In partnership with NSW Local Land Services, Duxton Vineyards installed two fish screens on water pumps in 2022. The screens will protect over 4,500 native fish every year.

OzFish caught up with General Manager Wayne Ellis on the benefits to their Avoca vineyard and fish in the Murray River.

“In April 2022, we installed AWMA Fish Screens on two of our pumping stations. The screens are self-cleaning, so suddenly, we significantly reduced our need to backflush the system.

Early analysis of performance has shown that we will save approximately 15 million litres of water a year (1.3% reduction of total water volume), in reduced water use from what was normally required for back-flushing and the subsequent energy savings for not having to pump that water.

This translates to a reduction in approximately two tonnes of CO2 equivalents of emissions through the reduction in energy usage. Also, labour savings, prior to installing AWMA Fish Screens, cleaning of field filters was required on a regular basis, now, it’s rarely required at all.”

Read more on this project from AWMA, ABC Rural and OzFish