Homewood Wetland at Ghin Ghin, near Yea, will be connected to the Goulburn River during the winter fresh.
Water for the environment will be delivered into the Goulburn River during July.
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Known as a ‘winter fresh’, water will be released from Lake Eildon that will increase the height of the river for about four weeks.
Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority environmental water manager Simon Casanelia said the fresh will replicate what would have occurred naturally in the river during winter, prior to regulation, but at a smaller scale.
“Even in dry conditions, it’s important to provide water to keep the river and its dependent plants and animals healthy and resilient,” Mr Casanelia said.
“The winter fresh will help the entire food chain by depositing seed-rich sediment on the banks, promoting the growth of bank-stabilising plants.
“It will move sediment from the riverbed, creating diverse habitat for native fish and water bugs.
“Higher water levels will also provide an important nesting cue for platypus to build and utilise higher nests on the riverbank.
“Adjacent wetlands and anabranches, which are currently separated, will be connected by the water delivery, providing habitat for animals.”
The Goulburn River winter fresh will help provide food and habitat for native fish including golden perch.
Water for the environment is water allocated and managed to improve the health of rivers, wetlands and floodplains. Use is adapted based on climatic conditions, water availability and ecological needs.
The winter fresh will begin around July 11 and will flow through Alexandra, Molesworth, Seymour, Murchison and Shepparton.
Homewood Wetland at Ghin Ghin, near Yea, will be connected to the Goulburn River during the winter fresh.
It will eventually flow into the Murray River near Echuca, and will provide the Gunbower Forest and lower Murray River wetlands and floodplains with a much-needed drink.
The fresh will peak downstream of the Goulburn Weir in late July at about 9500 Ml/day (a river height of 5.6m at Shepparton) before slowly dropping back to about 1000 Ml/day (a river height of 2.7m at Shepparton) in mid-August.
The peak is well below the minor flood level (9.5m at Shepparton).
Timing of the fresh may change depending on Goulburn-Murray Water operational requirements. In the event of heavy rain, environmental water releases will be reduced or stopped.
Between now and spring smaller variable deliveries above base flows will be considered, based on conditions and ecological need.
Environmental flows are planned by Goulburn Broken CMA in consultation with the local community, river ecologists, Goulburn-Murray Water, the Victorian Environmental Water Holder, the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder and the Murray-Darling Basin Authority.
Goulburn Broken CMA said this flow complements other management activities undertaken over the past decade to improve the health of the Goulburn River including fencing, weed control, revegetation and returning logs to rivers (re-snagging) for fish and bug habitat.
The flows are authorised by the VEWH in line with its Seasonal Watering Plan 2025-26. The plan is available for download from www.vewh.vic.gov.au, with regular watering updates posted on the Goulburn Broken CMA website: www.gbcma.vic.gov.au
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