A new fishway has opened up 123 kilometres of the Loddon River, almost one third of the entire catchment, to some of Australia’s most threatened fish species.   

The $280,000 fishway and chute on the Loddon River at Canary island, near Serpentine, removes the last remaining fish barrier between the Murray River and the Loddon Weir.   

Early squatters modified the river near the Wandella Creek offtake, building banks to divert the river to Lake Leaghur and Leaghur State park.   

North Central Catchment Management Authority (CMA) Project Manager Greg Barber said a pipe was built in the early 1980s to try to combat the modified flow.   

“Unfortunately fish don’t like long pipes,” he said.   

“They are dark and water flows through too quickly. The constant velocity means fish have nowhere to rest.   

“This pipe is a big physical barrier to fish movement. It stops fish migrating to breed and traps a large number of fish both upstream and downstream. It also means fish cannot move through parts of the Loddon to the Murray River, and vice versa.”   

Mr Barber said the project has been a priority for a long time.  

“The fishway potentially opens up a large stretch of Loddon to threatened fish species such as silver perch, Murray cod and trout cod, as well as golden perch, Murray Darling rainbowfish and freshwater catfish,” he said.  

“The ability of native fish to migrate for breeding is an important part of their survival.  These fish can now swim out of the Murray and up to the Loddon Weir, or from the Loddon Weir into the Murray.   

“While we expect mostly small to medium bodied fish to benefit the most, environmental flows can now target a wide range of fish, including large-bodied natives such as Murray cod.  

“Opening up these rivers contributes to the North Central CMAs Native Fish Recovery Plan, a vital program aimed at increasing native fish numbers through flows, revegetation and fencing.”  

The fishway was funded by the State Government, including a contribution from its Target One Million plan for recreational fishing, which aims to get more people fishing, more often.

For further information please contact: 

Communications Officer, North Central CMA
PO Box 18, Huntly VIC 3551

t: 03 5448 7124
e: info@nccma.vic.gov.au