Fish to access all areas - South Coast Register
26 Aug 09
NATIVE fish in the Shoalhaven River are riding the largest fish lift of its kind in Australia, after a major river health project at Tallowa Dam was completed.
The fish lift, part of a $26 million investment on the dam to improve environmental flows in the Shoalhaven River, was officially opened on Saturday by NSW Water Minister Phil Costa.
While the fish lift stole the show at the opening, the real focus of the major project was on improving the health of the Shoalhaven River by allowing for flows that more closely mimicked natural seasonal changes.
“This is a $26 million investment into improving the health of one of NSW’s most important river systems,” Mr Costa said.
“This fish lift is a first for NSW and is the largest to be fitted to an existing dam in Australia.
“The new infrastructure will allow an increase in the amount of water released downstream from 90 million litres of water a day to peaks of more than 370 million litres per day,” said Mr Costa.
SCALING NEW HEIGHTS: The new fish lift at Tallowa Dam. Photo: TVU Pty Ltd
“The increase in environmental flows and the new fish lift will help protect 10 native fish species, including the endangered grayling, by improving the health of the river and allowing them to migrate between the lower and upper Shoalhaven River.”
He said the dam had been a barrier to the migration of native fish since it was built in the 1970s, however “the new mechanical fish lift restores full access for fish species to 75 per cent of the Shoalhaven River system”.
Helping fish get over the barrier presented by the dam is a bucket carrying 2500 litres of water, carried over the dam on 30 metres of track.
Southern Bass Fishing Club president Peter Harding said a new offtake at the dam would improve the water temperature downstream and help attract fish to the new fish lift.
“This is a major improvement to the dam and the health of the river – from the tiny plankton to the larger fish that feed on them, and the water quality as a whole,” Mr Harding said.
This article appeared in the South Coast Register 26/8/2009