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Home , Anabranch, Darling River, Great Darling Anabranch, Murray River, Paroo River, Pooncarie

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         Talking fish    Making connections with the of the Murray-Darling Basin Authors JodiFrawley,ScottNichols,HeatherGoodallandLizBaker The rivers of the Murray-Darling Basin Citation:Frawley,J.,Nichols,S.,Goodall,H.andBaker,E.(2011)DarlingandtheGreat TheriversandcreeksoftheMurrayͲDarlingBasinflowthrough,NewSouth :TalkingfishͲmakingconnectionswiththeriversoftheMurrayͲDarlingBasin, Wales,theAustralianCapitalTerritory,andSouth.The77000kmof Basin Authority, Canberra. Ͳ     waterwaysthatmakeuptheBasinlink23catchmentsoveranareaof1millionkm2. Projectsteeringcommittee Eachhasitsowncharacteryetthesewaters,thefish,theplants,andthepeople Terry Korodaj (MDBA), Cameron Lay (NSW DPI), Zafer Sarac (Qld DEEDI),            that rely on them are all different. AdrianWells(MDBACommunityStakeholderTaskforce),PeterJackson        (MDBANativeFishStrategyadvisor),FernHames(VicDSE)andJonathan Thebookletsinthisseriesareabouthowtherivers,fishandfishinghavechanged.The McPhail(PIRSA). mainstoriesarewrittenfromoralhistoryinterviewsconductedwithlocalfishersin ProjectTeam 2010Ͳ11,andrelateindividuals’memoriesofhowtheirlocalplaceshavechanged.They ScottNichols,CameronLay,CraigCopeland,LizBaker(NSWDPI); showcasethreewaysofknowingtheDarlingandtheGreatAnabranch:personal JodiFrawley,HeatherGoodall(UTS);ZaferSarac,GregRingwood(Qld experience,scientificresearchandhistoricalresearch.Justasindividualfishersdonot DEEDI); Hamish Sewell (The Story Project); Phil Duncan (Ngnulu          always agree with one another, so their understanding might not necessarily agree with Consulting);TerryKorodaj(MDBA);FernHames,PamClunie,              SteveSaddlier(VicDSE);JonathanMcPhail,VirginiaSimpson(PIRSA); currentscientificinformationorhistoricalrecords.Similarly,specificitemsandevents WillTrueman(researcher). mightberemembereddifferentlybydifferentpeople.Thesevariedperspectivesshow ISBN978Ͳ1Ͳ921914Ͳ39Ͳ3 therangeinviewsaboutfishingandtherivers,eachimportantinitsownway.Thereare manyothergreatstoriesoutthereaboutfishingintheMurrayͲDarlingBasin.These ©MurrayͲDarlingBasinAuthority,2011 PublishedbytheMurrayͲDarlingBasinAuthority(MDBA),Canberra. bookletsarejustthebeginning. Graphicalandtextualinformationinthework(withtheexceptionof  photographsandtheMDBAlogo)maybestored,retrievedandreproducedin Acknowledgements–DarlingandtheGreatAnabranch wholeorinpart,providedtheinformationisnotsoldorusedforcommercial benefitanditssource(MurrayͲDarlingBasinAuthority,TalkingFishProject)is AveryspecialthankyoutoWilliamRiley,BillLever,RodStone,JennyWhyman, acknowledged.Reproductionforotherpurposesisprohibitedwithoutprior DrClaytonSharpe,CarmelChapman,BillandElaineGrace,andTrishJohnsonandher permissionoftheMurrayͲDarlingBasinAuthorityorthecopyrightholdersinthe caseofphotographs.Totheextentpermittedbylaw,thecopyrightholders familywhogenerouslysharedtheirstoriesandphotographsinthisbooklet. (including its employees and consultants) exclude all liability to any person for             Adviceandfieldsupport anyconsequences,includingbutnotlimitedtoalllosses,damages,costs, expensesandanyothercompensation,arisingdirectlyorindirectlyfromusing PhilDuncan(NgnuluConsulting). this report (in part or in whole) and any information or material contained in it.                Frontpagephotographs:LͲR Thecontentsofthispublicationdonotpurporttorepresentthepositionofthe MurrayͲDarlingBasinAuthority.Theyarepresentedtoinformdiscussionfor Source:WilliamRiley. improvedmanagementoftheBasin'snaturalresources. Source:ScottNichols. ResearchandeditingbytheNSWDepartmentofPrimaryIndustries(NSWDPI) Source:WentworthHistoricalSociety(at‘Kalcurrha’,donor:PatsyCrozier;2007Ͳ29Ͳ1Ͳ8). andtheUniversityofTechnology,(UTS).Theviewsexpressedinthis Source: Jodi Frawley. bookletarenotnecessarilythoseoftheNSWDPI,UTSorotherprojectpartners.    TheMDBAacknowledgestheintellectualpropertyrightsofthepeoplewhose Backpagefishimages storiesarefeaturedinthispublication. Allfishimages:NSWDPI. Aboriginalreadersarewarnedthatthispublicationmaycontainthe  namesandimagesofAboriginalpeoplewhohavesincepassedaway. TheLowerDarlingRiverandGreatDarlingAnabranch arelocatedinsouthͲwestNewSouthWales.Muddy watersoverthegreysoilpastred  ,spikysaltbushandgnarledredgums.Theseare thetraditionallandsofthePaakintjipeople.Butthe We…passedtheofabeautifulpieceofwater landandtheriverarenolongerwhatthePaakintji onceknewandfished. ….Thislakewasbrimful,anovelsighttous;the 11000yearsago,theDarlingRiverchangeditscourse justsouthofMenindeeLakes,leavingtheGreat Anabranch’s460kmtodryandflowintothe shiningwatersbeingspreadintoahorseshoeshape, Murrayonlyduringbig.Sinceitsdiscoveryby Europeans,theGreatAnabranchhasbeenthefocusof andreflectingtheimagesofenormousgumtreesonthe dreamstousetheancientriverchanneltodeliver waterfor.TheDarlingitselfwasonceabusy transportationroute,withpaddlesteamerscarrying banks.….Itseemedfulloffishes,anditwas woolandothergoodsbetweenBourkeandtherestof thecolony. probablyofconsiderabledepth,beingfreefromweeds,and Thehealthoftheriveranditsfishhasbeenshapedby thepeoplewhocametoliveonitandoftheindustries continuingsofull and clearthroughoutsummerswhich whichbroughtthosepeopletothearea.Grazing,   drylandfarming,transportationandirrigationall neededdifferenttypesofworkers.Oftenthisbrought haddrunkupalltheminor. newpeopleintothearea,allofwhombroughtnew TheJournalofThomasMitchell(1839)1 needstotheriverandnewwaystocatchitsfish.Each changing industry also had different effects on the          landscape,shapingthewayitlookedandhowwater  flowedacrossitintotheriver.  Thesechangesmeantherearealotlessfishthanthere were.Beforetheturnofthetwentiethcentury,there  aremanystoriesofcatchingMurraycod,catfish,silver  perchandyellowbelly.Therewerenocarpandno redfin.  Therearestillthosewholovetheriverandwholove  tofishtheriver.Theirstoriesarepartofthebigger storyofchangestotheDarlingRiverandtotheGreat Anabranchanditsfish.Theyhelpusrememberthat theriverweseenowisnotwhattheriverwasandcan beagain.Peoplewanttotalkaboutafutureforthe Darlingandtheirvisionsforahealthyriverthatis, onceagain,fulloffish. Introducing the river and its people

The heritage of Paakintji fishing AboriginalheritageoftheGreatAnabranch andtheLowerDarlingdatesbackatleast 36000years.Paakintjipeoplehaveexplained thattheriversystemisimportanttothem foritsculturalandspiritualexpressionof theirheritage,itsmanysacredsitesand burialgroundsanditscontinuingprovisionof medicinesandfoods.2  Thislongheritageisvisibleonthebanksof Rivertransportwascriticalforthesurvivalofearly LakeTandou,wherewindformeddunes settlementsalongtheDarling.Photosource:Wentworth (‘lunettes’)offineredsandlinetheedgeof HistoricalSociety.  inlandlakes.Withintheselunettes, Archaeologist Jane Balme uncovered a Theintroductionofsheep,cattleandhorses       campfireinthe1980s.Initshefoundthe graduallychangedtheriverenvironment, degradingbanks,reducingnativegrassesand bonesof357yellowbellyfromasinglemeal. The arrival of the Europeans Radiocarbondatingfoundtheywere25000 saltbushesandaddingnutrientstobothland yearsold.3 TheDarlingRiverprovidedapathwayfor andwater.Thesestationsemployedboth explorers,overlanders,graziersand AboriginalandnonͲAboriginalpeople,who To Paakintji people, there is still nothing        bushrangersfromthe1830s.In1853,the allenjoyedfishingforfunandfood. better than a fish feast from a campfire with          firstriverͲboatsmoveduptheDarlingand family and friends. In1886,GeorgeandWilliamChaffeysecured    portswereestablishedatWentworthand 250000acresfromtheVictorian .Produce,includingfish,wassent  Governmentandbeganthedevelopmentof tomarketalongthisriver‘highway’.  irrigationschemesalongtheMurrayand Pastoralstationswerevastandhomesteads DarlingRivers.Inthisarea,Wentworth,  andoutbuildingswerelocatedclosetothe Pomona,ComeallaandDaretonallstarted  rivertoensurewateringpointsforlivestock. irrigatingfromtheearly20thCentury.

