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Wingecarribee River Appendix 4.2 Appendix Wingecarribee River Wingecarribee Subcatchment summaries Subcatchment Wingecarribee River Wingecarribee The Wingecarribee River subcatchment is bounded by the Wollondilly subcatchment to the west, the Upper Nepean to the east, and the Nattai to the north. The Wingecarribee River is impounded at Wingecarribee Dam and is a critical link in the complex chain that is Sydney’s water supply. Water from the Shoalhaven catchment is pumped to Wingecarribee Reservoir and the river channel is used for transport of bulk water from the Reservoir to Warragamba Dam. There are three other weirs on the river between the Wingecarribee Dam and the township of Berrima. Over half of the subcatchment has agriculture as the major land use, most of which is confi ned to the upper reaches where water extraction and farm dams are common. Some sections of the lower reaches are in reserved lands and there is also a small area of reserved land, the Cecil Hoskins Nature Reserve, which contains an artifi cially created wetland that is a popular destination for bird-watching. The main urban development is at Moss Vale and Bowral. Wingecarribee Swamp, located above the Reservoir, is the oldest and largest high-altitude peat forming swamp in Australia and has been mined heavily for peat in the past. The swamp and catchment of the Reservoir is actively managed by Sydney Catchment Authority in partnership with private landholders. Wingecarribee Swamp is listed on the Directory of Important Wetlands in Australia. HAWKESBURY NEPEAN RIVER HEALTH STRATEGY 89 90 90 Reach Management Recommendations – Wingecarribee River Subcatchment Reach Name Reach Riparian Land Reach Values Reach Threats Reach management recommendations Description Management (Planning, Education, Works, Monitoring, Institutional) Category Wingecarribee From Revegetation • Wetland of regional or state • Damaging access (stock) • Revegetation with indigenous riparian vegetation (W) R1 Wingecarribee signifi cance – Cecil Hoskins wetland • Barriers to ecosystem functioning • Management of stock impacts on waterways (W) Reservoir wall – reach aff ected by weir pool. • Flow regulation • Encourage adoption of sustainable land management HAWKESBURY NEPEAN CATCHMENT MANAGEMENT AUTHORITY MANAGEMENT NEPEAN CATCHMENT HAWKESBURY HAWKESBURY NEPEAN CATCHMENT MANAGEMENT AUTHORITY MANAGEMENT NEPEAN CATCHMENT HAWKESBURY to approx 1 km Wingecarribee Swamp above reach. • Flow extraction practices in riparian lands (E) downstream of • Rare or threatened river category • Water quality • Water quantity / fl ow management (I) Main Southern (Meandering Lateral and Chain of • STP discharges from Bowral and Robertson come • Riparian wetland management Railway bridge Ponds in this reach) into this reach • Water quantity / nutrient management (I) across river. • Popular recreational fi shing • Stormwater from urban areas • Maintain existing community based environment activity • Popular non-motor boating (E,P) • Identifi ed fl agship species (Platypus Action Triggers and bird life associated with Cecil • Rare river category – Meandering Lateral and Hoskins “wetland”) Chain of Ponds • Signifi cant irrigation water supply • Signifi cant community environment activity Wingecarribee Short section Assisted • Good riparian vegetation • Aquatic weed outbreaks (Ludwigia) • Management of aquatic weeds (I,W) R2 (approx 5km) Regeneration • Popular recreational fi shing • Damaging access (human access at public • Removal/replacement of exotic riparian vegetation (W) from just below • Identifi ed fl agship species (Platypus) recreation points) • Manage human impacts at public recreation river access Main Southern • Signifi cant irrigation water supply • Flow regulation points and along foreshores (E,W) Railway crossing • Signifi cant community based • Flow extraction • Water management – quality and quantity (I) to junction with environment activity • Water quality • Maintain existing community based environment activity Cordeaux Creek. (E,P) Wingecarribee R2 Action Triggers Bedrock confi ned • Severe downstream impact – Pussy Willow and channel; crown other willow invasion source land and steep • Severe immediate threat – weeds degrading this land reducing reach and reaches downstream. High priority access. for management. Privet, Willow, Gorse, Broom, Gleditsia. HAWKESBURY NEPEAN RIVER HEALTH STRATEGY NEPEAN RIVER HEALTH HAWKESBURY Reach Management Recommendations – Wingecarribee River Subcatchment Reach Name Reach Riparian Land Reach Values Reach Threats Reach management recommendations Description Management (Planning, Education, Works, Monitoring, Institutional) Category Wingecarribee From Assisted • Good riparian vegetation • Damaging access (stock) • Management of stock impacts on waterways (W) R3 Wingecarribee Regeneration • Wetland of Local Signifi cance • Pest animals (Goats and Feral Cattle) • Encourage adoption of sustainable land use practices in R2 – from • Good river condition • Barriers to ecosystem functioning riparian lands (P,E) confl uence with • Wollondilly Nature Reserve and • Flow regulation • Riparian wetland management (P,W) Cordeaux Ck Bangadilly NP • Flow extraction • Pest animal management in riparian zone (P,W) (downstream • Signifi cant vegetation community • Water quantity / fl ow management (I) of Berrima (Wollondilly / Shoalhaven Gorge Action Triggers • Aquatic habitat condition and connectivity improvement township) to Woodland) • Severe immediate threat (weeds) (P,W) Wingecarribee / • Popular recreational fi shing • Removal/replacement of exotic riparian vegetation (W) Wollondilly Rivers • Popular non-motor boating • Maintain existing community based environment activity confl uence. • Identifi ed fl agship species (Brush (E,P) Tailed Rock Wallaby; Glossy Black • Develop conservation management agreements to Cockatoo) protect remnant riparian vegetation (P) • Signifi cant irrigation water supply • Signifi cant community based environment activity 91 Appendix 4.2 Subcatchment summaries Wingecarribee River.
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