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MOORABOOL VEGETATION SURVEYS - THE FUTURE OF TRACKING WATERWAY IMPROVEMENT

December 12, 2024

In 2023, Corangamite Catchment Management Authority (CMA) and Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation (WTOAC) established the need to undertake vegetation monitoring on the Moorabool River to assess the effectiveness of current environmental water releases on key vegetation species and habitats.

This work will help inform annual watering decisions through the seasonal watering proposals, and allow stakeholders to understand how different sites are changing over time. Existing vegetation monitoring programs have not been able to collect the data required, nor have their methods been suitable for the specific needs of the Moorabool River water managers.

A new monitoring program was designed in 2023 between the two organisations and Arthur Rylah Institute (ARI) to monitor the status of the Moorabool River’s flow-dependent and flow-assisted vegetation communities and assess the effectiveness of the current and future environmental watering program.

In 2024, an opportunity arose for the first round of monitoring to be undertaken for this program. Corangamite CMA and WTOAC worked together to provide a priority list of sites that met several key criteria. WTOAC prioritised sites that aligned with existing projects and the objectives of the Paleert Tjaara Dja Wadawurrung Healthy Country Plan. Corangamite CMA selected sites that were either in pristine condition, had undergone riparian management within the last five years, or had the potential for future riparian management, whether that be weed control or native plantings. Selecting a broad range of sites in varying conditions will assist in assessing the impact of environmental water recovery in the Moorabool and riparian management over time.

The surveys were undertaken over three days downstream of Lal Lal and Bostock Reservoirs. The method involves a rapid assessment using a quadrat to analyse the in-stream, marginal, and streamside zones of the river, documenting all species within the quadrat and their extent within the survey zone. The surveys showed excellent in-stream aquatic diversity at a number of locations, featuring native plants like Curly Pondweed (Potamogeton crispus), Common Spike-rush(Eleocharis acuta), andWater-milfoils (Myriophyllum species). Many of these plants have cultural significance, are important for biodiversity and provide important functional roles in healthy waterways. Native species abundance in the riparian zones varied (as expected) from site to site and will provide baseline data for how management actions can improve environmental condition over time.

Sites where riparian management had been previously undertaken by other organisations were also included. This included sites managed by Golden Plains Shire, Moorabool Catchment Landcare Group and Batesford, Fyansford, Stonehaven Landcare Group. A big thanks goes out to those involved for the work they have done and are doing on the Moorabool and their help in providing access to certain sites. Working together and sharing information with other organisations and groups is as important as ever in working towards a healthy Moorabool River.

Monitoring vegetation on Moorabool River with Arthur Rylah Institute for environmental research

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