  Vineandstonefruitsweregrownforthe driedfruitmarket,andwinerieseventually joinedfruitandvegetablegardening. Irrigationkickedofftheannualrhythmof seasonalworkerswhooftenlivedalongthe riverwhiletheypickedfruitandworkedin thefactories.  Thearrivalofsoldiersettlersaftereach RodStonehasbeenontheWentworthAnglingClub’s worldwarmeantsmallerblocksandmore committeeforovertwentyyearsandiscurrently  servingasthepresident.TheirhomebaseisatFort permanentpeopleinthearea. WilliamRileyisaPaakintjimanwhowastaughttofish Couragewheretheyhave100acresrightonthe byhisGrannyQuayleandhisaunties.Hefondly MurrayRiver.Theywelcometravellingfisherstotheir remembersthefamilyfishinggatherings. campandcaravanparkonthegrounds. Photo:JodiFrawley. Photosource:RodStone.  

 Surveyors,possiblylookingatdivisionsforSoldier SettlementSchemes–oneofthesignificantland developmentactivitiesthataffectedtheriversofthe MurrayͲDarling.Photosource:WentworthHistoricalSociety.  JennyWhymanisaPaakintjiwomanand  representativeontheNorthernBasinAboriginal NationsCommittee(NBAN).Jennybelievestheriver   BillLeverlivesatWentworthandisacommercial needstobelookedafterwhenitsdrysothatfishget  fisherwhohasworkedtheMurray,DarlingandGreat thebestchancetosurvivewhenthereisplentyof DarlingAnabranchsincethe1960s.Photo:JodiFrawley. water.Photo:JodiFrawley.    

  William Riley - I’m trying to get our people to rally now In1934,WilliamRiley,a Paakintjiman,wasbornin Fishing with Granny The White Cliffs, a tiny opal anc      WhenWilliamwasinhisearlyteens,his Themainchanneloftheienancientt DarlingRiver mining town in the far father first sent him to an Afghan family in Da               oncerandownthecourseofwhatrlweingnowcallthe westofNewSouthWales. BrokenHill.Fromtherehewenttolivewith GreatAnabranch.Thethreadednatureofthis Hisfatherworkedasa hisGrannyQuayleat.Onthe wholewebofchannelshasalwaysconsistedof lakes, channels, and a river channel drover,pushingsheep DarlingRiverhelearnttofishwithGranny        thatinterlaceacrossthedryaridlandscape. fromstationtomarketalongtherivers. andacoupleofaunties. Sometimesitdriesdowntoaseriesofpoolsand othertimeswaterflowsacrosstheplains,linking The River! I’dberunningbaitforthem,keepaneyeon theshrimpbucket,diggingforworms.Iwas allthewaterwaystogether. Williamdidn’tseetheriverinthefirstfew abouteightyearsoldbeforetheyletme Fishevolvedinthispulseandresponse yearsofhislife,butboywhenhedid! touchafishingline.Theytaughtmetofish environment–sedentarywhenitisdry,moving on a hand line. A lot of kids didn’t know how andbreedingwhenitiswet.Itisthoughtthemain Well,IwasamazedwhenIsawtheDarling            to twirl a line and would get it hooked in channelmovedfromtheGreatAnabranchtoits River.Iwasabout6yearoldwhenIfirst           their ear or in the back of their neck. Danger currentpositionaround11000yearsago. crossedtheDarlingRiverbridgeinWilcannia.           for a small kid, really. Myniecewasabityoungerthanmeandshe      AtthetimeofEuropeancontact,whentheDarling wasinfullflow,thePaakintjiusedcooperative wasfrightenedtocrossthebridge–because In the right conditions, big groups would go         fishingtechniquessuchasnetstofeedthelarge the old bridge across the Darling had cracks         downtotheriverintheeveningforspecial groupsofpeoplewhohadgatheredtotake intheboardsͲandshecouldhavefallen nightfishing. advantageofthistimeofplenty.Asthewaters through. receded,weirswereconstructedacrosschannels Whentheriverwasreallyrunninglow,itwas andinletstocontainandcapturefish.As clear as crystal and they used to get down          thewatersslowlysubsidedthePaakintjiwould therewithhurricanelights.Sometimeswe’d disperse,andsmallergroupswouldworkthe makefatlamps–‘slashlamp’weusedtocall smallerpoolswithspearsandpoison.7 them.We’dgethessian,rollitupandpour TheDarlingisadynamicriversystemthathas muttonfataround–meltitandfillitupwith alwaysmovedacrossthebroader–and sand while the fat was still hot and you’d          itspeople,thePaakintjiandthoseofEuropean lightthehessiananditwouldthrowagood descent,continuetolearnhowtorespondto light.Thelightusedtoattractthefish,and thesechanges.  that’showthey’dcatchthem. DarlingRiverchannelinflow.Photo:WilliamRiley. 

  Thewomenfishersinhisfamilywereableto Whattheycalltheblackbreamhasgota takefishhomeforpeoplewhodidn’tmake verysmallscaleandmorescalesthanthe Bo it down to the river. perch.Andofcourse,they’rehardertofillet ny      (Nematolosaerebi– bonybr herring,pyberry, too.They’reverybony.Alotofthinbones. eam Yellowbelly,bream,therewasneveranycarp hairbackherring,melonfish, thukari) intheriverinthosedays.They’dfeedtheir A young man’s mistake ownfamilies.Andtheysharedthemwiththe otherfamilies.It’sagreatsportanditkept Asayoungman,Williamtookonallsortsof everyoneoutoftrouble.Therewasn’tany workforthestationownersinthewestern drugsaroundinthosedaysandnotmuch district.Heworkedwithcattle,horsesand alcohol. sheep.Asfarmingbecamemechanised,he gotalicenseandtackledthemodern equipment.   Photo:GuntherSchmida. Plantingcropsonfarmsandbigproperties,  erectingwindmills,makingcorrugatediron x Mediumsizedfishto47cm,butcommonly tanksandtroughs,settingupallwatering 12Ͳ20cm pointsandthingslikethat.Mydadwas x Widespreadandabundantthroughoutthe prettyproudofmetakingonheavy Basin,mostlyinlowlandrivers machinery,untilIwokeuptomyself. x Hardyfishtoleratinghightemperatures,high turbidity, high salinity and low dissolved William’sattitudestothefarmingthatwas        oxygen,butdon’tlikecoldwatertemperatures TrishJohnson,Paakintjiwoman,withtwocodshe goingonalongtheriverwerechangedone x SpawnfromOctoberͲFebruaryinshallow, caughtfromtheDarlingRivernearherhomeat lonely nightshift out on the plains.       sandybaysandlakeedges Pooncarie.Photosource:TrishJohnson. ThisChinamangavemeabigareatomyself x Migrateupstreamwhenassmallas2.2cm toplant,tosowmycropandithadbeen Lake fish x Eatalgae,detritus,microalgaeand workedbefore,andIdidn’tknow.Therewas microcrustaceans As William got older he would camp at anearbycreekgoingpast.Iwasonnight         x Importantfoodsourceforlargefish(cod, shift, I thought the dust was changing colour; KinchegaNationalParkwithhisfamilyand         goldenperch)aswellasbirds(pelicansand friends.TheywouldenjoytheMenindee butthenIrealized,itwasaburialsite!And cormorants) justondaybreak,I’veunhookedthetractor Lakes,astimeoutfromtheirdayͲtoͲday x Threatsincludecoldwaterpollutionand offthecombine,racedoffthecornerto lives.Theycaughtallsortsoffishinthe barrierstofishpassage preparethemachineforthenextshift,andI lakes. cameacrossadisturbedgrave,whereI’d

