Victorian Environmental Water Holder Environmental watering in Victoria 2015-16 The Victorian Environmental Water Holder acknowledges the contribution of its partners, particularly waterway managers, in managing environmental water to improve the health of rivers, wetlands and floodplains. Acknowledgement of Country The Victorian Environmental Water Holder acknowledges Aboriginal Traditional Owners within Victoria, their rich culture and their spiritual connection to Country. The contribution and interests of Aboriginal people and organisations in the management of land and natural resources is also recognised and acknowledged. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are warned that this document may contain images or names of deceased persons. Foreword 2 Central region 32 Yarra system 34 Introduction 4 Tarago system 36 Why is environmental watering important? 4 Maribyrnong system 38 Carryover and trade 6 Werribee system 40 Water donations 6 Moorabool system 42 Partnerships 6 Lower Barwon wetlands 44 Funding research and river improvements 6 Case study: Less silt and more habitat Highlights of environmental watering in the Yarra River 46 in Victoria 7 Western region 50 Protecting waterbirds in climate change 10 Glenelg system 52 Wimmera system 54 People making a splash 14 Wimmera-Mallee wetlands 56 Donating water 14 Case study: Building a strong Wimmera River 60 From farmland to wetland 16 Northern region 64 Gippsland region 18 Goulburn system 66 Latrobe system 20 Broken system 68 Thomson River 22 Goulburn-Broken wetlands 70 Macalister River 24 Campaspe system 72 Snowy River 26 Central Murray wetlands 74 Case study: Environmental watering gives Lower Murray wetlands 76 threatened fish a brighter future 28 Loddon system 78 The Living Murray icon sites 80 Ovens system 88 Case study: Barmah wetlands alive with waterbirds 90 Case study: Rehabilitating Lake Elizabeth to its former glory 93 Glossary 96 Summary of environmental water delivery 2015–16 97 Emma Coats from the VEWH with Murray cod, by Rachel Wood. Reflections – Environmental watering in Victoria 2015-16 | 1 A theme you will notice in this year’s In planning ahead, the VEWH had prepared for low early-season allocations and actions that protected Reflections is the excitement about plants and animals. In most systems, we significantly reduced watering and environmental watering waterbirds breeding—an event objectives in line with the dry conditions and our taken for granted a hundred years seasonal watering plan. In many regions, we used water that had been carried ago is now cause for celebration. over from the previous year to bolster low water allocations. This carryover water played a vital role. In The number of breeding waterbirds in eastern Australia northern Victoria, it provided sufficient environmental is at an all-time low and if it wasn’t for environmental water in winter and spring to maintain many wetlands watering at 73 wetlands in 2015–16, it could be even which would otherwise have been left dry. The wetlands lower. watered across the Victorian Murray region provided an essential mosaic of habitat for native birds (such as the 2015–16 marked the fifth year for the Victorian egret, shown on the cover) in an otherwise dry landscape. Environmental Water Holder (VEWH). This edition of Reflections proudly demonstrates how life-saving We know that our climate varies naturally over water has been provided to Victoria’s most vulnerable seasonal, annual and longer cycles. The effects of and threatened plants and animals. We also show climate change will be superimposed on this natural the critical importance of environmental watering to variability, increasing the frequency of extreme weather protect Australia’s dwindling bird populations under (floods and drought) and the degree of uncertainty facing climate change. all water managers, water users and the community. It was a challenging year in some parts of the state: As we move into 2016–17 and face floods in many 2015–16 was the first year the VEWH had to manage parts of Victoria, the VEWH continues to evaluate prolonged dry conditions and low water allocations. how it manages environmental water and prioritises watering within a changing climate. The western and northern parts of Victoria bore the brunt of the dry weather. On average, water storage As always, many thanks to the Commonwealth levels across northern Victoria were 35 percent lower Environmental Water Holder and Office, the Living Murray in June 2016 than the previous year. program and Victorian communities who work with us to improve the state’s rivers, floodplains and wetlands. Western Victoria experienced some of the driest conditions on record with allocations for the Wimmera I’d also like to express our ongoing appreciation