Native vegetation
to be planted
Community workshops
to be held
Fish hotels
to be installed
A collaborative effort
OzFish Unlimited and Landcare NSW will restore a degraded stretch of the Hunter River through riparian restoration and by installing large woody fish habitat. The project will also involve multiple community planting and education events, fish hotel building workshops, and citizen science monitoring opportunities.
Many years of habitat loss
The Hunter River has been severely degraded over the past 200 years due to land clearing to allow farming in the floodplains. This loss of native bushland, as well as historical de-snagging practises (the removal of riparian and instream trees and wood), has led to severe sedimentation, poor water quality and reduced habitat in the river. As a result, the riparian zones are not able to perform important ecological functions that support local wildlife and maintain waterway health.
The site chosen for restoration feature limited vegetation density and diversity, extensive invasive weed growth, and unstable sediment prone to erosion.
Improving the riparian zone
Planting 2000 native trees, shrubs, and rushes along the riparian zones will increase the availability of habitat and food types for local wildlife. The plants will also help protect the riverbank from further erosion and will filter runoff, reducing the amount of sediment and contaminants entering the waterway.
The benefits of habitat
3 large woody snags and 8 fish hotels will be installed. These structures improve fish habitat by:
- Creating natural scour pools
- Decreasing erosion by resisting and deflecting flows
- Improving water quality through increased oxygenation
- Provide shelter for fish
- Serving as a feeding source
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The project is part of OzFish’s Driving Fish Habitat Action partnership with Landcare NSW, and is proudly supported by Aurizon, and BCF – Boating, Camping, Fishing.
