Campaspe Flow Manipulation Project: the highs and lows
Transcript of Campaspe Flow Manipulation Project: the highs and lows
Campaspe Flow Manipulation Project: Campaspe Flow Manipulation Project: the highs and lowsthe highs and lows
Paul Humphries, Robert Cook, Adam Paul Humphries, Robert Cook, Adam Richardson & Richardson & LucianoLuciano SerafiniSerafini
Campaspe Flow Manipulation Campaspe Flow Manipulation ProjectProject
• Regulated rivers in SE Australia - aseasonal flows • CFMP: ecologists and water managers
cooperating to manage flow to improve conditions for the flora and fauna
• Attempt to provide water for the environment andfor offstream users
• Test the effectiveness of environmental water allocation using an experimental, before/after approach – Broken River as ‘reference’
Records of fish in the Campaspe and Broken Records of fish in the Campaspe and Broken RiversRivers
km
Murray
River
Cam
pasp
e Ri
ver
Goulburn
River
Broken
River
Lake Eppalock
Lake Nillahcootie
N 0 50 100
Campaspe Weir
Campaspe Siphon
Gowan
gardi
e
Weir
Casey W
eir
146o
Murray-Darling Basin
Lake Mokoan
• Murray cod*• Trout cod*• Macquarie perch*• Golden perch• River blackfish*• Freshwater catfish*• Silver perch• Mountain galaxias*• Spotted galaxias*• Flathead galaxias*• Australian smelt*• Freshwater hardyhead*• Crimson-spotted rainbowfish*• Western carp gudgeon*• Lake’s carp gudgeon*• Midgley’s carp gudgeon*• Flathead gudgeon*• Southern pygmy perch*• Bony herring• Short-finned eel
* Species which would have lived and bred in the Campaspe River
But it didnBut it didn’’t happen!t happen!
100000150000200000250000300000350000400000
050000
7/1/
1987
1/1/
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1989
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1995
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1999
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2001
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2001
Pro
pose
d re
leas
eFrom this……. ……..to this
Changes to the flow regime in the Changes to the flow regime in the Campaspe RiverCampaspe River
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100012001400
Post-dam
Pre-dam
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100012001400
JAN MAR MAY JUL SEP NOV
Dis
char
ge (M
L/d)
Month
Upper section
Lower section
FEB APR JUN AUG OCT DEC
current,depth etc
invertebrates
Flow
Breeding
Hypothesis #1Hypothesis #1
1999
BrBr
CaCa
1995 1996 1997 1998J A O D F A J A O D F A J A O D F A J A O D F A
Dis
char
ge (M
l d-1
)
0500
10001500
0500
10001500
Flow and spawningFlow and spawning
Australian smelt
Common carp
Flathead gudgeon
Gambusia
Redfin
Golden perch
Carp gudgeon
Murray codRainbowfish
Galaxiids
Blackfish
current,depth etcFlow
invertebrates
Hypothesis #2Hypothesis #2
Flow and breeding of fish: summer Flow and breeding of fish: summer releasesreleases
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100012001400
Post-damPre-dam
JAN MAR MAY JUL SEP NOV
Dis
char
ge (M
L/d)
MonthFEB APR JUN AUG OCT DEC Echuca
Tem
pera
ture
(o C)
05
101520253035
Jan
Mar
MayJu
l
Sep Nov
202530354045
Rai
nfal
l (m
m)
Jun
Aug Oct
Dec
Feb
AprPeak fish
breeding activity
CrimsonCrimson--spotted spotted rainbowfishrainbowfish
Alison King, PhDAlison King, PhD
Australian smeltAustralian smelt
Alison King, PhDAlison King, PhD
Murray cod
Alison King, PhDAlison King, PhD
Low flow recruitment Low flow recruitment hypothesishypothesis
• Some fish breed and recruit during warm, low flow period
• In slackwater habitats• Low flow period may enable development
of rich source of prey
When summer irrigation releases occur...When summer irrigation releases occur...
0123456
Slackwater River channel
Num
ber o
f fis
h……are fish larvae flushed from slackwaters?
