A LODDON Vale constructed wetland has some new inhabitants, after the addition of 400 juvenile purple spotted gudgeon.
The purple spotted gudgeon was recently discovered in Middle Reedy Lake.
The wetland owners, Jo and Greg Bear, live on a sheep farm in Loddon Vale, about 25km south of Kerang.
“When the opportunity arose to construct a new house dam in March 2019, we enlisted the advice of senior ecologist Damien Cook, from Rakali Consultants, to construct the 100 square metre wetland area which we hope to extend over the coming years,” Ms Bear said.
“In late 2019, we connected with the native fish recovery project’s Peter Rose and released two local indigenous wetland fish, rainbow fish and southern pygmy perch, into the dam and wetland.
“The North Central Catchment Management Authority (NCCMA) instigated a project in 2020 to revegetate the wetland and continue the improvement of the ecosystem for wetlands fish and other aquatic life.
“With the advice of Peter, catchment restoration officer Anthony Sloan and Damien, and the help of the NCCMA, we planted over 500 plants to the area and added wood snags.”
Ms Bear said the area had particularly flourished during the past 12 months and this culminated in it being selected as one of the sites for the purple spotted gudgeon release in December last year.
The habitat has also hosted planting projects with local indigenous aquatic and riparian plants making for an ideal ecosystem for the young fish.
Native Fish Australia, Australia New Guinea Fishes Association, Middle Creek Farm, Aquasave, NCCMA and Barapa Barapa were in attendance as the new fingerlings joined the wetland in December.
“Greg and I really enjoy this environmental work, the people you meet and the knowledge gained,” Ms Bear said.
“With our location we are appreciative of the significance of the wetland system to the environment and the threats that irrigation development, pollution and introduced pests like redfin, Gambusia and carp have had on this ecosystem.”
The Bear family aimed to build a flourishing and diverse business, creating another appealing angle to their farm for the next generation.
The family’s youngest son, Alby, is very interested in gardening and aquaculture and as a farming business Ms Bear said they wanted to utilise the farm to encourage and build on their children’s interests.
