WIMMERA waterway managers have worked together to improve flow in the Wimmera River after recent reports of poor water quality.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
In January, natural flows in the Wimmera River and its tributaries caused poor water quality in some parts of the river.
Wimmera CMA has announced plans to work in collaboration with the Victorian Environmental Water Holder and GWMWater to release environmental flow from Taylors Lake into the Wimmera River to freshen it up.
Wimmera CMA Chief Executive Officer David Brennan said the intensity of late January rainfall caused a sharp peak which picked up large volumes of silt, leaves, and other organic material.
"This is an issue particularly in weir pools and backwaters where vegetation debris has fallen out," Mr Brennan said.
READ MORE:
"At the moment the colour of the water is dark. Native fish can tolerate some harsh conditions, but our concern is around the accumulated organic material decomposing process which sucks oxygen from the water, leaving little for fish and other aquatic life.
"It is worth keeping in mind that the environmental flows are small compared to the natural flow which went through Horsham last week and arrived in Jeparit on Wednesday, but every little bit helps."
Wimmera CMA has asked the community to keep an eye on the river and let the CMA know if they have noticed anything of concern.
"We encourage the community to keep an eye out for anything unusual and if they have any information or queries to please contact our office by phoning 5382 1544," Mr Brennan said.
Did you know you can receive updates straight to your inbox? To make sure you're up-to-date with news from across the region, sign up below.