  beenploughingovertheseburials.Iprepared I feel sorry for the old cod thetractor,leftanoteandjumpedintheute, M gotouttathere–Ifelthaunted,youknow. Whetheroutcamping,ortravellingalong urray TheguiltIcarry,andthedamagethat’sbeen theDarlingforwork,Williamandhisfamily (Maccullochellapeeli–Cod, Guduu,cod Pondee,Pondi) donetoallofourriversandourCountryin wouldseecommercialandrecreational general,that’swhyI’mtryingtogetour fisherstakingadvantageofthewideopen peopletorallynow. spaces–whichalsomeanthardlyanyfishing Burialswereoncecommonalongtheriver inspectors. corridors,becauseofthesoftersoils.These Ifeelsorryfortheoldcod–everybodygoes samespotswerefavouredforploughingand forthecod,andthey’rejustaboutextinct.I  irrigationbythenonͲAboriginalsettlers. wasagainsttheVictorianscomingupto  Photo:GuntherSchmida. Menindeeandthey’dhavecampssetupall  x LargestAustraliannativefreshwaterfish,growingto overtheplace.Theywerelicensedfishermen, 1.8mand113kg(average40cm) ofcourse,butinsteadofFisheriesputtinga x Foundarounddeepholes,woodydebris(‘snags’)and quotaonwhattheywereallowedtotake, overhangingvegetationorrocks theyjustletthemgoandtheyjusthogged x Ambushpredatoreatingotherfish,crustaceans, everything.Justtoogreedy.Theyusedto molluscsandfrogs comerightupasfaras.UptheDarling. Migrate in – often 100s of kilometres upstream Setupbigcamps.Boats.Spinnersandall x          withwaterlevelrises theirfancylures.Andsomeofthemeven carriedgillnetswiththem,whichareillegal. x Malesguardtheeggswhicharelaidonlogsorrocks Andtheyjustgottoogreedy.And,evennow, x Listedas‘Vulnerable’inVictoriaandbythe theystillgetawaywithalot. Commonwealth 

 PropertieslikeDunlopStationontheDarlingRiver, picturedin1886,employedavarietyofpeopleto workthelandandinthehomestead.Photosource: NationalLibraryofAustralia(PIC/9228/16LOCPICAlbum76).  Photo:LukePearce.  

  Bill Lever – Fishing for a living Billwasbornin1926in Inthe1960sBillcametoliveatWentworth WhilemostlyBillfishedonhisown, wherehisDad andstartedheadingnorthuptheAnabranch sometimeshewouldmeetupwithother workedonthe andtheLowerDarlingtotheMenindee commercialfishersalongtheriver. Dam and his lakes for his catch. Bill almost always fished            I’dmeetupwithmymateRoyWilsonwhen grandparentswerethe onhisown,workingfromhis18ftboat, theriverwasrunning.He’dbefishing weircaretakers. settingnetstocatchnativefishformarket. upstreamandI’dbefishingdownstream. During the depression,    Butyouknow,thedrumnettingwasthebest We’dcampnearbyortogether.Justsitthere lackoflocalwork livingthough,Ilikeddrumnetting.Plentyof ofanightͲtime,knittingupdrumnets.We’d forcedhisparentsintothedriftto exerciseupanddowntheboat.Itkeptme haveouriceͲboxeswithus.Thereusedtobe .Heservedaplumber’s prettyfit.Ifyou’vegot20drumnetsinͲI’d ablokewho’dbringiceupforusfrom apprenticeshipbutquitthedayhefinished shutthemotoroff,walkupthenoseofthe Wentworthonceaweek.Andwe’dhavea because,ashesaid,hewantedtogobackto boatwiththenet,andjumpbackandsetthe tonneandahalfoffishforhimeveryweek. thebushagain. netagain.Gethalfwaybackpullingtheoars, alldependsonthecurrent.I’dbewalking A seasonal catch over a mile a day just up and down the boat. Fishing for a living            Thebountyfromcommercialfishinginthe Darling was seasonal – entirely dependent Hegotacommercialfishinglicencein1953,       on the flow of water from upstream. justafterhewasmarriedtoJudy.        We’d be sweating on rain. Sometimes we WhenIgotmylicenceandwewerelivingat        used to get February rains then you’d get a NumurkahIusedtofishtheMurrayaround          bit of a flush for Easter. Then we used to .I’dgouptheEdwardsaround           start getting a good river, from the rains in DennyandtheBillabongCreekandusedto          March and April. She’d be rising around July. driveovertoEuston,LakeBenanee.Fishedit         Every day from then on, the fish were getting allfromNumurkah.Iputinaboutfivedays          up steam all the time. More and more every andgohomeandpackthefishandsendit          day. The last day in August that was always downtoMelbourne.canbepretty          our best lift. That was also the day when you goodforreddies.I’dsellthematEchucaon            DrumnetslikethisonebeingsetinVictoriawere had to pull out. thewayhome.wasalwaysgood     usedthroughouttheMurrayͲDarlingBasin. saleforcod.Theydidn’twantreddiesor Photosource:StateLibraryVictoria(H84.488/135).  yellowbelly,justcod.

