Wetlands on the way to recovery after floods

By Natasha Fujimoto

VICTORIA Park Lake is Shepparton’s picturesque heart for recreation and events. It is also home to vibrant wetlands where a series of ponds sustain a bountiful ecosystem brimming with native birds, plants and aquatic life.

During the October 2022 floods, the wetlands were engulfed in blackwater, a wash of sediment and organic material that runs off riverbanks and floodplains during deluge to deplete the water quality of affected waterways threatening plant and aquatic life as well as other animals.

Although Victoria Park Lake was inundated, acting manager for environment at Greater Shepparton City Council, Paul Dainton said the water quality did not reach a critical point, even benefitting some natives such as eel grass and pond weed, which have thrived on the nutrients provided by blackwater.

Despite Council working with the Victorian Fisheries Authority to preemptively relocate larger fish species from the lake (to be later returned) after dead fish were found in regional creeks and rivers, Paul said the finely tuned ecosystem was already making a comeback.

“Now, after the flood you can see the resilience of the system with fresh plant growth, and as water recirculates through the ponds, the water is clearing up better than expected already,” Paul said.

As Council continues to monitor the recovery of the wetlands, as well as check for signs of blue/green algae, Paul said that the ongoing threat of climate change necessitated climate adaptation measures to better protect the highly sensitive ecosystem into the future along with greater public awareness about its intricacies and vulnerabilities.