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THE ALPINE
BRIGHT - POREPUNKAH - MT BEAUTY - TAWONGA - TAWONGA SOUTH Wednesday, June 19, 2024
Phone: (03) 5752 1058
$2.00 (inc.GST)
www.alpineobserver.com.au
OVENS RIVER RESTORATION BOOSTED BY $46,000 GRANT
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RESORTS’ CLIMATE RESILIENCE
RIVER RESTORATION: Alpine Fly Fishers’ Brian Eddy beside one of the new Ovens River improvement works near Bright.
PHOTO: Brodie Everist
Helping our habitat HABITAT restoration works at Mayfly Rise on the upper Ovens River, led by Alpine Fly Fishers, the Australian Trout Foundation (ATF) and Wangaratta Fly Fishers, have been boosted by a $46,000 grant for riverbed stabilisation, erosion prevention and replanting of native species. Harrietville fisherman Brian Eddy said the works have been an ongoing project for the Alpine Fly Fishers, who are now on their fourth stretch of restoration along the Ovens River. “The Ovens River has historically been affected by mining and dredging around 100-odd years ago,” he said. “In the early years, the management, or mismanagement, thought they were doing the right thing clearing out snags which are actually the habitat for aquatic species. “You end up with a wide, unstable
BY LEAH ANDERSON-BYRNE LAndersonByrne@ nemedia.com.au
riverbed that erodes each winter and lose any suitable habitat. Mr Eddy said the funding will go towards using boulders to create different flow paths and places for fish to rest and find food. “The diversity to flow and depth will create cooler waters in summer,” he said. “We’ll use various tools to prevent further erosion, such as using fallen trees to peg along the banks, and then we’ll replant native trees, shrubs and grasses to hold everything together and create habitat for insect life as well. “This project is a big one and not something a small club like ours could do ourselves so it’s great to receive grants like this.” ATF president Terry George said
these works are important for the local environment, land and climate action. “The positive effects these works have is a benefit to all water creatures; fish, native fish, freshwater crayfish and small bodied natives,” he said. “They have the same needs we have; somewhere to live and somewhere to hide from predators, it also provides cooler waters and the plant species we put in scour the cobbles out and make for deeper water as well. According to Mr George, an electro fishing survey at Mayfly Rise 1 by the Arthur Rylah Institute revealed that since habitat was installed in the river the abundance of fish has expanded. “There were lots of little black fish found, trout populations, smallbodied natives, two female platypus in good condition and freshwater crayfish,” he said.
“By installing habitat in the rivers, fish abundance can grow up to 80 per cent and by revegetating the riparian strips, the water temperature can decrease up to 10 per cent. “We might be the trout foundation but we’re really conservationists; our mission is to protect and enhance the health of waterways and fisheries for future generations. “This is intended to be a long, ongoing process and there’s much more work to be done. “Apart from the Ovens, we’ve got wonderful streams in the local catchment, which we’ve done some work on, and the Buckland River still needs a lot of work.” Anyone interested in getting involved with these projects can register to volunteer at https:// australiantroutfoundation.com.au/ or contact the Alpine Fly Fishers or Wangaratta Fly Fishers.
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APPLE GROWERS SQUEEZED
Sport
BRIGHT TAMES THE BATS
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