| |
| |
|
All Current and Past Media Releases
|
Media Release - Department of Water and Energy Date: 6 March 2009 WAKOOL RIVER STOCK AND DOMESTIC FLOW TO RECOMMENCE The NSW Department of Water and Energy said today that a planned stock and domestic replenishment flow for the Wakool River system would recommence on Monday.
The replenishment flow was postponed three weeks ago in response to two large fish kills in the Wakool River system, caused by reduced dissolved oxygen levels in the water due a record breaking heatwave.
“Dissolved oxygen levels and temperatures have returned to levels that are considered safe for fish and cooler weather is expected over for the next 10 days,” said the Department’s Deputy Director-General, David Harriss.
“This provides the ideal window of opportunity to release this much-needed stock and domestic water to landholders along the Wakool River system and to replenish pools that are still providing refuge for native fish.
“There are a hundred or so landholders who are at real risk of running out of water for their stock.
“Should this happen we would face a real crisis trying to water or move this stock to prevent losses.
“Refuge pools for native fish are also drying up and NSW Fisheries has advised that we need to get more water down the Wakool River system soon to replenish fish habitat.”
Mr Harriss said that the decision to release the remaining water into the Colligen/Niemur, Merran and Wakool/Yallakool systems had been made in agreement with local landholder groups and NSW Fisheries.
This decision has not been taken lightly and we’ve consulted the experts and local landholders to ensure that the risk of future fish kills is minimised.”
“Whilst we don’t anticipate further water quality problems, should this happen we have contingency plans in place to block and extract any black water flows and protect fish habitat.”
The Department will continue to monitor water quality closely and continue to consult with the Murray-Darling Freshwater Research Centre and NSW Fisheries.
For more information on flows and water levels, or to report a water quality issue, please contact the Duty Operations Officer at State Water’s Deniliquin office on (03) 5898 3925.
|
|||||||||||||||