Restoration work starts to enhance Macquarie Marshes flows
The NSW Government will soon kick off work to stabilise and restore a rapidly eroding riverbed in the Macquarie Marshes to help improve environmental water delivery to a critical Ramsar-listed wetland.
It is part of the $2.68 million Macquarie Marshes Enhanced Watering Project, one of four Australian Government funded Northern Basin Toolkit measures being delivered in NSW.
Shovels have hit the ground at Oxley Break Number 3, a stream in the southern part of the Marshes about 80km north of Warren.
Over the last two decades, the stream channel has deepened and widened, especially after major floods. As a result, the channel has been taken a larger proportion of flows from the Macquarie River.
The restoration work will reinstate the riverbed back to the way it was 10-15 years ago and will put a stop to further erosion.
It means environmental flows will be more effective as over 100 extra megalitres of water per day will reach the southern Macquarie Marshes.
It will also improve how water is distributed to the wetland during drought and support native wildlife and vegetation by restoring critical habitat.
Construction works involve reinstating the natural rock bed to its original bed level across a 600 square metre section of the stream.
Other sites along the Macquarie River further upstream are also being surveyed to inform our understanding of the system and any potential future proposals.
The project is being delivered by the NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.
Restoration work is expected to be completed by the end of June 2024.
For more information, visit: Macquarie Marshes Enhanced Water Project
NSW DCCEEW Director of Infrastructure Projects, Andrew Lavelle, said:
“The Macquarie Marshes is one of the largest and most environmentally significant wetlands in our state and is critical to the health of the northern Basin.
“It’s an important nesting site for native water birds, and home to endangered species, unique vegetation and landscapes including red gum woodlands and marsh floodplains.
“This work is fantastic news for the Marshes. It’ll help deliver significant environmental benefits and mean better connectivity throughout the southern system, allowing operators to more effectively deliver water where it’s needed at crucial times.
“It all adds up to a healthier wetland, healthier wildlife, better water management and better outcomes for local communities whose lives and livelihoods are tied to this incredible place.”
