With a long, hot summer coming to an end, and dry conditions set to continue, the health of the fish in a key local waterway is in the spotlight.

The region’s rivers have benefitted from years of management aimed at repairing damage from the Millennium Drought and 2011 and 2016 floods, and building resilience to help them cope with dry times.

“As a result, our waterways are in relatively good condition, as are the fish and other animals that rely on them to survive,” North Central Catchment Management Authority (CMA) Project Manager Genevieve Smith said.

“However, it has been a long, hot summer, and demand for irrigation flows in some parts of the Loddon River system, including Serpentine Creek, have been low.

“That means less water has flowed down the waterway, so it’s time to freshen things up a bit.”

Up to 40ML a day for two days will flow down Serpentine Creek.

“The flow will help with water quality, with fresh water mixing with still water. It will mean the whole creek will get a drink,” Ms Smith said.

“It will also connect stagnant pools, allowing fish to move to better quality water if they need it.

“We had a flow earlier in summer that cleared the banks of any leaf litter, so the risk of toxic blackwater is low, and this flow will also wet those banks and help revitalize vegetation.”

The flow is part of the Victorian Government’s $222 million investment to improve the health of waterways and catchments, and are authorised by the Victorian Environmental Water Holder in line with its Seasonal Watering Plan 2018-19.

The VEWH Seasonal Watering Plan 2018-19 is available for download from www.vewh.vic.gov.au, with regular watering updates posted on the North Central CMA website.