WATER quality, plants, animals and recreational users along the Glenelg River during the summer period will receive a welcome boost with a delivery of water to the environment.
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A release of 265 megalitres per day of water for the environment is underway and continues until January 29.
Water levels are tipped to increase between 30cm to 50cm reaching Fulham Reserve on Thursday, Harrow on Sunday and Casterton on January 31.
Glenelg Hopkins CMA water resource planner Tori Perrin said water from Rocklands Reservoir had been released to the river since 2009 to improve water quality and protect native species.
“River and wetland systems including the Glenelg River no longer get the water volume and seasonal flow variability once received prior to construction of dams, weirs and reservoirs. This water is critical in supporting the migration and dispersal of species, their ability to breed and to create new habitat for them to survive,” Ms Perrin said.
Ms Perrin said increasing river flows in summer helped to flush out salinity along with fine sediments, restore water pools and support species including the threatened Glenelg spiny crayfish and variegated pygmy perch.
She said the health of the river had increased dramatically since the millennium drought and tough conditions through 2015-16 which saw sections of the river reduced to a series of saline pools over summer.
Brian Murrell, secretary of the Casterton Angling Society, said the rising river levels would offer a big boost to fishing during summer.
“Fish respond to rising rivers so the release of water from the reservoir will be great. They start feeding more aggressively and the increased flow improves the connection between water holes allowing fish to move about more freely – all of which makes for better fishing,” Mr Murrell said.
The Glenelg Hopkins CMA is managing the water release in collaboration with the Victorian Environmental Water Holder and Rocklands Reservoir manager, GWMWater.