AN ENVIRONMENTAL water release into Burnt Creek could bring more than just water to Horsham and Laharum.
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Burnt Creek resident Russell Peucker believes the water will provide a habitat for the peron tree frog, a rare species in the Wimmera.
Wimmera Catchment Management Authority released the water, which will make its way from the Wimmera River into the creek at the weekend.
Mr Peucker discovered the frog – more commonly found in the Murray Darling Basin – during a water release into the creek more than two years ago.
The only other report of the frog in the Wimmera on record was from 2009, when researchers recorded its voice just outside the Grampians National Park.
Mr Peucker said when the creek was dry, the frogs were living in friends Kevin and Jenny Bolwell’s fernery in Horsham.
He said the water release had brought the frogs back to the creek.
‘‘The creek has been that dry a lizard wouldn’t get a drink for miles, but now this water is coming through, the frogs are going to go ballistic,’’ he said.
‘‘It’s a great sound.’’
Mr Peucker said keeping habitats maintained was important for the region.
‘‘It’s so important now we have a piped system to retain some environmental water for the birds and critters,’’ he said.
‘‘Burnt Creek used to run for 10 months of the year and the birdlife was absolutely fantastic.
‘‘We’ve just got to keep as much of this alive as we can.’’