West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority (CMA) has planned upcoming releases of water for the environment in early November, including Melbourne Cup day long weekend.

‘Spring freshes’ have been planned for the Carran Carran (Thomson River) and Wirn Wirndook Yeerung (Macalister River).  These water releases are designed to mimic the natural seasonal rise and fall of the river, which has been interrupted by dams and water extraction for farming, urban and residential uses. The water will be released as a small ‘pulse’ across several days, which tells native fish like Australian grayling and Australian bass when to move upstream from the ocean and Lake Wellington estuary into the rivers. This is particularly important for young fish making this migration for the first time.

Wirn Wirndook Yeerung (Macalister River) will also receive a ‘low flow’ so the water release will extend into December. In addition to the larger pulse, this water is released slowly across time to top up the waterway when it’s getting low. This helps fish, eels and platypus move between deeper pools, giving them better access to food and habitat.

These deliveries will slowly ramp up and down, with proposed peak flow dates shown on the WGCMA website to help river users such as kayakers, landholders who may need to manage riverside-assets such as pumps, and 4WD enthusiasts plan for changes in river heights when crossing.

Water for the environment keeps our rivers flowing and healthy. It is water that is set aside in major reservoirs and carefully released down the river to support the health of West Gippsland’s waterways. It can also be diverted from the river into the lower Latrobe wetlands.

West Gippsland CMA works from the mountains to the sea and is responsible for over 40,000 kilometres of designated waterways across the West Gippsland region. All these waterways flow to the Victorian coast, discharging through the Gippsland Lakes, or directly into Bass Strait and the Southern Ocean. We work with Traditional Owners, landholders and partners to protect and enhance these waterways, support Landcare, deliver water for the environment, innovate sustainable agriculture, manage estuaries, reclaim wetlands and provide advice for flood risk and works on waterways.