Authority reflects on water year

CORANGAMITE Catchment Management Authority staff have reflected on the organisation’s achievements last water year.

A water year is the same as a financial year, and throughout each period the Authority is responsible for operating the Environmental Water Reserve in the Corangamite region on behalf of the Victorian Environmental Water Holder.

Water for the environment is released to improve the health of rivers, creeks, wetlands, and floodplains.

“The natural flow of water along the Moorabool and Barwon Rivers has been significantly reduced by extraction for agriculture and human consumption,” said an Authority spokesperson.

“Water for the environment is crucial to improving water flow, water quality and habitat to support aquatic plants, fish, waterbugs, birds and mammals.”

Last water year, a priority of the Authority was to maintain flow in the east and west branches of the upper Barwon throughout warmer months to provide habitat for platypuses.

More than 210 megalitres of water were released down the east branch and more than 445 megalitres down the west branch.

Rainfall in the Upper Barwon was above average for three months and below average for nine, including from July to September which is usually when rainfall is high.

“One of the biggest challenges to delivering water for the environment are constrictions in the river channel caused by weeds and sedimentation, and barriers to flow caused by man-made structures built across and in the riverbed, such as fords and weirs, that impede the natural flow of the river,” said the spokesperson.

“These constrictions reduce the amount of water for the environment that can be used to top-up river flow without causing flooding of private property. ”

Through initiatives such as the Barwon and Living Moorabool Flagship Projects, the Authority is working with Traditional Owners, water corporations, Landcare networks, local advocacy groups, landholders, and other government agencies to remove constrictions and replace them with fenced off native vegetation.