  TheNSWregulationsclosedfishingin was the best 20fishand19ofthemwouldbecarp,and Septembertoallowthefishtobreedandfor youmightcatchonelittleperchor CrossͲborderfishingregulationsregarding numberstorebuildforthefollowingseason. something,that’saboutall. goldenperchbecamemoreofanissuefor Butthewaterkeptmovingdownstream, andbackwatersaretrapsforthe Billinthemid1990s.Inpart,thiswas crossingoverthestateborder,wherethe carp,whodon’talwaysmoveintothemain becauseoneofthefavouredfishforIndian, regulationsweredifferent. channelasthewaterlevelsdrop.Rodhas Chinese,VietnameseandotherAsian seenthisforhimself: Usedtocrythen,usedtocrybecausebloody communitieswasgoldenperch.Atthistime, SouthAustralianblokes,theycouldcatch cookingfishusingAsianmethodsstartedto WeweredrivingthroughBoxer’s golden perch all the year around. We’d knock         becomemorepopularamongthebroader tryingtofindwhethertherewasanywaterin offandthey'recatchingperchleft,rightand communitytoo.Billsays: thebillabongtogetatinofyabbies.We centre. droveupandallyoucouldhearwasthese Itreallykickedoninthelast15yearswhen fish.Wewalkedbackdownoverthebank theAsiansstartedgettingusedtoourfish andjustsawthesemassivecarp.Imeanthey Rul andtheyreckonedourgoldenperchwasthe werethreeandfourfootlong.Someofthe es a bestthingthey’deverhad.Theywereour biggestcarpI’veeverseeninmylife.And Fishingregulationscurrentlynd varybetweenall bestbuyers. regu theywerejustpackedinthiswaterhole.I MurrayͲDarlingBasinstates,somethinglati whichhas reckontheremusthavebeenamillioncarp been a bone of contention for some otime.ns         The coming of carp inthere,atleast. Asearlyas1928,duringavisittotheRiverMurray RecreationalfisherRodStoneworriesabout  inSouthAustralia,theNSWInlandFisheries Officer,Mr.H.K.Anderson,recommendeda thebiggestchangethathehasseentothe numberofactionstotheSAMinisterfor riversandtothefishinginthearea:the Agriculture,HonJ.Cowan,whichwouldimprove carp. conditionsfortheBasinfishery. Whentheyfirstcamehere,probablylate Amongstthesewereascheduleoflawfullengths ‘70s,‘80s,Ireckonforthefirstfouryears that would apply to both recreational and        aftertheyhithereyoucouldhardlyever professionalfishermen,andbeinlinewiththose catchanativefish.Theyjustdecimatedthe inplaceinNewSouthWalesandVictoria. nativefishpopulationinmyopinion.Then, Inaddition,MrAndersonrecommendedregular afterthat,nativefishstartedtopickupabit. openingofLakeVictoria’sgatestoallowfishto Weusedtocatchnativefishwithcarpinside movetotheriver,andfishwaysonMurrayweirs8  them.You’dgodownthereandyou’dcatch Carpareoftenthelastfishleftinadryingwetlandif –somethingthatisonlynowbeingimplemented. itwaspossibleforfishtoescape.Photo:ScottNichols.  Billhasalsoseenchangessincethecarp Carp arrived: Litt Carparrivedinlargenumbers F withthefloodsof Becausecarpwerefeedingonthebottom, le AQ Historically,theMurraythͲDarlingBasinsupported the 1970s. These fish are now a majors pest in the they ate all the catfish eggs. They just go ing                     about18speciesofsnails,buts naturallo populations Basin. st alongsuckingeverythingup.Catfishusedto ofnearlyallofthesehavedeclined. ? layeggsinstonynestsandyoucouldseea Some of these, like Notopala spp., were thought hollowinthebottomofthecreekwhenit         tobeextinctuntilrediscoveredinthemid1990s wentdry.Plusallthelittlewatersnails.In inirrigationpipelines,wherenumbersarestill the summertime when we were drumming,       limited. they’dbejustencrustedwithsnails,wehad torunourhandsdownandknockthemoff Notopalaspp.produce‘miniatureadult’babies and so require high protein, low carbon diets. otherwiseyou’druintheboat.Ihaven’tseen         Riverregulationisthoughttohaveencouraged asnailsincethecarp.Theytellmethere'sa carbonrichalgaeinstableweirpools,meaning  fewdownSouthAustralia,insomeofthe 10 Photo:MillyHobson. thesesnailsdon’tgetenoughoftherightfood.  pipesthere.Andthatwasthemainfoodof Howmanyeggsdocarplay? thecatties,plusallthemusselbeds,they LenHippisleyobservedchangesintheDarling Carpcanlaymillionsofeggsperyear.Carpspawn River over a 42 year period. He noted the loss of a wipedthemouttoo.             onvegetationinwarm,shallowwaterssuchas smallaquaticinsect. foundinandundergopopulation  A change I noticed [around 1953] concerns what I explosionsfollowingorhighriverevents.          describeasatinymicroscopicwaterflea,they Can eggs be carried by birds’ feet and survive in           werealwaysevidentinthewaterespeciallywhen mud and in the water to be fertilised at any time?            furrowirrigating.Watersoakingintotheearth No, carp eggs only survive out of water for a short            wouldbeladenwiththesetinyinsects,hardly time and are usually attached to plants.        noticeableexceptbytheirabsolutemassof Unfertilised eggs soon die.     numbersenablingthemtocongregateonthe Cancarpstayaliveinmud? waterinbillionsformingalevellineuptoaninch No,carpcannotliveinmud. thick.Theyarenotseenlikethisanymore.Ibelieve Docarpundermineriverbanks? thattheymusthavebeenfoodforsmall,newly Carpfeedbysiftingthroughmudbutthereisno hatchedfishandcrustaceans,similartotinysea evidencethattheyundermineriverbanks.  planktonoftheoceans.Ihavenotbeenableto identify this insect, and capture exercises carried Docarpspreaddiseasestonativefish? NaturalpopulationsofNotopalaspp.arenow        out by various different bodies have been Alargenumberofparasites,diseasesandviruses thoughttobeextinctintheMurrayͲDarlingBasin,        unsuccessful.11 havebeenassociatedwithcarpbuttherehave howeversmallpopulationsaresurvivinginirrigation  beennospecificreportsofdeathsofnativefish pipelines.Source:NSWDPI. Lenaccountedthedeclineinnativefishcatchesat 9 causedbycarpͲbornediseasesinAustralia.  thattimetothedisappearanceofthewaterflea.  Rod Stone – rivers and flood rivers could, joining their Dad on weekends and Rodwasbornin1955in        Overthelongsummerholidaysitwashot during the school holidays. butforanumberof     anddry.ChristmasDaywasalwaysa yearslivedatnofixed Itusedtobemainlyperch,theoddcodand traditionaldayathometrimmedwithahot addresswithhisfamily.His catfish.Weusedtogetsilverperchinthe roastlunch.ButonBoxingDay,theStone dadwasarabbittrapper,so Murray.Thereusedtobealotofother familycelebratedadifferenttradition. theytravelledupanddown nativefishthatyouusedtoseeswimming Oh,theywerefundays.Christmasnightafter theDarlingandtheGreat around.Atoddtimes,you’dgetalittle tea,we’dstartgettingeverythingorganised, Anabranchmakingaliving gudgeontype.Tinylittlefish.Weusedtocall them ‘minnows’. We wouldn’t know what haveitallpackedup,readytogonext onthefringesofthepastoralindustry.They       theywere.Buttheoddtimes,you’dget morning.We’dleaveatdaybreak.Weused livedinashantyontheriver,andRod’s them. totakeallthecoldmeatandthingsleftover childhoodwasrichwiththeexperienceof fromChristmasDay.Andwe’dgoupthe thegreatoutdoors. riversfishingandswimming,playcricketand G gooutinthebushwalkingandjusthaving Oh,IwasprobablyfishingbythetimeIwas udg (Hypseleotris spp.,ePhilypnodono spp.) fun.Therewasacoupleofotherfamilies aboutthreeyearsold.Weusedtohavea   ns   usedtogowithus.Justafundayout,it placeontheriver–they’dcallitashantynow happenedeveryBoxingDay,itwasjusta Isuppose,butitwasprobablyafairlygood ritual. housebackthen.Weusedtohaveallkinds ofanimals;rabbits,goats,kangaroosaspets. Wehadadog,butnocat.Wejustlivedthere up‘tilIwasaboutfiveandahalfandthen wemovedintoPomonasothatwecouldgo to school.    Westerncarpgudgeon.Photo:GuntherSchmida. Fishing – part of life x Groupofsmallnativefish,usually8cmorless Fishwerepartofthestapledietofanearly x Bottomormidwaterdwellersthatprefer wetlands,orslowerwaterswithaquaticplants lifelivedontheriverbanks.Andafterthey  movedtotown,Rodandhisfamily x Foodincludesmicrocrustacea,aquaticinsects ThenoticeboardatFortCourage,WentworthAngling continuedgoingtotheriverasmuchasthey x Malesguardandfaneggswhiletheydevelop Club’shomebase,iscoveredinphotosofsuccessful fishingtripsandgetͲtogethers.Photo:ScottNichols.  Dry, very dry and drought … … then flood ThewesterndistrictofNewSouthWaleshas ButRodhasalsoseenplentyoftheother ahighlyvariableclimate.Yougetdry,very extremethatpeopleofthewestexperience dryanddrought.RodhasseentheDarling –thefloodsthatcantakemonthstotravel RiverandAnabranchinallthesestages– downfromalltheupstream.The eachonewithitsownspecialfishing drybedsandcreeksoftheGreatAnabranch conditions. anditsfloodplainchangeddramaticallyonce the water arrived. I’vebeenuptheDarlingwhenit’sonlybeen    holes; a little trickle between each hole. We          Someofthecreekswerelikechannelsand TheDarlingRiverin2007duringtherecentdrought. usedtouselurescalled‘floppies’backin wereprobablyabouteightortenfeetdeep, Photo:WilliamRiley. thosedays.You’dcastyourlureoutandletit sotheyweren’tshallow.Therewerefiveor sink,andyou’dactuallyseefiveorsixfeet sixofthemtogetherinthislittlespotonthe downintothewater‘causetheywereall Anabranch.Oneofthemainonesthatused clear,pools.Youcouldactuallyseethefish torunoffthemainchannelanditwould comeupandstrikethelure.That’sa nearlydoaloop,andthenitwentbackinto fantasticfeelingwhenyouseeabigfish thedelta.Itusedtoroardownthatone.You comeupandgrabthelure. couldn’tstandinitwhenitwasrunningreal hard. It used to knock you over. We used to            getafewfishbutitwasgoodforyabbying!     DarlingRiverchannelin2010inflow. Photo:WilliamRiley. 1951 1956 1974 1976