to our and Glenelg systems ending the year at just 16 partners, the waterway, storage and land managers percent. Sections of the Wimmera and Glenelg rivers who are critical to the environmental watering were reduced to pools. program’s success. Chairperson 2 | Victorian Environmental Water Holder Yellow-billed spoonbill at the River Murray, by Mallee CMA. Reflections – Environmental watering in Victoria 2015-16 | 3 The Victorian Environmental Water Holder (VEWH) is an Why is environmental watering independent statutory authority set up under the Water Act 1989 to manage Victoria’s environmental water important? entitlements to benefit Victoria’s rivers, wetlands and floodplains and the plants and animals that rely on them. Rivers and wetlands are Victoria’s lifeblood, so we must protect them. The role of the VEWH is to: Healthy rivers and wetlands support vibrant and • make decisions about the most effective use of the healthy communities. They sustain people by environmental water entitlements including use, supplying water for towns, farms and businesses. carryover and trade They also contribute to local farming, fishing, real • commit water and authorise waterway managers to estate and tourism activity. implement watering decisions Healthy rivers and wetlands make cities and towns • work with storage managers and other water more liveable and support the physical and mental holders to coordinate and maximise environmental wellbeing of communities. They provide places for outcomes from the delivery of all water people to play, relax and connect with nature and • commission projects to demonstrate the ecological sustain Aboriginal communities who have a continuing outcomes of environmental watering at key sites and connection to Country. to help improve environmental water management Rivers and wetlands cannot provide these benefits • publicly communicate environmental watering unless their health is protected and maintained. decisions and outcomes. Environmental watering is crucial to achieving this. Mapping Aboriginal cultural values, by Murray-Darling Basin Authority. Cowanna bushwalk, by Mallee CMA. 4 | Victorian Environmental Water Holder Rivers and wetlands provide water and land that is important to towns, industry and farms. As a result, many of Victoria’s rivers and wetlands have become highly modified. For example, instead of water flowing across the landscape naturally, water is captured in storages by dams and weirs; diverted via pipelines, levees and constructed channels; and used for towns, cities, industry and farming. Some of our rivers give up more than a third, and sometimes up to a half, of their water for homes, farms and businesses. Instead of flowing naturally, with high flows in winter and low flows in the hotter summer months, rivers now run higher when water needs to be delivered for farming and urban use. These changes have interrupted many of the natural river and wetland processes that native plants and animals need to survive, feed and breed. In rivers, environmental water is often delivered to Many wetlands are now disconnected from the rivers mimic some of the flows that would have occurred that once filled them naturally; others are permanently naturally, before the construction of dams, weirs and connected to rivers or channels. This means that some channels. This is vital for maintaining the physical, wetlands do not get enough water and others get too chemical and biological health of rivers. much. Environmental water managers generally focus on In wetlands, environmental water managers focus returning some of the small and medium-sized river on mimicking the natural wetland wetting and flows that are essential for native plants and animals. drying cycles that so many plants and animals have These flows can move sediment and nutrients through evolved to depend on for their diversity and long- river systems, connect habitats and improve water quality. term resilience. For example, where wetlands and The timing, duration and volume of water delivery is floodplains have been cut off from natural river flows, designed to support the plants and animals that rely environmental water can be used to reconnect these on those flows. For example, Australian grayling rely areas, sometimes via irrigation infrastructure (such as on an increase in river flows in autumn to signal them pumps, channels and regulators). to migrate downstream for spawning. Reflections – Environmental watering in Victoria 2015-16 | 5 Carryover and trade Water donations The VEWH uses carryover water (saved, unused, About 28 ML of water was generously donated to the allocated water to use the following season) and water VEWH by Mallee landholder Christiane Jaeger in 2015–16, trade (buying, selling or exchanging water)