Collaboration keeps Moorabool River flowing

WADAWURRUNG Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation (WTOAC) and Corangamite Catchment Management Authority (CMA), supported by Barwon Water and Central Highlands Water, are working to maintain flow on the lower reaches of the Moorabool River despite the dry conditions.

The Moorabool River is one of the most flow-stressed rivers in Victoria. The construction of reservoirs, extraction for drinking water supply and irrigation, and a large number of farm dams in the catchment are all contributing factors.

This is compounded by the dry conditions in the Moorabool catchment, where there has been below average rainfall since April 2024.

The lowest reach of the river surrounding Batesford is extremely vulnerable to cease-to-flow events, where the river stops flowing completely. These events can lead to poor water quality and damage the health of the ecosystem.

Corangamite CMA project officer of estuaries and environmental waters Jake van Dam said local waterways were not able to function as they previously did.

“As our population has grown, many of our rivers and wetlands have been modified to provide water for towns, industry and agriculture,” he said.

“One of the ways we support the health of our rivers and wetlands is through water for the environment – water set aside in storages that is released into rivers and wetlands to support the plants and animals that live, feed and breed in them.”

On the Moorabool River, Corangamite CMA strategically manages water for the environment with support from Central Highlands Water, the operator of the Lal Lal Reservoir near Ballarat.

Water is released from Lal Lal Reservoir at different times of the year in different volumes to support a range of ecological processes.

Maintaining varied flow within a river is important for a diverse and healthy river. Higher flows allow native plants to grow and spread, providing habitat for animals, whereas many waterbugs – a key food source for fish and platypus – need lower flows.

WTOAC has also used volumes of water supplied by Central Highlands Water and Barwon Water in the past two years as “Wadawurrung water” to support Cultural values along the Moorabool River.

Both Wadawurrung water and water for the environment have their place in supporting the environmental and cultural health of the Moorabool River, especially during periods of low and sporadic rainfall.

The absence of sustained rainfall has also meant that recent “freshes” – large pulses of water that help trigger fish migration and streamside plant growth – have all been due to water for the environment and Wadawurrung water.

Corangamite CMA chief executive officer Dr Amber Clarke said the benefits of this water were enormous, particularly in a dry catchment.

“There have been many instances over the past six months when most of the water in the Moorabool River flowing past Batesford has been water for the environment,” she said.

“It is really encouraging to see what can be achieved with strong regional partnerships. The Moorabool has continued to flow during some really challenging times.”