Restoring and Protecting the Gwydir River Valley 2016-17 (PDF
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environmental water in the Gwydir, the Gwydir Gwydir Wetlands. Photo: Murray-Darling Basin Authority Basin Murray-Darling Photo: Wetlands. Gwydir Commonwealth Environmental water Environmental Contingency Allowance food and habitat for many native animals animals native many for habitat and food The nationally significant Gwydir Wetlands, on the the on Wetlands, Gwydir significant nationally The Operations Advisory Committee, agreed to communities are essential for providing providing for essential are communities use in the Gwydir River endangered marsh club-rush in New South Wales. Wales. South New in club-rush marsh endangered environmental water follow natural cues to manage the Gwydir likelihood of young tree survival. These These survival. tree young of likelihood contains the largest stand of the critically critically the of stand largest the contains Valley to date wetlands. As part of this strategy, a small improvements to condition and greater greater and condition to improvements supply an inland terminal wetland delta system which which system delta wetland terminal inland an amount of Commonwealth environmental and blackbox communities, along with with along communities, blackbox and and Lower Gwydir (Big Leather) watercourses form form watercourses Leather) (Big Gwydir Lower and water was used during the hotter months of Maintain current extent of river red gum gum red river of extent current Maintain silver perch and the painted snipe. The Gingham Gingham The snipe. painted the and perch silver The water acquired by the Australian The delivery of environmental last summer to top up the Gwydir and vulnerable species including the Australian bittern, bittern, Australian the including species vulnerable Government, including through water in the Gwydir River Valley Mallowa wetlands. During 2015-16 the not fill the river or go over the bank. the over go or river the fill not which provide habitat for rare, endangered and and endangered rare, for habitat provide which investment in more efficient irrigation is planned and managed by the Commonwealth also contributed small of the river beyond the base flow, but does does but flow, base the beyond river the of internationally and nationally significant sites, sites, significant nationally and internationally amounts of water to support in-stream infrastructure, and other measures, Commonwealth Environmental Water A fresh event describes an increase in levels levels in increase an describes event fresh A 60,000 hectares of wetland vegetation, including including vegetation, wetland of hectares 60,000 ecology and refresh refuge waterholes in the enables the Commonwealth Holder and the New South Wales TThe Gwydir River Valley is home to to home is Valley River Gwydir TThe Gwydir River, Gingham Watercourse, Mehi Environmental Water Holder to help Office of Environment and Heritage, in ‘fresh’ events. ‘fresh’ River and Carole Creek. important wetlands. important experiencing more bank-full and bank-full more experiencing bring back some of the river flows consultation with local communities, waterways including internationally and nationally nationally and internationally including waterways Maintain base river flows, with the rivers rivers the with flows, river base Maintain needed to restore and protect as part of Murray-Darling Basin Plan A natural cues approach to environmental plants, birds and fish that rely on healthy healthy on rely that fish and birds plants, implementation. watering means that decisions on how to support the region’s unique native animals, animals, native unique region’s the support to the riverine and wetlands systems Watering Strategy Watering and when water is delivered are guided Environmental water is delivered to key locations locations key to delivered is water Environmental throughout the Basin’s irrigation under the Basin-wide Environmental Environmental Basin-wide the under The millennium drought, coupled with river by a range of environmental factors such communities. communities. districts. Summary of longer-term outcomes outcomes longer-term of Summary regulation, significantly affected the as the weather and river flows. This means recreational activities. activities. recreational ranges and health of their their of health and ranges environmental condition of the Gwydir River in dry years, low rainfall and river flows will Traditional Owners and tourism and and tourism and Owners Traditional between areas, and improve the age age the improve and areas, between Commonwealth environmental water often Murray-Darling Basin Plan). Plan). Basin Murray-Darling Valley. Watering from 2010 to 2013 was targeted see smaller environmental watering events native fish spawning, movement movement spawning, fish native and practices of local Aboriginal Aboriginal local of practices and supplements river flows, rainfall events and Strategy (part of the implementation of the the of implementation the of (part Strategy to restore, and then maintain the good than wet years, where high rainfall and Create the right conditions to improve improve to conditions right the Create environmental water provided by the New irrigated production, the cultural values values cultural the production, irrigated the Basin-wide Environmental Watering Watering Environmental Basin-wide the condition of wetland vegetation, particularly river flows trigger a larger environmental South Wales Office of Environment and in outlined as outcomes environmental of water use, extensive agriculture and and agriculture extensive use, water by supporting breeding opportunities. breeding supporting by key plant species such as water couch-spike watering event. Heritage, as well as water used for irrigation achievement the toward working also are We and increase abundance of waterbirds waterbirds of abundance increase and a source of water supply for domestic domestic for supply water of source a rush and lignum shrubland. Three successive and domestic purposes. of international or national significance. significance. national or international of Maintain the current species diversity diversity species current the Maintain This year, proposed Commonwealth and rich environments. Its waterways are are waterways Its environments. rich and years of extended inundation saw the strong and state-based legislation and wetlands wetlands and legislation state-based and 1999 1999 Depending on river operating rules, flow recovery of vegetation and supported native environmental watering will continue to within the Gwydir Wetlands. Wetlands. Gwydir the within The Gwydir River Valley contains diverse diverse contains Valley River Gwydir The Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act Act Conservation Biodiversity and Protection constraints and climatic conditions, the fish and frogs species at all stages in their support the region’s unique native animals, marsh club-rush and water couch couch water and club-rush marsh Environmental Environmental threatened species under the the under species threatened Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder lifecycles. Large numbers of colonial nesting plants, birds and fish. floodplains, particularly maintaining maintaining particularly floodplains, wetlands particularly, to those sites that support nationally nationally support that sites those to particularly, can agree to: waterbirds (predominantly ibis and egrets) also wetlands, streams and on low-lying low-lying on and streams wetlands, between rivers, floodplains and wetlands, wetlands, and floodplains rivers, between bred in the wetlands in response to widespread vegetation communities near or in in or near communities vegetation ■ use water to meet identified environmental floodplains and and floodplains delivery partners to improve connections connections improve to partners delivery flooding across the lower Gwydir floodplains in Maintain the extent of non-woody non-woody of extent the Maintain demands managed in partnership with state and local local and state with partnership in managed 2011-12. the health of our rivers, rivers, our of health the Commonwealth environmental water is is water environmental Commonwealth in the Lower Gwydir. Gwydir. Lower the in ■ hold on to the water and carry it over for A drying sequence in 2013-14 was followed by shrublands and improve their condition condition their improve and shrublands use in the next water year (‘carryover’) New South Wales. Wales. South New dedicated to improving improving to dedicated widespread inundation of wetland vegetation in Maintain the current extent of lignum lignum of extent current the Maintain semi-permanent wetlands in north-west in wetlands semi-permanent ■ trade (buy or sell water) for equal or 2014-15. The committee that advises the New among the most extensive and significant significant and extensive most the among significant to local Aboriginal people. Aboriginal local to significant Environmental water is is water Environmental greater environmental benefit. South Wales Government on managing floodplain of the lower Gwydir River, are are River, Gwydir lower the of floodplain across the Basin, and are culturally culturally are and Basin, the across Gwydir River Please contact your local engagement officer The Commonwealth Environmental Our partners Rosemary Millward to learn more about our work Water Holder acknowledges or offer suggestions for the use of environmental Australia’s traditional owners and The best approaches to environmental water locally. water management involve local respects their continued connection