LenHippisleymeticulouslymeasuredandrecordedwaterheightsatBurtundyWeirontheDarlingthreetimesamonthfrom1942Ͳ1982.Thegraphshowsjusthowvariabletheriver heightcanbeandrevealsthatthe1951floodpeakwasalmostashighasthememorable1956and1976floodsandwashigherthanthefloodof1974.Datasource:LenHippisley.  ClaytonSharpeisafishecologistwhoworks 19 fortheMurrayͲDarlingFreshwaterResearch Fl 56 CentreinMildura.HegrewupinMildura oods AfterWW2theairrigationt areasaroundMildura FlowintheMurray, d was,andstillis,muchless the anglingandyabbyingintheirrigation rou werecutintosmallerblocks cforo soldiersettlers. variablethanintheDarlinggh whichisdependenton nfl channels, rivers, backwaters and the Great ts… EachpairofblockswassuppliedwithueanBedford       thelessreliablerainfallbroughtbyatropical ce Anabranch. He too remembers arrival of nd truckandaTE20Fergusontractor.       monsoonalwindsinsummerandautumn.fish In1956,floodwatersthreatenedWentworthfrom floodwaterfromraineventsupstreamand ThelargestfloodintheupperMurraywasin1870 boththeMurrayandtheDarlingsystems.The itseffectsonfishing: andthelargestintheDarlingwas1864.The ‘littlegreyFergies’werebroughtintobuildlevee largestinthelowerMurraywasin1956when They were slow in that it seemed slow, but bankswhilethewaterwasstillfaraway.Afleetof          smallerfloodsintheMurrayandDarlingRivers theselightlittletractors,withearthscoopsonthe really,intwodaystheriverwouldchange.It combined.12 would go from a slow river to a really frontandtrailersattherear,successfully          Priortoriverregulation,haveattimes sandbaggedWentworth,whichsitsatthe happening,fastflowingsystemandthenthe reducedbothriverstoaseriesofsalinepools.In ofthetworivers. fullfrontwouldhit,sometimesitseemed,in theDarlingthisstilloccurs,andwasobservedin Localsknewthatthelightredsandthatfilledthe lessthanaweek.Itwasslowintermsofhow therecentdrought. bagswouldnotbeenough.Sotheyfortified faritwasinundatingbutitwasjustroaring. Nativefishhaveadaptedtotheseextremesin leveeswithalayerofredriverclaythatbaked Evenonthefloodplaintherewerecurrent flowandusewaterlevelsandwatertemperature solidinthesun.Leveebanksprotectedthe linesanditwasjustbeautifultosee. risesasbreedingcuesfor‘thegoodtimesahead’. hospital,pumphouses,powerstationandmostof 4 TherecentfloodsintheDarlingandtheGreat themaintown. Mildura,justovertheMurray Anabranchhaveallowedfishtobreedandaccess River,wasnotsolucky,experiencingsomeofthe floodplainhabitatsthatwereunavailableatlow mostdevastatingfloodingin1956. flow.MonitoringoftheGreatAnabranchinlate 2010recorded16433fishfrom11species. Goldenperchandcarpgudgeons,andintroduced carpandEasterngambusia,werethemost common. ‘Youngoftheyear’goldenperch(fishbornthat year)werecaughtpriortotheDarlingflowinginto theAnabranch,indicatingthesefishprobablytook advantageofthefilledLakeCawndillaandbred there.Similarly,themajorityofthebabycarp  collectedwasalsothoughttohavecomefromthis  lake.Babybonybreamwerethoughttohave Fergiesatworkinthe1956flood,Wentworth. The1956flood–wellandtrulycoveringthe originated from both Lake Cawndilla and the Photosource:WentworthHistoricalSociety. floodplain.Photosource:WentworthHistoricalSociety.         lowerDarlingRiver.13  Jenny Whyman – Wiimpatja women fishing C Jennywasbornin1956 There was a few families and we all got atf          (Tandanustandanus–eeliͲstailedh catfish,jewie) andfirstlivedinariver togethereveryafternoon,afterschool,and campontheDarlingat particularlyontheweekend,wealllovedthe Menindee.Herfamily river,andwe’dallgodownandcatchsome livedwithamobofother fish,someyabby,andsomelookunderthe Paakintjifamiliesonone leavesintheriver,inthebark,we’dgetthe yabbies out of there. Some make their own sideoftheriverand         littlelineoutofcotton,andmeat;tiethe regularlyvisitedtheotherside.Thereher meatonthecottonandgettheyabbies.We aunty lived with Vince Etrich, a Yugoslav        didn’tsitontheriverbank,we’dsitonthe  Photo:GuntherSchmida. manandtheycouldvisitUncleJackKellya logs.Onthebrokenbranchesthatsatoutin x Mediumsizedfish,usually50cmorless MutthiMutthimanandAuntyLouReeks,a theriver.Whenwegotinthewater,we’dall ParappaParappawoman. justdiveunderneathandwecouldcatchthe x Bottomdwellersthatpreferslowmoving fishthatwayaswell. watersofriversorcreeks Family, river, fish x Eataquaticinsects,yabbies,molluscsandsmall WiththeMenindeeLakesnearby,andthe fish Jennyexplainswhytheywereallin riverontheirdoorsteps,Jenny’sfamilies x Eggslaidinacirculargravelnestwhichthe Menindee: werenevershortoffishtoeat. maleguardsuntiltheeggshatch Theyworkedatallthestationsalongthe Whenwewerekidsgrowingup,mymainfish x Listedas‘Endangered’inVictoria,‘Endangered rivers.That’showweallgottogetherthere. wascatfish.Oh,Icouldeatcatfishallday. population’inNSWandprotectedinSA AndmymumanddadworkedinMenindee, Butwecan’tgetthecatfishnow.Wealso pickingfruit,likewatermelon,rockmelon, usedtoeatyellowbelly,perchandblack toppingonions,pickingtomatoesandallthat bream.That’sthemainthreefish.Ididn’teat sortofwork,andwhentheworkranout,my cod.ButIatealltheothersortoffishifI mumanddaddecidedtomovetoDareton. couldn’tcatchcatfish. Jennyremembershoweveryonewould  congregateontheriverbankinthe  afternoonsandweekends:  Acatfishguardingitsnest.Photo:NSWDPI.  Theylivedtogether,playedtogether, All the fish were dead workedtogetherandlearntabouttheriver Inthedroughtyearsfrom1985onwards, B andsurroundingcountrysidetogether. lue the upper Darling declined in flow severely -g        Duringthe1990s,bluerͲegreene algaebloomedall Wewereallonebigfamilyandweall n a until,in1991,mostoftheriverfrom alongtheDarlingRiverandtributaries.lga Therewas shared. When we went out and got the wild e          MunginditoMenindeeturnedbrightgreen. widespreadpopularbeliefthatthebloomwas food, we all had a bit of that. We were all            ThiswasanextendedblueͲgreenalgae causedbytoxicchemicalsrunningofffrom reallyclose.Therewasothermembersof bloomthatranforonethousandmiles. intensiveagricultureupstreamasfaras thefamilyontheothersideoftheriver.My Queensland. mum’ssisterandherhusband,theyowned Jennyremembers: Thescientificassessment,aftercarefulstudy abigblock–wejustswamacrosstheriver found that two things caused the bloom. Firstly, Nofish.IntheriveratPooncarie,allthefish         togetourveggiesandfruit. excessivepumpingfromriverswithlowflows.This weredead.Idon’tknowwhathappened wasmadeworsebylongperiodsofsunnydays. Jenny was also lucky enough to enjoy a there. They found the fish floating. In                Combined,thesefactorscreatedastillandwarm specialfishrecipethatherUncleVince Menindeethewaterwassogreen,noone watercolumnperfectforbloomsofalgae. could get in it. broughtwithhimfromYugoslavia.     Secondly,highnutrientlevelsinthewatercaused Heusedtocatchthecarpandweusedto  byfertilizer,nottoxicchemicals,runningofffrom arangeofagriculturalenterprises.Animalmanure catchthecarpforhim.Andpeoplesay frompastoralpropertiesandhumansolidwaste ‘Oh, how do you eat carp?’ and I’d say          fromineffectivelyseweredtownsalongtheriver ‘Well…likethis’.Beforehecookedthecarp alsocontributedtohighnutrientlevelsrequired forus,heusedtosoakitinbigjarswith foralgalblooms.5However,itremainedeasier, vinegarwithsomeotheringredients.He’d andcertainlymorepopular,toblamethecotton cuttheheadoff,thenhe’dcutitupinall industry! littlepiecesandthenhe’dputitinthisbig jar,andthen,Ithinkheleftthefishin thereforaweek,andwhenit’sallready, thenhe’dgetitoutandcookitforus.It wasreallylovely.   AlgalbloomontheGreatAnabranchinAugust2000. Photo:BillandElaineGrace.  BlueͲgreenalgaeintheGreatAnabranchin2003. Photo:BillandElaineGrace.  Our river is dry WhenIwentawayforthefirstNBAN Grea meetinginMoree,Isawthebigirrigation t A BillLeverworriesaboutthelackofflowin channels.Isawthecottongrowing,andI Forthelast10000nyearsa theGreatAnabranchwas br theriver.Whilethisareaalwaysfeelsthe wasreallyupset.Iwasthinking‘ourriveris wetordrydependingonaseasonalnc rainfall.Mostlyit h p effects of Australian droughts, Bill believes it dry’. We’d had green algae in Menindee, and wasdry. ipel                ine isthewaterextractionthathasincreasingly wecouldn’tswiminthere.ButwhenIwent OvertheyearsAnabranchlandholdersbuiltaseries upthereandsawthat,itreallyhurtme.And ofblockbanks,retainingwaterwhenpresentbut causedproblemsforfishersoverhis hamperingfishpassage.Initially,thewaterwas lifetime: thenIwenttoanotherNBANmeetingupin goodforcattle,sheepandfishthatlivedinthesemiͲ RomainQueensland;Isawallthecottonin Therewasnoirrigationgoingonbackinthe permanentpools.TheAnabranchwasalsousedfor StGeorge,andithitmeagain.Toseethat recreationalfishing,swimmingandpicnicking. ‘50sreally.Therewasnoirrigationwater riverdrylikethat,Iwasreallyhurtbecause Overtimethewaterbecamesalty. comingbackin–itwasgoodnaturalwater. thosepeopleareholdingthatwaterup Sometimestheremighthavebeenalittlebit Fortwentyyears,fishscientistsandwatermanagers there.Thatwatershouldbeallowedtoflow of rice growing, but not to the extent that negotiatedwithgraziersforareturnofthe          anaturalflow.Ithasstoppedusfromgetting Anabranchtoamoreephemeralstate.By2006a theydonow.Andwhenthosecottonblokes ourfish,ourturtles.Istilleatturtle,stilleat pipelinewasbuiltfromLakeCawndillatosupply came,theytookallthewater.Backinthe fish,witchettygrubs;allmywildfood. watertothesestations,andby2009allthebuilt ‘50stherewasnoneofthat,justnaturalriver Withoutthat,Iwouldn’tlivehere.Fish,to structureswereremoved.Duringtherecentdrought alltheway,practicallynothinggrowingon me,outoftheriver,isourmainthing. watersecurityforlivestockandpeoplewholive theside,therewasnospraying.Justgood therewasguaranteed. water.Oncetheygotabitoffreshwater  In2010,wateronceagainfloweddownthe comingin,especiallytheMurray,ifitwent AnabranchandmettheMurray,allowingnativefish overHumeWeir,offtheygo.That’sthesame tousetheAnabranchandmoveforbreeding. ifyoucouldgetgoodwateroutoftheBulloo RiverandcountryaroundTibooburra.The fishjustwentboom–populationexplosion then.Fisheverywhere. InthelasttwoyearsJennyhasjoinedother AboriginalrepresentativesfromtheMurrayͲ DarlingregionontheNorthernBasin AboriginalNationsCommittee.Shehas  travelledtootherpartsoftheBasinand PipelinebeinglaidtoBillandElaineGrace’sproperty startedtoseenewthingsabouttheriver.  ontheGreatAnabranch.Photo:BillandElaineGrace. IrrigationofftakeTandouCreek.Photo:ScottNichols.  Making connections

