Environmental watering of Hobblers Lake, Cherax Swamp and associated wetlands in 2012-13
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Up to 6 gigalitres of Commonwealth environmental water has been made available for use in lake and wetland areas of the western lower Murrumbidgee floodplain near Balranald, New South Wales, during spring 2012.
Purple swamp hens in spike rush narwie west
Photo: James Maguire © NSW
Office of Environment and Heritage
Commonwealth environmental water will be used in conjunction with 2 gigalitres of NSW government environmental water. The environmental water will help fill lakes, wetlands and connect waterways in the area from mid September to October 2012. It will build on the outcomes achieved for previous environmental watering undertaken by the NSW government and will contribute to:
- maintaining the health and regeneration of native plant communities in Cherax Swamp, Yarrawol Creek and Narwie West, Reed Bed and Black Box wetlands.
- the establishment and growth of native plant communities in Hobblers Lake and Penarie Creek which have been isolated from the floodplain and have not received environmental water before.
- providing good quality habitat for native animals including waterbirds, fish and frogs.
This watering action will be managed in cooperation with the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage, NSW State Water and local landholders. It will be delivered using new infrastructure funded by the NSW government and the Australian Government Biodiversity Fund. This includes the use of carp screens which will help prevent the movement of adult carp, a pest species, into key areas.
Monitoring the outcomes from this environmental watering action will be done by the CSIRO, the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage and Charles Sturt University. The monitoring will focus on the effect of environmental watering on native birds, fish, frogs, plants and water quality.
Video
To view the video Cherax Swamp and Hobblers Lake bounce back which refers to this watering event please visit the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage website .
What makes this place so special and why is Commonwealth environmental water used here?
- It supports many different types of waterbirds including blue-billed duck, freckled duck and painted snipe.
- It contains important native plant
communities including:
- existing and recently established seedlings of river red gum and black box trees fringing Cherax Swamp, Yarrawol Creek and Paika Creek
- water plants such as red water milfoil at Reed Bed wetland, rushes and sedges in Black Box wetland.
- There is strong ongoing community support to restore the lake and wetland areas to a healthy system. Landholders have fenced off key areas from live stock and undertaken revegetation with local wetland plants.
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