Full Title
Assessment of lateral fish movement to and from Margooya Lagoon when re-connection to the Murray River is provided
Contact Person
Iain Ellis
Project Team
Iain Ellis, Leigh Pyke
Funding Body
Mallee Catchment Management Authority (MCMA)
Duration
April 2010 - July 2010
Outcomes
Report to the Mallee Catchment Management Authority (MCMA)
Summary
The Mallee Catchment Management Authority (MCMA) are currently managing hydrological regimes of Margooya Lagoon near Robinvale (VIC). The hydrology of this lagoon has been altered from ephemeral (alternating between dry and wet phases) to almost permanent inundation and connection to the Murray River above its regulatory weirs. This project aims to assess movement of aquatic fauna between Margooya Lagoon and the Murray River when the regulator on the inlet creek is opened in April 2010. The information collected will complement that of existing monitoring programs (water quality, macro-invertebrates and vegetation), and will provide recommendations for future management and monitoring of the wetlands to conserve and potentially increase biodiversity in the wetlands. This project will also assess the effectiveness of the management intervention to allow the return of native fish to the Murray River after maturation in this potentially important nursery habitat, particularly for Golden Perch and Silver Perch which were detected in the Lagoon in December 2009.