Getting their hands dirty theDarlingRiver.Thescientistssaythat November2005,Iwaschosentogooverto 10000yearsagotheDarlingforcedthisnew Ugandaforaworldconventiononprotection WhenthedroughtstrucktheDarlinghardin coursedowntoWentworth.Butstilltome, ofriversandwetlands.Italkedfromthe thelastdecade,JennyWhymanandher theAnabranchishighlyimportant.AndI heart.Ithrewthesheetofpaperaside,and auntiesmadeaspecialefforttokeepgoing don'tthinkyouinterferewithanoriginal letitgofromtheheartandIgotagood totheriver.Jennyreflectsthattheriverwas sourceofariver.EspeciallytheDarling. receptionfromtheaudience.I’mtryingto neverthatdryduringherchildhood–butas Patienceiswhatwerequire.Patience.Anda tellpeople.They’vegottogetofftheir bitofthoughtaboutwhatweareactually bottoms.Getofftheirbuttstohelpthe anadult,thedrywasatimewhenthey doingwiththiswater. rivers. coulddotheirbitfortheriver: Andwhentheriverwasdry,myauntieandI Anger and joy came with the rain usedtogoandwalkintheriverbed.Because whatelsecouldwedo?Couldn’tgofishing. RodStoneisgravelyconcernedaboutthe Andmyauntieusedtosaytome;‘Look, managementofwaterandtheblackwater whatareallthosesticksintheriver?All eventsthatcamewiththerainsin2010.In thosebrokenbottles.Theyshouldbeall Octoberofthatyeartherewerewidely pulledoutwhentheriver’sdryyouknow, publicisedfishkillsattheRiver.Rod ‘causewhenthewater’sinthere,peoplecan saysthatitwasthethirdineighteen getcut,andstickintopeoplewhentheydive months: inandswimaround.’ TheanglingclubsentalettertotheNew CarmelChapmanworksattheWentworth SouthWalesgovernmentcondemningwhat  InformationCentre.Bornin1941andraised ThedryriverbelowWilcannia,inAugust2007. they’vedone,throughourlocalMP,John in,shehaslivedintheareaallof Photosource:WilliamRiley. Williams.They’veactuallybeenfilling her life. She thinks that we should listen to a wetlandsandforestareaslikethe            rangeofknowledgeablepeopleaboutthe Forestforafortnight,andthenleavingthem, rivers: WilliamRileyhasbeenouttalkingto andthendrainingtheblackwaterbackinto everyonewhowilllistenaboutthestateof theMurrayandthat’swhat’scausedthe Aren’t we dumb? We don't even listen to         therivers,atlocalforums,liketheNorthern deathofsomanyfish.Inmyopinion,there’s whatAboriginalpeoplesayandit’sintheir BasinAboriginalNationsmeetingsandat beenenoughflow.Theyshouldhavejustlet soul.TheAnabranchistheoriginalcourseof globalforums. itrunthroughnaturally,andasitruns  throughnaturally,itwouldhavecleared  itself.Therewouldhavebeenmorefresh Bla wateranditwouldn’thavedepletedallthe ckw  x Blackwatereventsoccurnaturallyate oxygen,itwouldn’thavebecomeasblackas r They occur when there has been a build up of leaf litter itdid. x             andwoodydebrisonthefloodplain,followedbyenough In2010,heavyrainsinthenorthern raintosubmergethismaterialandhighenough catchmentsfloweddowntheriver,fillingthe temperaturesthatitbeginstorot.Thewaterbecomes discoloured and usually oxygen levels drop significantly lagoons,lakesandcreeksalongtheway.For        thefirsttimeinadecadetheGreat x Blackwatereventscanharmaquaticanimalssuchasfish. Some animals, such as crayfish, have been seen escaping Anabranch of the flowed down                 thewaterduringsuchevents tomeettheMurray.JennyWhyman x TherecanbelongͲtermbenefits.Carbonfromthe describestheeuphoriathatcamewiththe decomposingorganicmatterentersthefoodchain, water: increasingthepopulationofaquaticinvertebrateswhich  AdryLakeMenindeein2007.Photo:WilliamRiley. thenprovidefoodforfish WeweregoingtoBrokenHillforameeting.  AndIsaidtomyhusband‘Ihopethere’s x Theimpactofaneventcansometimesbereducedby  waterinthisAnabranch’.Wewentoverthe waterreleasestodiluteflow.However,thisisnotalways possible and can actually cause the blackwater to spread bridge,andallofasudden,Iwasgoingmad,          downstreamwiththepulseofdeoxygenatedwater andIsaid‘C’mon,stop,stop,stop!’Sowe madeourowntrackdowntothewaterandI justtookmyjumperoff,tookmyshoesoff, rolledmytrouserlegsupandIwasinthere. Ohhhh,Iwasinthere.Anditwasreallylucky. Ithadjuststartedcomingdown.Musthave beenthesecondorthirdday.AndIwentin andIwasgettingalltheleaves,Iwas chuckingthemallout,toseeifIcouldsee anyyabbiesorshrimps.Yeah,Iwentmad whenIsawit‘causeitwasdryforalong,   TheflowsdowntheGreatAnabranchin2010saw long time. AwetLakeMenindeein2010.Photo:ScottNichols.   blackwaterproducedasleaflitterandotherplantmatter  begantorot.Noteveryblackwatereventcausesafishkill  andin2010nomajorfishkillwasrecordedinthe   Anabranch.Photo:ScottNichols.  Visions for the Darling and the Great Anabranch

