Free Standard AU & NZ Shipping For All Book Orders Over $80!
Register      Login
Marine and Freshwater Research Marine and Freshwater Research Society
Advances in the aquatic sciences
Shopping Cart: ( empty )
You are here: Home > Journals > MF > MF03180
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 55(8)

Fish communities and habitat changes in the highly modified Goulburn Catchment, Victoria, Australia

Carmel A. Pollino A C , Pat Feehan B , Michael R. Grace A and Barry T. Hart A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Water Studies Centre, Monash University, Vic. 3800, Australia.

B Goulburn-Murray Water, PO Box 165, Tatura, Vic. 3616, Australia.

C Corresponding author. Email: carmel.pollino@sci.monash.edu.au

Marine and Freshwater Research 55(8) 769-780 https://doi.org/10.1071/MF03180
Submitted: 21 October 2003  Accepted: 10 September 2004   Published: 16 November 2004

Abstract

Evidence for the decline in native fish communities in the lowland Goulburn Catchment has been based primarily on studies investigating changes to environmental conditions as a result of river regulation. The present study aggregates historical fisheries data to spatially compare native fish communities in different parts of the catchment. Multivariate analyses demonstrate that distinctly different community compositions are found in different parts of the catchment. Eildon Dam, a deep release reservoir, has drastically altered the hydrology and water quality of the upper Goulburn River, and ordination analyses show that this has created both physical and artificial barriers to movement of native fish into the main channel. Concurrently, fisheries data from the upper main channel show the community is highly divergent compared to the remaining catchment. Further downstream, Goulburn Weir creates a barrier to fish movement between Lake Nagambie and the lower Goulburn Catchment, and alters the natural hydrological regime. Similarity Percentage analyses demonstrate that these stressors have facilitated the establishment of alien species, which dominate fish abundance in the upper and lower main channels. The current study emphasises the need to explore alternatives for improving management strategies to rehabilitate fish communities throughout the Goulburn Catchment.

Extra keywords: flow regime, regulated river, temperature, water quality.


Acknowledgments

The authors wish to acknowledge the Arthur Rylah Institute (DSE), the Marine and Freshwater Resources Institute (DPI), and the Nagambie Angling Club for providing the fisheries data. We also thank John Harris for his advice on data analyses and the two anonymous referees for their comments. The current study was funded by Goulburn-Murray Water and the National Program for Sustainable Irrigation, a programme of Land and Water Australia.


References

Arthington A. H., and McKenzie F. (1997). Reviews of impacts of displaced/introduced fauna associated with inland waters. Environment Australia, Canberra.

Arthington, A. H. , and Pusey, B. (2003). Flow restoration and protection in Australian rivers. River Research and Applications 19, 377–395.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | Clarke K. R., and Warwick R. M. (1994). ‘Change in Marine Communities: An Approach to Statistical Analysis and Interpretation.’ (Plymouth Marine Laboratory: Plymouth.)

Cottingham P., Crook D. A., Hillman T., Roberts J., Rutherford I., and Stewardson M. (2003). Flow-related environmental issues related to the Goulburn River below Lake Eildon, Victoria. CRC Freshwater Ecology and CRC Catchment Hydrology, Canberra.

Davies P. (2001). Appendix 4: Review and Development of Fish Assessment Protocols. In ‘Development of a Framework for the Sustainable Rivers Audit, Technical Report no. 8/2001’. (Eds J. Whittington, J. Coysh, P. E. Davies, F. Dyer, B. Gawne, I. Lawrence, P. Liston, R. Norris, W. Robinson and M. Thoms.) (CRC Freshwater Ecology: Canberra.)

DNRE (2000). Discussion paper for a Goulburn Eildon fisheries management plan. Department of Natural Resources and Environment, State Government of Victoria, Melbourne.

Erskine, W. D. (1996). Downstream hydrogeomorphic impacts of Eildon reservoir on the mid-Goulburn River, Victoria. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria 108, 1–15.
Gippel C. J., and Finlayson B. L. (1993). Downstream environmental impacts of regulation of the Goulburn River, Victoria. In ‘Hydrology and Water Resources Symposium’. (Institute of Engineers, Australia: Newcastle, NSW.)

Humphries, P. , King, A. J. , and Koehn, J. D. (1999). Fish, flows and flood plains: links between freshwater fishes and their environment in the Murray-Darling River system, Australia. Environmental Biology of Fishes 56, 129–151.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | Koehn J. D., and O’Connor W. G. (1990). Biological information for management of native freshwater fish in Victoria. Parks, Flora and Fauna Division, State Government of Victoria, Melbourne.

Lake J. S. (1967). Freshwater fish of the Murray-Darling River system. Chief Secretary’s Department, NSW State Fisheries, NSW.

Lohr, S. C. , and Fausch, K. D. (1997). Multiscale analysis of natural variability in stream fish assemblages of a western great plains watershed. Copeia 4, 706–724.
McGuckin J. (2002). An investigative study of the fish fauna of the Nagambie Lakes and Chateau Tahbilk Lagoon. Streamline Research Pty Ltd. for the Nagambie Angling Club, Melbourne.

Meador, M. R. , Brown, L. R. , and Short, T. (2003). Relations between introduced fish and environmental conditions at large geographic scales. Ecological Indicators 3, 81–92.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | Nathan R. J. (1992). Environmental flows in the Goulburn River between Eildon and the Murray River: impacts of flow regime on the hydrolytic regime. Rural Water Commission of Victoria, Melbourne.

Poff, L. N. , Allan, J. D. , Bain, M. B. , Karr, J. R. , Prestegaard, K. L. , Richter, B. D. , Sparks, R. E. , and Stromberg, J. C. (1997). The natural flow regime: A paradigm for river conservation and restoration. Bioscience 47, 769–784.
Shannon C. E., and Weaver W. (1949). ‘The Mathematical Theory of Communication.’ (University of Illinois Press: Urbana, IL.)

Stanford, J. A. , Ward, J. V. , Liss, W. J. , Frissell, C. A. , Williams, R. M. , Lichatowich, J. A. , and Coutant, C. C. (1996). A general protocol for restoration of regulated rivers. Regulated Rivers: Research Management 12, 391–413.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | State of Victoria (1989). ‘Water Victoria: A Resource Handbook.’ (Department of Water Resources: Melbourne.)

Thorncroft G., and Harris J. H. (2000). Technical report 1/2000. Fish passage and fishways in New South Wales: a status report. Cooperative Research Centre for Freshwater Ecology, Canberra.

Weaver, M. J. , Magnuson, J. J. , and Clayton, M. K. (1993). Analyses for differentiating littoral fish assemblages with catch data from multiple sampling gears. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 122, 1111–1119.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | for definition of site symbols
Click to zoom