Winton Wetlands Restoration and Monitoring Strategic Plan - Improving ecological function Prepared by Tim Barlow, GBCMA For the Winton Wetlands Committee of Management, Benalla, Victoria July, 2011 Version 1.0 Version 1.1, October 2011 DOCUMENT TRACKING ITEM DETAIL Document Title Winton Wetlands Restoration and Monitoring Strategic Plan File Location z:\winton wetlands - committe of management\programs and services\restoration & monitoring\final\final_edit_restoration and monitoring plan v.1.0.docx File Type .docx; .pdf Prepared by Tim Barlow Approved by Status Final Version 1.1 Last saved on 17/11/2017 3:26:00 PM Cover Plate: By Fiona MacCallum - Winton Wetlands in December 2010 Acknowledgements: WWCoM and WWSTAG for on-going support. All workshop participants for assistance with detailing objectives. Doug Frood, Nick Bond, David Freudenberger, Gaye Sutherland and Sam Lake all provided valuable input and comment. Disclaimer: This document is prepared in good faith using best information available to the author. Any views or opinions expressed herein are those of the author, not of the Winton Wetlands Committee of Management, any of its individual members, or its employees. Ecological restoration is an evolving science, and there is much to be learnt about Winton; as such, information contained herein may become quickly dated. Accordingly, it is intended that the document be reviewed and updated on a regular basis, at least annually. © This publication is protected by copyright. No part may be reproduced without permission of the Winton Wetlands Committee of Management, unless in accordance with provisions of the Victorian Copyright Act 1968. Further Information: Please contact the Winton Wetlands Committee of Management, PO Box 219, Benalla, Victoria, Australia. http://wintonwetlands.org.au Winton Wetlands Restoration and Monitoring Strategic Plan v.1.1 Winton Wetlands Restoration and Monitoring Strategic Plan Contents 1. Executive summary.................................................................................................................................... 1 2. Introduction ............................................................................................................................................... 4 2.1. Context and scope ............................................................................................................................... 4 2.2. Vision–restore ecological function .................................................................................................... 10 2.3. Restoration targets ............................................................................................................................ 11 2.4. Principal Objectives ........................................................................................................................... 12 3. Background Information .......................................................................................................................... 17 3.1. Winton Wetlands catchment ............................................................................................................ 17 3.2. Ecological character overview ........................................................................................................... 18 3.3. Available information ........................................................................................................................ 22 4. Current Conditions .................................................................................................................................. 24 4.1. Land Use ............................................................................................................................................ 24 4.2. Ecological Management Units ........................................................................................................... 24 4.2.1. Northern Shore ............................................................................................................................... 28 4.2.2. Southern Plains ............................................................................................................................... 29 4.2.3. The Spit ........................................................................................................................................... 29 4.2.4. Eastern Rises ................................................................................................................................... 30 4.2.5. North East Swamps ......................................................................................................................... 31 4.2.6. Green’s Ridge .................................................................................................................................. 31 4.2.7. Green’s Swamp ............................................................................................................................... 32 4.2.8. Winton and Sergeant’s Swamp ....................................................................................................... 32 4.3. Flora and Fauna ................................................................................................................................. 36 4.3.1. Flora ................................................................................................................................................ 36 4.3.2. Fauna .............................................................................................................................................. 39 4.4. Hydrology .......................................................................................................................................... 43 4.5. Threat analysis and response ............................................................................................................ 46 5. Restoration and Monitoring Approaches ................................................................................................ 49 5.1. Ecological Restoration – Conceptual Models for Winton Wetlands.................................................. 49 5.2. Ecological Monitoring ........................................................................................................................ 52 5.3. Hydrology .......................................................................................................................................... 53 5.4. Water Quality .................................................................................................................................... 54 Winton Wetlands Restoration and Monitoring Strategic Plan v.1.1 5.5. Wetland (aquatic and littoral) Vegetation ......................................................................................... 57 5.6. Terrestrial Vegetation ........................................................................................................................ 58 5.6.1. Natural regeneration ...................................................................................................................... 59 5.6.2. Direct Seeding (aerial and ground-based) ...................................................................................... 61 5.6.3. Tube-stock planting ........................................................................................................................ 62 5.6.4. Seed collection ................................................................................................................................ 62 5.6.5. Soil nutrient management .............................................................................................................. 63 5.6.6. Pest plant management .................................................................................................................. 64 5.6.7. Biomass management .................................................................................................................... 64 5.6.8. Fire Management ........................................................................................................................... 67 5.6.9. Revegetation for Carbon sequestration/community woodlots ...................................................... 68 5.7. Fauna ................................................................................................................................................. 70 5.7.1. Fish .................................................................................................................................................. 70 5.7.2. Birds ................................................................................................................................................ 72 5.7.3. Other fauna ..................................................................................................................................... 73 5.7.4. Habitat enhancement ..................................................................................................................... 74 6. References ............................................................................................................................................... 76 Restoration and Monitoring Strategic Plan for Winton Wetlands v.1.0 1. Executive summary The Winton Wetlands Committee of Management (WWCoM) is responsible for the restoration of ecological function at Winton Wetlands following the decommissioning of Lake Mokoan, an initiative of the Victorian Government 2004 White Paper Our Water Our Future.