 Thefishingpeoplewhocontributedtothis CommercialfisherBillLeverthinksthatthe environmentsmightbeachangethatwill projecthavealltalkedabouttheirhopesfor futureoftheriverrevolvesaroundwater bringmorefishforfuturefishers. thefutureoftheriver.Manyfelttheyhad quality.Herememberswhatitwaslikein Myfatherandgrandfatherusedtofishalot seensomeimprovementsbutmostdon't thepast–especiallyforyabbying–and inLakeVictoriaandtheywouldcatchalotof feeltheriverisashealthyyetastheywould wouldliketobehopefulaboutaneweraof introducedredfin.Bymygeneration,they liketoseeit.Eachofthesefisherssuggested cleanwater: weregone.Beforemytimetherewereheaps ofcatfish,apparently.Myunclesandmy waystohelptheriverandinturnhelp Queen’sBirthdayweekendSouthAustralians fathertalkaboutthembeinginpest providehealthyhabitatsforfish. usedtocomeupinthethousands,craying. proportions.Theyusedtogetannoyedwith Thisisgoingbackinthe‘50swhentherewas Asthepresidentofthelocalfishingclubat howmanytheywouldcatch.Ican’tactually goodwater.Now,thewater’schangedand Fort Courage, Rod Stone is keen to support everrememberanglingone.It’shardto         wehaven’tgotthequalityofwaterthatwe believethatinonegenerationitcanchange. waystobringbackthefish.ALowerMurray hadbackinthe‘50s.Sothateffect’sevident DarlingCMAledinitiativetoremovewillows inthenumbersoffishandcrays.Ifwecould  fromthewaterwaysinhisareahascaught getgoodwatertheywillbreedupagain.But hisattention. Idon’tthinkthatwe’llevergetgoodwater againnow.That’sthefinishofitIthink.Then Apparently,they’resupposedtobecoming againiftheysendmorewaterdown,buy todothatoverthenextfiveyearssothere’ll threeͲpartsofthewaterbackoffthe benowillowtreesleftintheriverhere.Itwill irrigators,wemightdosomegood. takeawaysomefishinghabitatbutwillows canbeveryinvasive.I’veseenpicturesof ClaytonSharpeisawarethattherehave theminstreamsfurthereastofherewhere beenmanychangesintheriveroverhis theylooklikethey’veactuallycloggedthe father’slifetimeandoverhis.Herecognises wholeriverup.Theyjustabouttouchedon thatwhatonegenerationseesasnormal eitherside.Actually,Wentworthusedtobea mightnotbethewayitalwayswas.Helping bitlikethat.Fishwillstillbearoundsnags  theriverbycaringforfishhabitatandriver ClaytonSharpe(picturedwithhissonTully)hopes elsewherebuttheywon’tbearoundthe thatbycaringfortheriveranditshabitats,nativefish willowtrees.  willstillbearoundforhiskidstosee. Photosource:ClaytonSharpe.    JennyWhymanhopesthatitwillcomeback tothebasicsforthefutureoftheDarling Men River. inde  TheMenindeeLakesStoragee LaSchemeincludesLakes Wetherell,Pamamaroo,Menindeekes andCawndilla. That’showIgrewupinMenindeeonthe sche river.And,today,Istillgobacktothatsame EarlynewspaperreportsindicatetheDarlingmeRiver only spotovertheriver.Wecan’tlivewithout flowed9outofevery12months,andtheGreat thatriverandtheNgukuintheriver.And Anabranchwas‘dryinthemiddleforeightyearsoutof ten’.a,b ‘Nguku’meanswaterinthePaakintji  language. Despitethis,itwashopefulthattheAnabranchand LowerDarlingcouldprovidewaterforBrokenHilland largescalelocalirrigationdevelopment.By1914the Sta GreatAnabranchwasloweredatitsupstreamjunction te withtheDarlingforasecondtimetofacilitateearlier of 14,c TheSustainableRiversriverAudit(SRA)isan flowsandimproveconditionsforsettlers.  ongoingsystematicassessment: ofriverhealth ‘mo VariableflowsintheDarlingandtheneedtofinda of23majorrivervalleysintheMurrayde ͲDarling rat securewatersupplyforBrokenHillsawperiodiccalls Basin.Environmentalindicators(themes)e ‘ fora‘waterscheme’tobedevelopedsothatthe includehydrology,fishand b,d DarlingRivercouldbeturnedintoa‘veritable’.  macroinvertebrates,whicharemonitoredand TheMenindeeLakeswerelookedtoforwaterstorage, willhighlighttrendsovertime.6 althoughtherisksassociatedwithhighevaporative d,b TheDarlingwassurveyedin2005.The lossesanderraticDarlinginflowscausedconcern.  DarlingValleyfishcommunityandEcosystem Debatecontinuedforover40yearsuntilworksfinally Healthinthe‘LowerZone’wereconsideredto beganin1949,withanestimatedconstructiontimeof beinpoorcondition.Alittlefewerthanhalf 6Ͳ7yearsandcostof£2300000.e thenativespeciespredictedforthiszonewere Althoughprojectconstructiontook11years,with collectedduringsurveying(47%)and MenindeeMainWeircommissionedin1960,these introducedfishcomprisedalittleoverhalfthe worksprovidewatersecurityforBrokenHillandat biomass(53%). timesofhighflowcandeliverwaterdownthe Bonyherring,Australiansmelt,goldenperch, GreatAnabranchandontothelowerMurray. MurrayͲDarlingrainbowfishwerenumerous, Newspapers. withcarpgudgeonandspangledperchalso a.BarrierMiner(BrokenHill)Monday11April1910,p6  common.Oftheintroducedspecies,Eastern b.TheSydneyMorningHerald(NSW),Thursday16February1933,p8 EmutracksinthegreyclayssurroundingLake gambusia,andcarpweremostcommon. c.TheArgus(Melbourne),Thursday20August1914,p5 Menindee.Photo:ScottNichols. d.BarrierMiner(BrokenHill),Friday24February1928,p2 Goldfishwerealsocaptured. e.TheSydneyMorningHerald(NSW),Saturday2December1950,p11   Bringing back the fish

