Barmah–Millewa Forest Report Card 2020–21

2020-21 Water Summary

B
Water for the environment delivered over consecutive years, including as part of the 2020 Southern Basin Spring Flow event, has improved the overall health of Barmah-Millewa Forest.
Overall
B Vegetation
B Waterbirds
B Fish
B Other

Vegetation

B

Aims

Promote healthy and diverse vegetation communities
Facilitate healthy vegetation to provide suitable breeding and foraging habitat for diverse bird species

Outcomes

Water for the environment reached around 25% of the floodplain, creeks and wetlands. This was similar to the area watered in the previous 2 years.
A green flush of plant growth was evident in areas of the floodplain that received water.
There was a 10% increase in native plant diversity compared to the previous year, with 105 native species recorded.
Moira grass and river swamp wallaby grass grew and flowered in areas where fencing reduced grazing pressure. However outside of these areas, feral animals continue to have a substantial impact on threatened vegetation communities. The target for restoring the natural distribution of the threatened Moira grass plains was not met and remains a concern.
Where water for the environment was delivered to creeks and wetlands, healthy plants and trees provided suitable breeding and foraging habitat for waterbirds and woodland birds. However, in some wetlands giant rush and common reed dominated the wetland plant community, resulting in a decrease in the diversity of native plants and less habitat available for birds.

Waterbirds

B

Aims

Provide suitable feeding and breeding habitat for a range of waterbirds
Promote successful breeding events and provide suitable nesting and feeding habitat

Outcomes

3,870 waterbirds from 48 species were recorded. This was around a 50% increase in numbers and 33% more species than in the previous year. This is the second highest number of species recorded in 20 years.
Water for the environment delivered to wetlands kept water levels up providing suitable breeding habitat with 250 Australian white ibis, 150 straw-necked ibis, 50 royal spoonbills, 25 little pied cormorants and 5 little black cormorants nests recorded in Barmah Forest. There was also widespread breeding of ducks, black swans and purple swamphens.
Water for the environment delivered to wetlands also maintained suitable nesting habitat for threatened bitterns. Numbers were similar to previous years with 44 Australasian bitterns and 29 Australian little bitterns recorded.
4,579 woodland birds from 76 species, including 12 threatened species, were recorded. This is the highest number of species recorded in 22 years of monitoring.

Fish

B

Aims

Support successful breeding and recruitment of native fish populations

Outcomes

15,291 fish from 14 native and 5 non-native species were recorded. This was just over double the number of fish recorded in the previous year.
Native fish were around 62% of the total fish count, which is similar to the previous 2 years and well above the 38% of native fish counted in 2018.
Murray cod, golden perch, and silver perch bred again in the mid–Murray during spring and summer.
High numbers of young Murray cod and trout cod were found, indicating successful breeding the year before.
Water for the environment provided connectivity between wetlands and river habitats for native fish, with the highest numbers of Australian smelt, Murray–Darling rainbowfish and un-specked hardyhead recorded since 2010.
Threatened native fish species such as the southern pygmy perch, purple spotted gudgeon, freshwater catfish and olive perchlet have not been detected for many years. A re-introduction strategy may be required to re-establish populations.

Other

B

Aims

Facilitate successful breeding of native species such as frogs and turtles
Control the spread of invasive pests

Outcomes

Facilitate successful breeding of native species such as frogs and turtles
Control the spread of invasive pests

369.5 GL

water for the environment delivered at this site

84.3 GL

water used at this site

285.2 GL

flowing back to the river system

Actions

Water for the environment delivered.

Climate conditions

Moderate - Conditions were milder compared to the previous 3 hot, dry years. River flows were around three-quarters of the long-term average.

Works

Are there works at this site?

Highlights

First Nations

First Nations representatives undertook an Aboriginal Heritage survey to identify and record Aboriginal values at the Algabohnyah Aboriginal Place within Millewa Forest. This will be used to inform a management plan for this site.
(Photo: Austral Archaeology)

Activities

Fencing at Little Rushy Swamp is protecting native vegetation from grazing and allowing plants such as Moira grass and the nationally threatened river swamp wallaby grass to grow.
(Photo: Keith Ward, Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority)

Vegetation

Delivery of water for the environment is supporting healthy wetlands, providing habitats for fish and waterbirds to thrive.
(Photo: Brady Cronin, NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service)

Waterbirds

Water for the environment delivered to Boals Deadwood in Barmah Forest provided ideal conditions for ibis to breed.
(Photo: Keith Ward, Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority)

Fish

The highest ever number of Murray cod (pictured) and trout cod were recorded at sites in the forest with flowing habitat.
(Photo: Keith Ward, Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority)

Past reports for Barmah-Millewa Forest

Overall

Vegetation

Waterbirds

Fish

Other

2020-21

B

2019-20

B

A

2018-19

B

A

B

C

2017-18

A

B

A

2016-17

A

B

A

2015-16

B

A

B

2014-15

B

A

B

D

2013-14

C

A

D

2012-13

C

A

D

2011-12

C

A

B

D

2010-11

B

D

B

D

2009-10

C

D

B

D

2008-09

D

B

D

2007-08

D

B

D

2006-07

D

B

D

Show/hide 5 oldest years

Climate conditions

Grades

Dry	Very Wet
Wet	Moderate

A

B

C

D

-

Excellent

Most (75-100%) of ecological objectives have been met

Good

More than half (50-74%) of ecological objectives have been met

Fair

Fewer than half (25-49%) of ecological objectives have been met

Needs attention

Few (0-24%) of ecological objectives have been met

Data not available

Each year, water is released into the environment depending on the climatic conditions. See the outcomes of water over time for a long-term view of how natural and released water affects the health of rivers.

Follow the science and more information

Report cards are a result of the work we and our partners do with scientists across the Basin, including site monitoring as part of The Living Murray program.

The Living Murray is a joint program funded by New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria and the Commonwealth governments.

2020 Southern Spring Flow – Productivity Monitoring

If you want to know more about our monitoring and the results — read the monitoring reports

Read The Living Murray – Icon site condition report – 10 years of ecological monitoring

Southern Connected Basin Environmental Watering Committee Reports