A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT

The Macquarie (Wambuul) River flows for over 900km through the heart of the NSW Central West. It’s home to native freshwater fish, including the iconic Murray cod and golden perch, the threatened silver perch and catfish; and smaller species like smelt and gudgeons.

The Macquarie floodplains are fertile ground for agricultural production. Irrigated agriculture covers over 56,000 ha, generating ~$275m/yr and helping to support regional centres like Wellington, Orange and Dubbo with a regional population of over 100,000 people.

Irrigated agriculture relies on access to water for productivity and profitability. The Macquarie River Screening Program is working with irrigators to improve the sustainability of their water diversions, by installing modern fish-protection screens on water pumps.

SCREENS BEING INSTALLED

Modern screens are being installed on over 20 pumps across 7 sites, between Dubbo and the Macquarie Marshes. These screens will create the following benefits.

  • Protect over 566,000 native fish every year.
  • Provide up to 1,797 ML/d of cleaner water to farmers.
  • Reduce on-farm costs by effectively eliminating debris.
  • Generate an estimated $31m/yr of public benefits.

All the screens for this project have been manufactured in northern Victoria. At Narromine Irrigation, installation began in mid-March 2024 (right).

 

BUILDING ON EARLY PROGRESS

The latest installations in the Macquarie complement other efforts over recent years – bringing the valley totals to 2,597 ML/d screened, over 888,000 native fish protected/yr and ~$45m worth of public benefits.

The Trangie-Nevertire Irrigation Scheme led the way in 2020, with the site now fully screened.

The screening system features 4 cone screens for the main electric pumps, capable of passing 600 ML/d, and a T-shaped cylinder screen for the diesel pump (fitted on rails for retractability).

Shane Smith, the TNIS water operations manager, reports a range of benefits from installing the technology, with no impacts on the volume of water that can be delivered to members.

Screens have also been installed in the Macquarie at Taronga Western Plains Zoo, Dubbo Turf Farm, and Oakben Agriculture.

MONITORING SCREEN PERFORMANCE

NSW DPI Fisheries is monitoring screen performance and supporting water users through the process of adopting modern screening technology.

‘Before and after’ monitoring of screened sites is measuring the benefits to native fish and farms. Recreational fishers in the Macquarie are also set to benefit – with more fish staying in the river, there will be more opportunities to catch higher-quality fish.

Collaboration between government agencies, water users and screen manufacturers has guided this project. For example, irrigators suggested that retrieval mechanisms be fitted to allow for simple servicing and inspection.