Anumberoflocalprojectsaimtobringthe ii)Fishpassage–verticalslotfishwayshave Tobeinvolvedorfindoutmoreinformation fish back to the rivers of the Murray Darling.        Ͳ  beeninstalledatBurtundyWeir,Weir32and abouttheaboveprojects,contactLMDCMA These compliment large scale programs such       PooncarieWeir,allowingfishpassagewithin on(03)50219460. as the MDBA’s Native Fish Strategy and The         over512kmoftheDarlingRiver!ThreeFish Basin Plan that continue to work with a wide (b)TheMurrayͲDarlingFreshwater          HabitatManagementPlanshavebeen range of stakeholders to ensure positive ResearchCentre(MDFRC)       developedandafishmonitoringprogramhas outcomes for the environment and fish of the         beenunderwaysince2004withupto65sites TheMDFRChaslaboratoriesontheMurray Murray Darling Basin. Ͳ   monitoredeachyear. RiverinMilduraandAlburyͲWodongawhere (a) The Lower Murray Darling theyresearchandmonitoranumberof      iii)Nativefishreleases–since2005,theCMA aspectsofaquaticecologyincluding CatchmentManagementAuthority incollaborationwithagenciesandindustry, environmentalflows,waterquality,nutrient (LMDCMA) localschools,communitygroups,have cycles,algae,fishandinvertebrate releasedMurraycodandgoldenperchat TheLMDCMAhasbeenworkingwiththe taxonomyandecology. locations including Fort Courage, Wentworth, localcommunitytoimplementanumberof      Pomona, Burtundy and Pooncarie. In 2011, TheMDFRCcanhelpcommunitymembersto activitieswithintheLowerDarlingRiverand       the LMD CMA also released threatened olive identifyaquaticfloraandfaunaandassist theGreatDarlingAnabrancharea:        perchletsandsouthernpygmyperch withhabitatusequeries. i)Wetlandrehabilitation–Wetlandslike fingerlingsintoThegoa. AspartofsomeMDFRCprojectsfishare ThegoaLagoonhavewettinganddrying iv)HabitatimprovementͲLMDCMAhasset taggedtodeterminewheretheymove.Apart cyclesreinstated.Wetlandsthatwere up an ‘Aquatic Threatened Species Habitat fromtheirownsampling,theMDFRCrelyon disconnectednowreceivewaterandthose       Management Zone’ at Karoola Reach on recreationalfisherstocontactthemifthey thatwerepermanentlywetcanbegivena       20km of the Darling River. Best Management catchataggedfishsothattheyknowcan dryingcycleforenvironmentalbenefits        Practices for protecting the aquatic learnabouttheirmovements. thankstoimprovedwaterdeliverycontrol      environment are being demonstrated to structures.      IfyoufindafishtaggedaspartofanMDFRC landholderssotheycanimprove‘their’ projectoryouwanttofindoutmore Otherworksincluderesnagging,weedcontrol sectionofriver. informationabouttheirworkphone andagroundandsurfacewatermonitoring (03)50514050(Mildura)or(02)60249650 program. (AlburyͲWodonga)orvisitwww.mdfrc.org.au  About the Talking Fish project TheTalkingFishprojectarosefromanincreasingrealisationthatmanydifferentgroupsofpeople,including River resources fishers,Indigenouscommunities,touristsandlandholdershavedevelopeduniquerelationshipswiththe rivers of the Murray Darling Basin. There is also the growing recognition that the health of the Murray x NativeFishStrategyCoordinator,Southern    Ͳ              Ͳ DarlingBasinisatrisk.Byaccessingandrecordingdifferentpeople’sstoriesabouttheirexperiencesofa NSWCharlieCarruthers:(02)62980802 river,itsfishandhowbothhavechangedwillcontributetoourcollectiveknowledgeandhelpshapefuture x LowerMurrayDarlingCatchment managementdecisions.Thesestoriesalsohavethepotentialtogivepeopleasenseofjustwhatthese ManagementAuthority:(03)50219460or magnificentriversandtheirfishwereoncelikeͲandcouldbeagainwithongoingrehabilitationefforts. www.lmd.cma.nsw.gov.au TheTalkingFishprojectfocussedon12reacheswithinthefollowingrivers:Namoi(NSW),UpperCondamine x WentworthAnglingClub,FortCourage: River(Qld),KatarapkoCreek(SA),UpperMurrumbidgeeRiver(NSW/ACT),ͲBalonneRivers(Qld/ NSW),ParooRiver(Qld),GoulburnRiver(Vic),DarlingandtheGreatAnabranch(NSW),OvensRiver(Vic), (03)50273097 MainstemMurrayRiver(NSW/Victoria),DarlingRiver(NSW)andTheCoorongandLowerLakes(SA). Menindee Local Aboriginal Land Council: x      TheTalkingFishprojectisastartingpointtosharelocalknowledgeandlearnedexperiencewithothersto (08)80914541 improvethehealthoftheMurray–DarlingBasin.Projectinformationisavailableat:www.mdba.gov.au. x DaretonLocalAboriginalLandCouncil: Note:ThetermTalkingFishisalsobeingusedbytheAustralianRiverRestorationCentreasawayofsharingknowledge (03)50274721 aboutpeople’sconnectiontofishandwaterways. x NorthernBasinAboriginalNations: References 1.Scott,A.2005‘HistoricalEvidenceofNativeFishintheMurrayͲDarlingBasinattheTimeofEuropeanSettlementͲfromtheDiariesofthe (02)62790672 FirstExplorers’,Mildura:CRCforFreshwaterEcology. 2.NSWNationalParksandWildlifeService2008,‘NearieLakeNatureReserveManagementPlan’,Buronga:NSW:Departmentof x MurrayLowerDarlingRiversIndigenous EnvironmentandClimateChange;Ross,S.2008TheMurrayLowerDarlingRiversIndigenousNationsSubmissiontotheSenateRuraland Nations:(02)60519948 RegionalAffairsandTransportStandingCommittee:WaterAmendmentBill2008,Albury:MurrayLowerDarlingIndigenousNations. 3.Balme,J.2008‘PrehistoricFishingintheLowerDarling,WesternNewSouthWales’inDiscoveryRangersHandbookKinchegaNational x WentworthShireLibraryandWentworth Park,Sydney:NationalParksandWildlifeService. 4.Chapman,C.(ed.)2001ByGodandbyFergie...WeBeattheFlood,Wentworth:NSW:ParkDouglasPrintingandWentworthShireCouncil. HistoricalSociety:(03)50275027 5.MurrayͲDarlingBasinAuthority2008FACTSheet:BlueͲgreenalgaeintheRiverMurray,www.mdba.gov.au/water/blueͲgreenͲalgae. 6.Davies,P.E.,Harris,J.H.,Hillman,T.J.andWalker,K.F.2008SRAReport1:AReportontheEcologicalHealthofRiversintheMurray– x NationalLibraryAustralia:www.nla.gov.au DarlingBasin,2004–2007,Canberra:Murray–DarlingBasinMinisterialCouncil. 7.Lawrence1968,citedinNationalParksandWildlifeService2008,DiscoveryRangersHandbookKinchegaNationalPark,Sydney:National  ParksandWildlifeService. 8.TheAdvertiser(,SA),Saturday28April1928,page11. 9.Koehn,J.,Brumley,A.,andGehrke,P.2000Managingtheimpactsofcarp,Canberra:BureauofRuralSciences. 10.Sheldon,F.andWalker,K.F.1997‘Changesinbiofilmsinducedbyflowregulationcouldexplainextinctionsofaquaticsnailsinthelower RiverMurray,Australia’,Hydrobiologia,347:97–108. Abbreviations 11.Hippisley,L.2002BurtundyWeirontheDarlingRiver,1941Ͳ1983,42yearsofobservations.Ed.J.Murray,Wentworth. 12.Jacobs,T.‘RiverRegulationintheMurray’inN.MackayandD.Eastburn(eds.),MurrayͲDarlingBasinCommission,pp.39Ͳ58. DPI DepartmentofPrimaryIndustries(NSW) 13.Bogenhuber,D.andLinklater,D.2011TheDarlingAnabranchAdaptiveManagementMonitoringPlanProgressReportFebruary2011. MDBA MurrayͲDarlingBasinAuthority Publication03/2011,MurrayͲDarlingFreshwaterResearchCentre. 14.Withers,M.1994FloodingandWaterConservationintheGreatAnabranchoftheDarlingRiver.Sydney:NSWDepartmentofWater LMDCMA LowerMurrayDarlingCatchment Resources. ManagementAuthority  Allfishfactboxes:Lintermans,M.2007FishesoftheMurrayͲDarlingBasin:Anintroductoryguide,Canberra:MurrayͲDarlingBasin Commission.  Some fish of the Darling and Great Anabranch Murraycod/Cod Catfish/Eeltailcatfish/Jewfish Yabby/Craybob

  

 Goldenperch/Yellowbelly/Callop Spangledperch/Bobbycod Murraycray/Spinycray  scale)  to  Native

(Not    Silverperch/Murraybream/Grunter  



 European carp / Redfin / English perch

           scale)  to  Introduced (Not