Lungfish Passage through Fishways and the Impacts of Restricted Passage at Paradise Dam for Australian Lungfish (Neoceratodus forsteri) in the Burnett River Jim Tait Senior Environmental Scientist Econcern Environmental Consultancy Report prepared for the Federal Court of Australia at Brisbane in proceedings Wide Bay Burnett Conservation Council Inc v Burnett Water Pty Ltd (No. QUD 319/08) 22 June 2009 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Introduction............................................................................................................. 4 1.1 Purpose of Report .............................................................................................4 1.2 Expertise ...........................................................................................................4 1.3 Duty to the Court ..............................................................................................5 2. Methodology ............................................................................................................ 5 3. Background.............................................................................................................. 6 3.1 Paradise Dam....................................................................................................6 3.2 Downstream Fishway......................................................................................10 3.3 Upstream Fishway..........................................................................................13 4. Lungfish Biology, Ecology and Conservation Status......................................... 19 4.1 Distribution, population, life history, habitat requirements, migratory behaviour and requirements........................................................................... 19 4.1.1 Species Description.......................................................................... 19 4.1.2 Distribution and Populations............................................................ 21 4.1.3 Life History...................................................................................... 23 4.1.4 Habitat Requirements ....................................................................... 25 4.1.5 Migratory Behaviour & Requirements............................................. 26 4.2 Movement and migration of lungfish .............................................................28 4.2.1 Physical capacity of lungfish to move.............................................. 28 4.2.2 Lungfish habitats.............................................................................. 28 4.2.3 Life history stage, season, flow and other cues and motivations for lungfish movement ........................................................................... 29 4.2.4 Pre-dam lungfish movement............................................................. 30 4.2.5 Lungfish behaviour at fishways........................................................ 42 4.3 Evolutionary and Ecological Significance of the Lungfish ............................45 4.4 EPBC Act listing of lungfish ..........................................................................46 4.5 Importance of connectivity for lungfish .........................................................46 Report on lungfish passage through fishways and the impacts of restricted passage at Paradise Dam for lungfish 1 in the Burnett River prepared by Jim Tait of Econcern Environmental Consultancy, 22nd June 2009. 4.5.1 Spawning .......................................................................................... 47 4.5.2 Mortality when spillway overflows.................................................. 47 4.5.3 Maintenance of Genetic Variability and Viability ........................... 48 4.6 Lungfish Impacts if no fishway installed........................................................48 4.6.1 Reduced lungfish habitat .................................................................. 48 4.6.2 Reduced connectivity....................................................................... 49 4.6.3 Reduced spawning success & overcrowding.................................... 50 4.6.4 Reduced recruitment of juveniles..................................................... 50 4.6.5 Increased adult lungfish mortality.................................................... 51 4.6.6 Reduced genetic variability and viability ......................................... 51 4.7 Other threats to lungfish in the Burnett River.................................................52 4.7.1 Threats from water infrastructure and flow regulation..................... 53 4.7.2 Loss of spawning and nursery habitat .............................................. 53 4.7.3 Low Genetic Diversity ..................................................................... 53 4.7.4 Translocated and Exotic Fish Predators ........................................... 54 4.7.5 Aquatic Weeds.................................................................................. 54 4.7.6 Recreational and illegal fishing........................................................ 56 4.7.7 Poor Water Quality........................................................................... 57 4.7.8 Decline in riparian vegetation and stream bank condition ............... 57 4.8 Threats to lungfish populations outside the Burnett River .............................58 5. Effectiveness of Paradise Dam Upstream Fishway Design and Operation for Lungfish ........................................................................................................... 59 5.1 Upstream fish passage before the dam............................................................59 5.2 Restriction on upstream fish passage..............................................................60 5.3 Safety of lungfish moving upstream...............................................................66 5.4 Fish passage constraints: operational practices or design constraints?...........68 5.5 Measures that would improve the design of the upstream fishway ................69 5.6 Measures that would improve the operation of the upstream fishway ...........70 5.6.1 Operate fishway continuously .......................................................... 70 Report on lungfish passage through fishways and the impacts of restricted passage at Paradise Dam for lungfish 2 in the Burnett River prepared by Jim Tait of Econcern Environmental Consultancy, 22nd June 2009. 5.6.2 Operate fishway in conjunction with larger releases........................ 70 5.6.3 Develop inflow – outflow operating rules........................................ 71 5.7 Alternative upstream fishway design..............................................................72 5.8 Summary of Effectiveness of Upstream Fishway...........................................72 6. Effectiveness of Paradise Dam Downstream Fishway Design and Operation for Lungfish ........................................................................................................... 74 6.1 Downstream fish passage opportunities pre-dam ...........................................74 6.2 Restrictions on downstream fish passage .......................................................74 6.3 Evidence of lungfish aggregating above the downstream fishway.................75 6.4 Threats to lungfish using the downstream fishway.........................................76 6.5 Fish passage constraints: operational practices or design constraints ............76 6.6 Measures to improve the design of the downstream fishway .........................76 6.7 Measures to improve operation of downstream fishway ................................77 6.8 Alternative fishway design .............................................................................77 7. Impacts on Lungfish............................................................................................. 78 7.1 Context of Impacts..........................................................................................78 7.2 Intensity of impacts.........................................................................................78 7.3 Consequence of impacts for the conservation of the lungfish species............79 8. Conclusion.............................................................................................................. 80 9. References.............................................................................................................. 81 Appendix 1 – Summary of Qualifications and Experience ............................................ 84 Appendix 2 – Letters of Instructions .............................................................................. 88 Appendix 3 – Draft Recovery Plan for the Australian lungfish ................................... 102 Appendix 4 – Ministerial Advice Preceding listing of Australian Lungfish Neoceradodus forssteri as Vulnerable under the EPBC Act ............................... 141 Appendix 5 –Nationally Threatened Species and Ecological Communities Information Sheet - Australian Lungfish (Neoceratodus forsteri) ....................... 146 Appendix 6 –Flows Analysis Paradise Dam Reach ..................................................... 149 Appendix 7 – Calculation of percentage operation per month of upstream and downstream fishways............................................................................................ 153 Report on lungfish passage through fishways and the impacts of restricted passage at Paradise Dam for lungfish 3 in the Burnett River prepared by Jim Tait of Econcern Environmental Consultancy,