Fears of a major fish kill due to black water events after recent flooding rains are echoing up ther Murray Darling basin, with team Social Fishing warning people not to remove dead fish from the water.
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Posting on social media this week, team social fishing has reported that “Unfortunately we have an update on the suspected black water event in the mid-Murray, lower Murrumbidgee Rivers and throughout the Edward-Wakool systems”.
“Sadly, we’re getting reports of dead fish sighted in the Edward River in Deniliquin, along with Murray crayfish crawling onto river banks looking for oxygen; and to escape organic matter coming in from floodplains that some locals believe, haven’t been inundated like this for up to 40 years”.
Yesterday the Murray-Darling Basin Authority issued a press release describing the black water event as a natural occurrence, triggered by high rainfall and flood waters during spring.
Speaking on the ABC’s NSW Country Hour yesterday, DPI’s Regional Manager for the Murray Darling region, Cameron Lay, agreed the widespread flooding is a natural event and a consequence of the time difference between floods. However, data received from the field and higher temperatures expected in coming weeks predictably heightens the risk of fish kills across the southern basin.
Mr Lay said that reports of fish kills to date have been reasonably isolated but urged all river users to be looking for signs of distressed fish.
To monitor the situation, state agencies and environmental water holders are working together to identify opportunities on how to provide and create local refuges, with increasing oxygen levels for our native fish.
According to the MDBA, the high carbon loads and floods over the flood plain could extend downstream while similar black water responses could be occurring in tributaries such as the Goulburn and Murrumbidgee valleys.
Fears of a black water fish kill similar to the event that occurred in 2010 are echoing up the Murray Darling Basin.