Implications of pumping and ponding water on fish populations Bernard McCarthy, Mel Tucker, Clayton Sharpe & Oliver Scholz
Acknowledgements Sylvia Zukowski Susie Ho Rebecca Keating Rohan Rehwinkel Iain Ellis Todd Wallace Prue McGuffie Peter Fraser Lara Suitor Julie Bindokas Lorenzo Vilizzi MDBC and staff - The Living Murray program Victorian Fisheries Permit No. RP584
The Living Murray The Living Murray aims to restore the Murray River through targeted delivery of environmental water to 6 icon sites including Hattah Lakes. River Murray system monitoring Icon Site condition monitoring Intervention monitoring Compliance monitoring
The Living Murray The Living Murray aims to restore the Murray River through targeted delivery of environmental water to 6 icon sites including Hattah Lakes. River Murray system monitoring Icon Site condition monitoring Intervention monitoring Compliance monitoring
Hattah Lakes Hattah-Kulkyne National Park and Murray-Kulkyne Regional Park 48, ha Biosphere Reserve Directory of Important Wetlands RAMSAR listed
Hattah Lakes CTF 36,7 ML/d
Murray River hydrograph Discharge (ML.d -1 ) 2 18 16 14 12 1 8 6 4 2 Natural Actual Hattah CTF 199 1992 1994 1996 1998 2 22 24 26 Date
Murray River hydrograph Discharge (ML.d -1 ) 2 18 16 14 12 1 8 6 4 2 DRY Actual Hattah CTF DRY Pumping 199 1992 1994 1996 1998 2 22 24 26 Date
Pumping Murray River Mournpall Yerang Chalka Ck Lockie Little Hattah Bulla Brockie Hattah Arawak 2km N
Pumping Apr5-Jun5 (1,2 ML) Murray River Mournpall Yerang Chalka Ck Lockie Little Hattah Bulla Brockie Hattah Arawak 2km N
Pumping Apr5-Jun5 (1,2 ML) Sep5-Dec5 (4,2 ML) Murray River Mournpall Yerang Chalka Ck Lockie Little Hattah Bulla Brockie Hattah Arawak 2km N
Pumping Apr5-Jun5 Mar6-Jun6 (1,2 ML) (6,9 ML) Sep5-Dec5 (4,2 ML) Murray River Mournpall Yerang Chalka Ck Lockie Little Hattah Bulla Brockie Hattah Arawak 2km N
Pumping Apr5-Jun5 Mar6-Jun6 (1,2 ML) (6,9 ML) Sep5-Dec5 Sep6-Dec6 (4,2 ML) (13,5 ML) Murray River Mournpall Yerang Chalka Ck Lockie Little Hattah Bulla Brockie Hattah Arawak 2km N
Pumping Currently Murray River Mournpall Yerang Chalka Ck.5m Lockie Little Hattah.3m Bulla Brockie Hattah.4m Arawak.2m 2km N
Expectations for fish Predicted low diversity and abundance OEF (MDBC 26): Pumping to retaining sites without refugia in most instances fish cannot reach the site through pumps (except where eggs or larvae are pumped in) (MDBC 26).
Methods Fish community surveyed using large fyke nets (LFN) and small fyke nets (SFN) Sampled 3 sites per lake on 7 occasions since pumping commenced (September 25 June 28)
LFN+SFN/24h 8 6 4 2 Exotic Native Abundance 1 8 Richness No. species 6 4 2 Sep 5 Jan 6 Nov 6 Feb 7 Dec 7 Mar 8 Jun 8 #wetlands: 1 3 8 7 4 4 4 pump pump pump pump
Historically recorded at Hattah Lakes Post pumping Carp gudgeon 41,775 Australian smelt 5,776 Unspecked hardyhead 1,667 Flathead gudgeon 1,51 Goldfish* 241 Golden perch 82 Common carp* 12 Bony herring 7 Murray cod 3 Silver perch 1 Freshwater catfish Crimson-spotted rainbowfish Redfin perch* Eastern gambusia* Flat-headed galaxias Murray hardyhead
2 4 6 8 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 2 4 6 8 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 Carp gudgeon 2 4 6 8 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 2 4 6 8 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 2 4 6 8 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 2 4 6 8 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 Jan-6 Mar-8 Feb-7 Nov-6 Dec-7 Jun-8 43 273 62 75 416 47 Standard Length (mm) Frequency No length-frequency data
2 4 6 8 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 2 4 6 8 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Australian smelt 2 4 6 8 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 2 4 6 8 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 2 4 6 8 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 2 4 6 8 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Jan-6 Mar-8 Feb-7 Nov-6 Dec-7 Jun-8.2 9 132 77 42 13 Standard Length (mm) Frequency No length-frequency data
1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Flathead gudgeon Jan-6 Mar-8 Feb-7 Nov-6 Dec-7 Jun-8 3 6 43 2 9 9 Standard Length (mm) Frequency No length-frequency data
1 2 3 4 5 1 15 2 25 3 1 2 3 4 5 1 15 2 25 3 1 2 3 4 5 1 15 2 25 3 1 2 3 4 5 1 15 2 25 3 1 2 3 4 5 1 15 2 25 3 1 2 3 4 5 1 15 2 25 3 Goldfish Jan-6 Mar-8 Feb-7 Nov-6 Dec-7 Jun-8.1.1.9.1 4.6 4.1 Standard Length (mm) Frequency
5 1 15 5 1 15 2 25 3 35 4 5 1 15 5 1 15 2 25 3 35 4 Golden perch 5 1 15 5 1 15 2 25 3 35 4 5 1 15 5 1 15 2 25 3 35 4 5 1 15 5 1 15 2 25 3 35 4 5 1 15 5 1 15 2 25 3 35 4 Jan-6 Mar-8 Feb-7 Nov-6 Dec-7 Jun-8.3 2.9.3.1.2 Standard Length (mm) Frequency
1 2 3 4 5 5 1 15 2 25 3 35 4 45 5 1 2 3 4 5 5 1 15 2 25 3 35 4 45 5 1 2 3 4 5 5 1 15 2 25 3 35 4 45 5 1 2 3 4 5 5 1 15 2 25 3 35 4 45 5 1 2 3 4 5 5 1 15 2 25 3 35 4 45 5 1 2 3 4 5 5 1 15 2 25 3 35 4 45 5 Common carp Jan-6 Mar-8 Feb-7 Nov-6 Dec-7 Jun-8.11.46.4 Standard Length (mm) Frequency
Spatial patterns Feb-7 Fish Transform: Square root Resemblance: D17 Hellinger distance 2D Stress:.9 Lake Arawak Brockie Chalka Hattah Lockie Mournpall Yerang
Screening by pumps Exclusion of large fish Resulting population dependent on small sized fish present at time of pumping Position of pump s offtake? Avoidance of offtake noise/vibrations? Different tolerances to survival through pump?
Positive implications Significant native fish community has developed from pumping Very few common carp, no gambusia Return of submerged aquatic plants to Hattah Lakes
Negative implications Lack of follow-up pumping has led to loss of aquatic habitat and predation by birds Hattah Lakes currently acting as a deadend for fish with no contribution back to Murray River Connectivity is of concern
Opportunities with pumping Create aquatic habitat and allow fish community to establish Create and maintain aquatic habitat for fish until overbank flooding occurs Maintain aquatic habitat following overbank flooding until next flood