FROM THE banks of the picturesque Pilchers Reserve, Dubbo Macquarie River Bushcare is casting a net for interested community members who want to make a positive difference in the waterway.
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The organisation is celebrating 10 years of Macquarie River restoration by launching Protect Repair Connect, a six-year project that aims to provide a better home for native fish.
The $250,000 in funding for the project was provided by the NSW Environment Trust and will help combine the enthusiasm of volunteers with the expertise of the Department of Primary Industries (DPI) Fishing and Aquaculture over a significant period of time.
Protect Repair Connect has also received support from Dubbo City Council, Inland Waterways Rejuvenation Association and Taronga Western Plains Zoo.
From 9am to 12pm on Sunday, Pilchers Reserve will be a hive of activity with face painting, animal encounters, weed and fish identification, cleaning the reserve and a sausage sizzle.
Snags, large wooden debris, will also be reintroduced into the river to play a part in the life cycle of the endangered trout cod.
It is the first time a resnagging project has taken place in Dubbo, Sam Davis from Department of Primary Industries (DPI) Fishing and Aquaculture said.
"The snags we are putting in are apartments, grocery stores and maternity wards for native fish all rolled into one," she said.
The area of Pilchers Reserve is part of 400 kilometres from Burrendong Dam that has been mapped by the Department of Fisheries with funding from Riversmart.
The stretch of river mapped was divided into 20 kilometre sections and assigned a score of green, amber or red based on its condition.
The Pilchers Reserve is ranked as amber.
Protect Repair Connect will aim to conserve the areas of the river marked as green while improving the amber and red areas.
Challenge Disability Services will participate in the program for the first time this Thursday with other community organisations also being talked to about contributing to Protect Repair Connect.
For more information email dubbobushcare@yahoo.com.au.
megan.taylor@ruralpress.com
