Table of Contents 1. Introduction ..........................................................................................................1 1.1 Location and Planning Area.......................................................................... 1 1.2 Purpose.............................................................................................................. 1 1.3 Management Goals........................................................................................ 3 1.4 Approach.......................................................................................................... 3 1.5 Information Sources......................................................................................... 3 1.6 Limitations.......................................................................................................... 4 1.7 Consultation...................................................................................................... 4 1.8 Structure ............................................................................................................ 5 2. Management Context.........................................................................................6 2.1 Land Tenure and Management ................................................................... 6 2.2 Legislative Framework..................................................................................... 7 2.3 Catchment Setting........................................................................................ 10 2.4 Past Occupation and Landuse................................................................... 10 3. Ecological Values..............................................................................................12 3.1 Wetlands.......................................................................................................... 12 3.1.1 Wetland Category............................................................................. 12 3.1.2 Wetland Conservation...................................................................... 14 3.1.3 Significant Wetlands.......................................................................... 15 3.1.4 Ecological Functions ......................................................................... 15 3.1.5 Wetland connectivity ....................................................................... 15 3.2 Vegetation Communities ............................................................................. 16 3.2.1 Ecological Vegetation Classes (EVCs)........................................... 16 3.2.2 Ecological Functions ......................................................................... 19 3.3 Flora and Fauna Species.............................................................................. 20 3.3.1 Vertebrate Fauna .............................................................................. 20 3.3.2 Flora...................................................................................................... 21 3.3.3 Ecological Functions of Flora and Fauna...................................... 24 4. Threats to Ecological Values ............................................................................25 4.1 Threatening Activities.................................................................................... 25 4.1.1 Clearing (Direct Native Vegetation Removal)............................. 26 4.1.2 Stock Grazing ..................................................................................... 29 4.1.3 Cultivation Cropping and Pasture Management........................ 32 4.1.4 Irrigation and Surface Water Extraction ........................................ 32 4.1.5 Groundwater Extraction ................................................................... 33 4.1.6 Firewood Gathering / Snag Removal ............................................ 34 ii 4.1.7 Culverts, Regulators and On-Stream Storages ............................. 34 4.1.8 Off-stream Storages .......................................................................... 36 4.1.9 Levees and Floodplain Development ........................................... 36 4.1.10 Effluent Disposal ................................................................................. 36 4.1.11 Recreation .......................................................................................... 36 4.2 Induced Threats ............................................................................................. 37 4.2.1 Salinity .................................................................................................. 37 4.2.2 Water Quality...................................................................................... 39 4.2.3 Erosion.................................................................................................. 39 4.2.4 Changed Flow and Inundation Patterns....................................... 40 4.2.5 Introduction of Weeds and Pest Animals ...................................... 41 4.2.6 Drought / Climate Change ............................................................. 42 5. Condition of Ecological Values........................................................................43 5.1 Wetlands.......................................................................................................... 43 5.1.1 Previous investigations ...................................................................... 43 5.1.2 Results from Field Assessment .......................................................... 43 5.2 Riparian Vegetation...................................................................................... 47 5.2.1 Previous Investigations ...................................................................... 47 5.2.2 Results from Field Assessment .......................................................... 48 6. Conservation Value...........................................................................................49 7. Knowledge Gaps...............................................................................................50 7.1 Ecological Value............................................................................................ 50 7.2 Threats to Ecological Values........................................................................ 51 7.3 Condition of Ecological Values................................................................... 51 8. Strategies and Actions ......................................................................................53 Strategy 1: Managing wetlands on public land.............................................. 56 Strategy 2: Implementing existing programs.................................................... 58 Strategy 3: Involving the community in wetland management, working in partnership with other agencies ........................................................................ 60 Strategy 4: Ensuring a sound scientific basis for wetland management .... 61 9. Implementation Program..................................................................................63 10. References..........................................................................................................65 Appendix A: Threatened Flora and Fauna ............................................................68 Appendix B: Field Report .........................................................................................71 Appendix C: Metadata Statements........................................................................72 Appendix D: Management Area Assessment .......................................................87 iii 1. Introduction 1.1 Location and Planning Area The Broken, Boosey and Nine Mile Creeks are located in north central Victoria within the Broken River Catchment and their combined total length is approximately 450 km. The creeks originate in the Warby Ranges and nearby foothills and flow north west through the riverine plains. The Boosey and Nine Mile Creeks join the Broken Creek west of Katamatite and Numurkah respectively and the Broken Creek outfalls to the Murray River below Barmah Forest. Towns along the creeks include Lake Rowan, Yundool, Tungamah, Katamatite, Wunghnu, Numurkah and Nathalia. The Planning Area encompasses the floodplains associated with the Broken, Boosey and Nine Mile Creeks and a number of connected wetlands covering a total area of approximately 1200 km2 (Figure 1). The floodplains are characterised by a mixture of cleared agricultural land and box-dominated grassy woodland. The wetlands within the Planning Area are predominately freshwater marshes and meadows. The larger individual wetlands include Moodies Swamp, Rowan Swamp, Black Swamp and Lannigans Swamp. The floodplains were defined by the width of the creek’s meanders as outlined in the Goulburn-Broken Catchment Wetland Systems report (Ecos, 2004). Although prior to European settlement the floodplains of these creeks would have covered a much broader area, river regulation, land clearing and the construction of flood mitigation structures such as levees have altered over bank flow patterns (Goulburn Broken CMA, 2002a). Consequently, this narrower definition of floodplain width that encompasses the riparian zone and the discrete wetlands that retain connectivity to the streams provides a practical Planning Area for the management of environmental values of the wetlands of this system. 1.2 Purpose The Implementation Plan aims to provide a comprehensive outline of the most appropriate options for implementing initiatives to manage the environmental values of the wetlands