150 tonnes
of rock installed
7kms
of waterway enhanced
350 hours
volunteered
OzFish Wagga Wagga Chapter’s latest work at Tarcutta Creek is an excellent example of the Murray-Darling Healthy Rivers Program. The stabilisation of a significant portion of riverbank and delivery of environmental stewardship workshops for the local community is creating a lasting legacy.
Helping native fish, tackling erosion and educating local communities
OzFish’s work at Tarcutta Creek, where it meets the Murrumbidgee River, is addressing erosion caused largely, by floods in 2012 and 2016. OzFish volunteers have put in more than 350 hours of work to tackle a number of issues caused by collapsing riverbanks.
Eroding banks cause significant negative impacts on fish habitat, including removing overhanging vegetation that provides food and shade for fish in the river. The sediment they create also smothers snags and shelter spots, as well as causing water quality issues downstream.
Beginning in 2020, OzFish has conducted extensive shoring up of eroded banks, including more than 150 tonnes of rock during this latest round of restoration. It has also restored dozens of areas of wooded vegetation along those restored riverbanks, helping to guard against future erosion while providing sources of food and shelter for fish.
To assist this and future restoration efforts in the area, OzFish has also conducted a mapping exercise to identify areas at risk of erosion.
Engaging the local community in this project and educating them about the importance of habitat restoration has been key to its success. The project team has delivered two community engagement events and a further benefit for the local community is that the restored riverbanks now once again provide greater access to Tarcutta Creek for recreational anglers in the area.
This project is funded by the Australian Government’s Murray–Darling Healthy Rivers Program. The Healthy Rivers Program is funding community-led grants for on-ground projects that improve the health and ecological condition of rivers and wetlands across the Basin, while supporting economic development and jobs. The project is also supported by BCF – Boating, Camping, Fishing and the local recreational angling community.
