposite right: UMDR facilitator Antia Brademann. volunteers and donors, has already Prue spent months travelling up and provided relief as part of the Rivers of down this river, quietly tracking fish. Carbon Upper Bidgee project, which Antia learnt to paddle here, discovering received funding from various sources. the gentle lilt of her boat as it moved through the water. Phil raises his family River and fish health go hand on it, watching his daughters play and in hand develop their own connections. In just three years, 16,000 Ribbon Gums, Yellow Box, Apple Box and “We’re all the caretakers of this other species have been planted along river”, says Phil. “We can choose the river, including 4000 on Scottsdale to love it to death or love it to life. alone. Although the benefits may not Our choice is to love it to life.” be fully realised for decades, the change is already visible. Wattles that were Bush Heritage and the UMDR thank the following groups for their generous support: planted only a year ago stand head-high The Murray Darling Basin Authority, and many willows and blackberries have ACT Government, South East Local Land been controlled. Services, NSW Recreational Fishing Trust, NSW Department of Industry – Lands, the Results like this make years of research NSW Environmental Trust, the Australian worthwhile for Prue Haantjens. River Restoration Centre, the University “Scientists can conduct research, but of Canberra, and the NSW Department of Primary Industries – Fishing. it doesn’t mean anything without landholders, community members and organisations like Bush Heritage working together to make positive change.” Bush Heritage Australia This publication uses 100% post- Level 1, 395 Collins Street consumer waste recycled fibre, made PO Box 329 Flinders Lane ABN 78 053 639 115 with a carbon neutral manufacturing Melbourne, VIC 8009 Contributors: Shannon Verhagen, Leigh process, using vegetable-based inks. Johnston, Amelia Caddy and Bron Willis T: 1300 628 873 (1300 NATURE) Design by violadesign.com.au T: (03) 8610 9100 F: (03) 8610 9199 E: [email protected] W: www.bushheritage.org.au BushBush Tracks Tracks | | Spring Autumn 2017 2017 11 9.

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