When the Moorabool River dried up in 2009, it was considered a one-in-a-100-year event, but just nine years later, it’s happened again.
With the nearby Bostock Reservoir at just 45 per cent capacity, water flows down the east branch of the river, which flows near Mount Egerton, are non-existent.
Activists have called for action between local water authorities and the state government to help the river remain a valued water source.
Resident Cameron Steele said the Moorabool River is the most flow stressed in Victoria.
“There’s no other river that has more [water] allocated to other uses rather than the environment,” Mr Steele said.
“At the mouth of the river, the flows have dropped from traditionally 90 megalitres a day down to 10. What it’s meant is that this river has really become susceptible to drying out.”
Mr Steele said residents lobbied hard for environmental flows a decade ago and partially succeeded.
“We succeeded in getting flows to be brought forward which represented about 2500 megalitres for the river but the problem with that is that it is a finite amount each year and if there hasn’t been inflows, that amount decreases,” he said.
“So what we’re facing is next year’s allocation for environmental flows are having to be eased into now for this year.”
The Moorabool East River is the responsibility of the Corangamite Catchment Management Authority (CCMA). A CCMA spokeswoman said since July, the Moorabool catchment had received 75 per cent less than its average rainfall. She said even with environmental water releases from Lal Lal Reservoir, the Moorabool was still flow stressed.
“The CCMA is also working in partnership with Barwon Water, DELWP and the local community to deliver the Living Moorabool project, a long-term and large scale commitment to restoring the Moorabool River,” she said.
“The project aims to improve riverbank vegetation, improve flow regimes and connectivity for fish and platypus, overcome fish barriers and improve diversity of flora and fauna. Over $2.1 million has been committed to the project over the next four years.”
Mr Steele said water authorities had a role to play in preserving the environment.
“We’ve given this river a hiding for 160-odd years. It’s been taken too far and we need to be proactive in bringing it back.”
– The Age
