This annual plan outlines the rationale and intention for use of water for the environment for the Snowy and Snowy montane rivers for the 2023–24 water year.
Water managers will incorporate water release strategies to help support native fish refuge where possible. Supporting refuges will allow native fish species to survive and provide the breeding stock to help their populations recover once the drought breaks.
This annual plan outlines the rationale and intention for use of water for the environment for the Snowy and Snowy montane rivers for the 2021–22 water year and gives effect to the NSW Government’s commitment to implement the Snowy Water Initiative on behalf of the partner governments.
Efforts will focus on maintaining drought refuge pools within streams in the lower parts of the Macquarie catchment and common reed, mixed marsh and river red gum woodlands in the Macquarie Marshes using tributary flows in consultation with WaterNSW.
In 2020-21 water managers will continue to build on gains of previous years by maintaining habitat that supports colonial nesting waterbirds, providing connectivity, refuge and dispersal flows for large-bodied native fish, and supporting river red gum forest ecosystems.
Refuge sites will be the focus of watering events to support southern bell frogs, native fish and waterbirds. Watering events will aim to restore a more natural flow pattern to support a robust food web and other system functions.
A notification of likely change in ecological character of the Macquarie Marshes Ramsar site was submitted to the Ramsar Secretary General on 17 July 2009 under Article 3.2 of the Ramsar Convention. This change can best be described as a ‘likely change’ from a semi-permanent wetland system to an ephemeral wetland system in parts of the Ramsar site.
Further rainfall is needed to replenish storages in the catchment. Efforts will focus on protection of tributary events and other management practices to maintain habitat for water-dependent species.
Water managers will focus their efforts on supporting native fish populations in the Severn, Dumaresq, Macintyre and upper Barwon rivers. While the of deliveries is limited in the catchment, some environmental needs can be met by regulated water deliveries for consumptive uses.
