Colombo Creek Fish Habitat Restoration project 2021- 2022
The aim of the Colombo Creek Fish Habitat Restoration Project is to restore habitats for native fish in the Colombo Creek through native riparian and instream revegetation.
YACTAC is leading a project to restore native riparian and instream vegetation habitats for native fish in the Colombo Creek. These creek areas were previously cleared of introduced willows but require native vegetation to restore habitat for native fish.
The key aim is to expand the area of high-quality riparian and instream habitat available for native fishes in the Columbo Creek focusing on Murray cod, Trout cod and Murray catfish. The project is envisaged to build resilience in local populations already impacted by water resource management, drought, and climate impacts. Restored riparian and instream vegetation will provide physical habitat, food resources, shading, woody debris, and will instigate ecological processes necessary for abundant and sustainable fish populations.
Improved habitat will complement existing fish friendly attributes of the creek system including permanent, warm water flows in the creek, providing refuge for recreational species during drought and climatic disturbances.
The Colombo Creek Fish Habitat Restoration Project funding comes from NSW Department Primary Industries’ Recreational Fishing Trust’s Habitat Action Grant. It is a devolved grant program directing money raised from the NSW Recreational Fishing Fee toward projects that improve local fish habitats across NSW. Rehabilitation of fish habitat provides long-term sustainable benefits for native fish stock and in turn provides substantial benefits for NSW recreational fishers.