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High Summer Flows The Major Concern |
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Concerns over the health
of the Tumut River were at the forefront of a community forum hosted by the
Murrumbidgee River Management Committee in Tumut last week. Chair
of the Committee, Kath Bowmer, said community
forums were being held in each town where the committee meets, providing an
opportunity to let the community know about the development of a River
Management Plan and to hear community concerns over river management. The
forum attracted representatives of local business, Tumut River Landholders
Association, Tumut Shire, Murrumbidgee Catchment Management Board, Committee
for Rehabilitation of the Tumut River, Tumut Acclimatisation Society, Tumut
Fly Fishers and Gilmore Landcare. The
main concerns, Ms Bowmer said, revolved around the
high summer flows in the Tumut River. "As with most environmental
issues, there is a need to balance the sometimes conflicting needs of
different interest groups," she said, "The high summer flows out of
Blowering Dam are due to water use requirements
downstream. "Unfortunately, these high flows are also causing river
banks to erode and rock walls have been put into place to stop the banks
slumping. "A
number of land owners commented that the rock walling is stopping erosion and
commended the Department of Land and Water Conservation in their efforts, but
the rock walling always causes problems for fish habitat, and some believe,
loss of tourism dollars due to the loss of natural aesthetics. "As
part of the River Management Plan, the Committee is investigating a number of
options to improve Tumut River health, including the feasibility of en-route
storage. Other
issues considered by the committee in their meeting included the implications
of the new Water Management Act, the Murrumbidgee Catchment Board's targets
and strategies and the further development of the River Management Plan. The
Murrumbidgee Management Committee include water user representatives from the
irrigation industry, environmental interests, local government, the
Murrumbidgee Catchment Management Board, Aboriginal interests and government
agencies. Meanwhile,
the proposed recommendation announced this week by the Fisheries Scientific
Committee reflects the serious threatening processes affecting the
Murrumbidgee and the Tumut River, according to Ms Bowmer.
Those
damaging processes include river flow changes, barriers to fish passage,
river temperature changes, introduced fish species, over fishing and clearing
of riparian vegetation. Ms Bowmer said her committee had been working towards
improving the problems indicated in the recommendation in both the
Murrumbidgee and Tumut Rivers for the past three years. "While
it will take a long time to redress the problems of the Murrumbidgee River
system, the River Management Plan currently being finalised by the Committee
will produce major environmental benefits," Ms Bowmer
said. "These
include the possibility of en-route storages to assist in the better
management of flows in the Tumut River. "One
of the key achievements of the Committee was the introduction of a set of
environmental flow rules three years ago. "These rules aim to improve
the health of the river (Murrumbidgee) and its aquatic system by mimicking
the river's natural flow variability. "Last
year the flow rules delivered significant benefits to the river
(Murrumbidgee) as a relatively small amount of water set aside for
environmental contingencies was used to 'piggy back' on naturally high flows
from the Murrumbidgee's tributaries. "Wetlands
right across the river were inundated, triggering aquatic plant growth and
providing ideal conditions for frog, bird and fish breeding. "As
the water level dropped, water from the wetlands drained back into the river,
taking with it food for many of the aquatic animals living in the
river." The
River Management Plan highlights the processes that threaten the
Murrumbidgee's aquatic systems, according to Ms Bowmer.
For instance, the plan deals with fish management and habitat including the
management of introduced species, wetland watering and riparian zone
management. Other possible solutions being considered include fish ladders on
weirs, artificial watering of wetlands and reducing cold water pollution from
the dams. Ms Bowmer stressed that a wide range of community programs
were improving the health of the Murrumbidgee. These include the $1 million Bidgee Banks program run jointly by Greening Australia
and the Department of Land and Water Conservation. The program is helping
land owners to strategically fence and revegetate stream reaches of the upper
and the mid- Murrumbidgee catchment as well as providing off-. stream
watering points for stock. |