FISH are enjoying five-star treatment at Barham Lakes thanks to a small-bodied fish nursery.
Western Murray Land Improvement Group, in collaboration with North Central Catchment Management Authority, have established the nursery on No.3 lake after it was restocked with Purple Spotted Gudgeon, a threatened small-bodied fish species local to this area.
On July 25, 18 customised “fish hotels” were installed by workers using canoes.
There was also participation by traditional owners from the Moama Local Aboriginal Land Council.
These fish hotels feature short sections of PVC pipe to offer refuge and hard surfaces for egg laying, as the fish lay eggs on solid substrates which are fanned and guarded by the male parent until they hatch.
The pipes were anchored in the lake using bricks, and 14 lengths of custom-cut terracotta pipes were also installed.
The CluBarham lakes precinct, initially constructed in the 1980s, had been closed to public access since 2014.
Its proximity to the Murray River and Eagle Creek makes it an important ecological site for developing threatened native fish breeding and providing hypoxic blackwater refuge using environmental and consumptive water.
To enhance fish habitat, an old wooden bridge and a large dead tree were positioned in the lake to offer cover from predators and sites for biofilm food production.
Specialised fish hotels were constructed using recycled materials by volunteers from Barham Landcare.
The funding partners emphasised the importance of emergent and submerged vegetation to build habitat and provide a feed source for small-bodied native fish.
Following the fish release in May 2024, about 120m of vegetation were sourced and transferred in collaboration with the Moama Local Aboriginal Land Council.
Further efforts to increase species diversity will continue as weather conditions permit.
The project was funded by the Tri-State NRM Alliance.