05
101520253035
05
101520253035
05
101520253035
05
101520253035
05
101520253035
1 8 15 22 29 6 13 20 27 3 10 24 117 8 15 22 29Sep Oct Nov Dec
Dis
char
ge (m
Dis
char
ge (m
33 ss-- 11
))
Tem
pera
ture
(o C)
1997
1998
1999
2000
20010
4080
120160
04080
120160
04080
120160
04080
120160
04080
120160
Spa
wni
ng o
f Mur
ray
cod
Spa
wni
ng o
f Mur
ray
cod
Spawning
Age of drifting Murray cod larvaeAge of drifting Murray cod larvae
175
10
15
20
22 29 5 12 19 26 3 10Oct Nov Dec
172415 2229 5 12 19 26 3 10Oct Nov Dec
172415 22 29 5 12 19 26 3 10Oct Nov Dec
172415 2229 512 1926 3 10Oct Nov Dec
15
Date
Age
(day
s)
1998 1999 2000 2001
Irrigation flows and Irrigation flows and slackwatersslackwaters
Summer natural
Summer irrigation
Flow change and recruitment
current,depth etc
microinvertebrates
Flow
invertebrates
Number of fish
Fish in the Campaspe River 1995Fish in the Campaspe River 1995--20032003
Flathead gudgeonGolden perchCarp gudgeonMurray codSmelt
Common carpRedfin perchGoldfishMosquitofishTrout
NativeAlien
Biomass of fish
NativeAlien
Stocked
Stocked
Distribution of fish in the CampaspeDistribution of fish in the CampaspeLake Eppalock
Campaspe Weir
Campaspe Siphon
Flathead gudgeonGolden perchCarp gudgeonMurray codSmeltCommon carpRedfin perchGoldfishMosquitofishTrout
Distribution of shrimp in the CampaspeDistribution of shrimp in the Campaspe
Lake Eppalock
Campaspe Weir
Campaspe Siphon
Campaspe
Caridina
Paratya
Macrobrachium
But in the Broken River………
Native
Fish in the Broken River 2000Fish in the Broken River 2000--20032003
NativeAlien
Number of fish Biomass of fish
Alien
Golden perchCarp gudgeonMurray codSmelt
Common carpRedfin perchGoldfishMosquitofish
BlackfishRainbowfish
Biomass of fishNumber of fish
NativeAlien
Campaspe
Distribution of shrimp in the Distribution of shrimp in the CampaspeCampaspe
Lake Eppalock
Campaspe Weir
Campaspe Siphon
BrokenCampaspe
Caridina
Paratya
Macrobrachium
What has summer releases done to What has summer releases done to macroinvertebratesmacroinvertebrates??
Species number = 104
Broken Campaspe
Upper
Middle
Lower
Campaspe WeirCampaspe Weir
Campaspe SiphonCampaspe Siphon
Lake Lake EppalockEppalockSpecies number = 110
Species number = 86
Species richnessSpecies richness
MacroinvertebrateMacroinvertebrate assemblagesassemblages
Lower
Middle
Upper
Broken
Campaspe
Environmental variables influencing Environmental variables influencing macroinvertebratesmacroinvertebrates assemblagesassemblages
• Flow components–Current velocity –Minimum discharge –Median discharge
• Other–Conductivity
Extended low flows in the Campaspe Extended low flows in the Campaspe RiverRiver
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100012001400
Post-dam
Pre-dam
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100012001400
JAN MAR MAY JUL SEP NOV
Dis
char
ge (M
L/d)
Month
Upper section
Lower section
FEB APR JUN AUG OCT DEC
Flows in lower Campaspe & Flows in lower Campaspe & Broken RiversBroken Rivers
Lower Campaspe
Broken
2000
Dis
char
ge (M
L da
y-1)
0
200
400
600
800
1000Ja
n
Apr Jul
Oct
Jan
Apr Jul
Oct Jan
Apr Ju
l
Oct
Jan
Apr Jul
Oct
Dec
Month1997 20001998 1999
Occurrence of species in the Campaspe RiverOccurrence of species in the Campaspe River
RedfinGolden perchFlathead gudgeon
Carp
Australian smelt
GoldfishMosquitofishMurray cod
Brown trout
Carp gudgeons
Flatheaded galaxias
0
1000
2000
J S D M J S D M J S D M J S D M J S D M J S D M J S D M J S D M
Silver perchSpotted galaxias
Mountain galaxiasWeatherloach
Macquarie perch
Dis
char
ge (M
l d-1
)
19991995 1996 1997 1998 2000 2001 2002
BiofilmBiofilm
BiofilmBiofilm biomassbiomass
Feb 02 Jun 02 Oct 02 Feb 03 Jun 03 Oct 03
Month
DW
(gcm
-1)
0.0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5CA upperCA middleCA lowerBroken
Biofilm % organic matter Organic
Inorganic
0
20
40
60
80
100
Upp
erM
iddl
eLo
wer
Brok
en
Upp
erM
iddl
eLo
wer
Brok
en
Upp
erM
iddl
eLo
wer
Brok
en
Upp
erM
iddl
eLo
wer
Brok
en
Upp
erM
iddl
eLo
wer
Brok
en
Upp
erM
iddl
eLo
wer
Brok
en
Feb 02 Jun 02 Oct 02 Feb 03 Jun 03 Oct 03
%
BiofilmBiofilm compositioncomposition
Flow recommendationsFlow recommendations• Summer irrigation releases
Avoid constant moderate/high releases over summerSome other means of supplying off stream demandReinstate a low flow period in rivers to enable fish and shrimp recruitmentProvide in-stream structures in rivers to create slackwaterareas? restoration experiment
• Constant low flowsProvide flushing/scouring flows along the length of river system coinciding with natural rain eventsAt least two
Flow recommendations• Above trigger level – ‘Translucent dam approach’
– Release % of incoming flows at all times– Allow low flows, unless natural rain event (but water
quality needs to be good)– High flows need to be sufficient to scour and provide
cue for fish movement (bank full for x days?)• Below trigger level – ‘Managed flows’
– Low flows between November and April, unless natural rain event (contribution by tribs?)
– Flushing/scouring flows x 2 - July and September, coinciding with rain events (bank full for x days?)