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Restoring Tarcutta Creek 2020

In 2020 Tarcutta Creek commenced its first stage of restoration led by OzFish local Wagga Wagga Chapter.

1000 trees

and native shrubs planted

350 hours

of volunteering hours donated

20 woody habitats

installed to stabilise the riverbank

Severe impacts of flooding

Sadly, severe flooding impacted the fish habitat with the biggest being the impact of the 2012 and 2016 floods. The eroding banks significantly reduced the remaining fish habitat by undermining the overhanging bank vegetation and smothering snags and microhabitats nearby with sediment.

Downstream the sediment also caused water quality issues with increased turbidity and sedimentation of riffle areas. As a result, Tarcutta Creek was becoming uninhabitable for native fish because of its unstable nature.

Creek Systems, like Tarcutta Creek, are some of the most productive environments within the Murray Darling Basin, as they provide essential breeding and foraging habitats for a variety of native fish.

How important is a woody habitat?

Woody habitat is an important element for these environments as native fish use woody habitats for a place to stop and rest and as a place to breed, feed and shelter. Tarcutta Creek is important for the local native fish population as it provides essential breeding and foraging habitat for a variety of aquatic species. Native fish migration from the Murrumbidgee River into the lower reaches of the Tarcutta Creek catchment is likely, especially during key breeding times.

OzFish led the way to protect and re-establish key fisheries habitat at the site and downstream.

A zone approximately 1.5 hectares in size within the lower sections of Tarcutta Creek was restored. OzFish Wagga Chapter utilised the best-practice riverbank stabilisation techniques to restore the eroded bank and prevent further habitat loss.

Volunteers planted native tube stock and undertook extensive weed management.

Over time, these plants will grow to provide vital food and shelter for native fish in the area. Vegetation provides a habitat for terrestrial insects, which indirectly results in a food source for invertebrates, fish and wildlife when these insects drop from overhanging vegetation into the water. Riparian vegetation also serves the function of bank stabilisation, reducing erosion. The roots of these plants bind the stream bank and help to reduce slumping

Volunteers donated over three hundred and fifty hours, installed 150 tonnes of rock and 20 large woody habitats to deflect flows, manage thirty willow trees, planted 1,000 native trees and shrubs, and installed a 500-meter riparian fence.

Connecting community

The project got the community engaged in native fish habitat issues.

Tarcutta Creek habitat restoration project provided an opportunity for recreational fishers from OzFish Wagga Chapter to work in partnership with Murrumbidgee Landcare volunteers, NSW DPI Fisheries, and local contractors to complete and achieve significant environmental and social outcomes – outcomes that will last generations.

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LATEST NEWS

OCTOBER 14 2020 | Fish habitat invigorated at Tarcutta Creek after years of planning

Volunteers from OzFish Wagga Wagga, in partnership with Murrumbidgee Landcare Inc, have given fish habitat in Tarcutta Creek a new lease of life. The Creek has suffered severe erosion through the multiple flood events occurring between 2010 and 2016. The eroding banks meant overhanging vegetation was swept away along with snags. Micro habitats were smothered with sediment, reducing fish habitat to an all-time low.

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AUGUST 3 2020 | Tarcutta Creek Restoration Delivers Better Fish Habitat

OzFish Wagga Chapter volunteers are taking action to repair Tarcutta Creek and improve vital fish habitat. Recent flooding severely eroded sections of the creek causing water quality, turbidity, and sedimentation issues. OzFish Wagga Chapter, in partnership with local contractors, have recently undertaken the first part of a project addressing the erosion. More than 20 large woody logs and 150 tonnes of rocks were strategically positioned in the creek to support the riverbank, reduce further erosion and ensure there will be a variety of available habitat for native fish. The combined works will su

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This project has been made possible with funding from NSW DPI Fisheries’ Recreational Fishing Trust’s Habitat Action Grants and OzFish’s major partner; BCF – Boating Camping Fishing, and Murrumbidgee Landcare volunteers.