Native fish in the Darling-Baaka River will be enjoying snags over summer following recent on-ground works between Louth and Tilpa in Western NSW.
The re-snagging works involved installing snags (large tree logs) in strategic areas to achieve positive outcomes for the local environment, landholders and community members.
A total of 419 locally sourced bimbil box (Eucalyptus populnea), weighing an estimated 180 tonnes, were re-purposed to create 109 fish habitat complexes.
Prior to the on-ground re-snagging works commencing, the project worked with local Aboriginal stakeholders to ensure due diligence for Aboriginal cultural heritage was undertaken with regards to any activities leading to cultural disturbance.
Snags are a vital part of a healthy river system and provide important habitat for native fish, who use snags to shelter from predators, currents, and to feed and spawn and as a nursery for juvenile fish.
Snags also help to provide local flow variation and mix water that is beneficial to aquatic animals and overall river health.
They also provide an opportunity for long term carbon storage in the aquatic environment.
The re-snagging works were coordinated by Western Local Land Services, with the NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) Fisheries contracted to undertake the works, through the NSW Fencing Northern Basin Riverbanks Program.
The NSW Fencing Northern Basin Riverbanks Program is being delivered by Local Land Services on behalf of the NSW Government under the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, with funding from the Australian Government.
Spokesperson 1 – Erlina St Vincent, Western Local Land Services General Manager
“The re-snagging works were a great success thanks to the collaboration of local landholders, Aboriginal stakeholders, contractors and staff members.
“We’re pleased that native fish, the Darling River and local environment are now all benefitting from the works.
“Our staff and local landholders and stakeholders are passionate about improving the local environment in our region to protect native animals and improve their habitat.
Spokesperson 2 – Joe Brennan, DPIRD Fisheries Manager Habitat Rehab
“The installation of snags provides both immediate and long-term benefits to native fish populations and the overall health of the river.
“The Darling-Baaka was completely de-snagged around the turn of the 20th century, with thousands of trees removed from the bed of the river to enable safe navigation of watercraft to carry cargo up and down the river.
“There was little to no understanding at the time what long lasting impact this would have on native fish and other natural processes.
“We have surveyed the snag loading in the river from the Queensland border through to Wilcannia, calculated the amounts of timber required and now more than a hundred years later, we are reintroducing this important habitat back.”
Spokesperson 3 – Guy Gibbs, Western Local Land Services, Senior Land Services Officer – Aboriginal Communities
“The re-snagging works provided local Aboriginal stakeholders the opportunity to get onto Country and work on Country which is something that is great for connection.
“Undertaking due diligence for Aboriginal cultural heritage is extremely important and this project did a great job by incorporating it into its planning which helped set the project up for success.
“It was great to have Aboriginal community members on-site during the installation process so they could see the works as they were being delivered.”
Blackie Gordon and Joe Brennan use excavators to drop snags into the Darling River.
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