Until recently, Northern Victoria's Gunbower Forest and wetland was completely dry and very quiet due to the drought. 

Three months after emergency environmental water was released into the parched River Red Gum forest along the Murray River, monitoring teams are reporting new plant and animal life with frogs calling, the return of a rare butterfly and the arrival of waterbirds. 

North Central Catchment Management Authority (CMA), Gunbower Forest Project Manager Melanie Tranter, said the response is encouraging in the parts of the forest that received water. 

"Locals are once again describing this wetland forest as Victoria's Kakadu," Ms Tranter said. 

"Tortoises are breeding, frogs have spawned, waterbirds especially ducks have arrived, and we're starting to hear a lot more noise in the forest. 

"When the weather warms up, we are hopeful that the forest will really come alive with birds, frogs and fish breeding, and growth on the River Red Gums." 

Monitoring teams are looking at different parts of the food chain to assess the impact of the watering at different sites. 

The Murray-Darling Freshwater Research Centre, based in Wodonga, is monitoring water macroinvertebrates (water insects) as part of a pilot research project to look at the interaction between the insects, birds and native fish. Monitoring sites are located at Safe's Lagoon and across Gunbower Forest playing close attention to the nursery sites of the water birds that nest in colonies. 

"We are also monitoring the plant response to the watering," said Ms Tranter.

"One of the really exciting results is the discovery of the rare Spotted Grass Blue Butterfly which feeds on a rare species of plant growing around the edge of the wetlands.

"This rare butterfly hasn't been seen in Victoria for 15 years."

The Department of Sustainability and Environment's Arthur Rylah Institute (ARI) is monitoring the fish response to gain a better understanding of how native fish move between Gunbower Creek and the forest wetlands. 

ARI scientist Dr Leah Beesley recently recorded five species of native fish. Dr Beesley was encouraged to find the fish in good condition and expects to see the results of breeding when she returns to check the warmer spring water. 

Rick Webster from Ecosurveys, monitoring waterbirds for The Living Murray program, last month observed five species of duck including the threatened Musk Duck, and anticipates the arrival shortly of wading birds. 

He said their decision to breed will depend on how long the water stays around in the forest. Great Egrets last bred in the forest three years ago after a previous release of environmental water to the forest. 

There has been a massive decline in the numbers of waterbirds in south eastern Australia due to the drought.

Gunbower Forest is one of six icon sites in The Living Murray program which is managed by the Murray-Darling Basin Commission (MDBC). The autumn watering at Gunbower came from The Living Murray entitlement and the Victorian environment entitlement managed by the Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE). 

This water does not effect irrigators' allocations. 

The department's Executive Director Sustainable Water Environment and Innovation, Dr Jane Doolan, said Victoria's environmental water is carefully targeted.

"In this drought we use the water to avoid critical loss of threatened species, to prevent irreversible environmental damage, and to provide drought refuges. 

"We need to be flexible and pragmatic in managing the modest amount of water set aside to protect these critical sites," Dr Doolan said.

"The results so far are encouraging."

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