The work done on rehabilitating the Upper Murray waterways following the 2019-2020 Black Summer bushfires has been an inspiring story of devastation to regeneration.
The bushfires tore through the region, leaving behind a trail of destruction.
A staggering 98 per cent of the Nariel catchment was impacted with high-intensity fires causing catastrophic damage to local waterways. Turbidity levels soared past 5000 Nephelometric Turbidity Units (NTUs) and fish populations vanished from Nariel, Cudgewa and Thowgla Creeks. (*)
Members of the Corryong Angling Club and Women in Recreational Fishing Network (WIRF) had been assessing the impacts of the damage and the subsequent fish kills at the Cudgewa Creek.
They sounded the alarm with local authorities and fishing conservation charity OzFish Unlimited, leading a call to kickstart the recovery of their local creek and fish stocks.
Since the fires, the North East Catchment Management Authority (CMA) has led a major recovery effort supported by a $1.4 million Victorian government investment (2021–2025). Together with community groups, angling clubs, traditional owners and partner agencies, vital ecosystems are being restored.
Project highlights include:
- 67 in-stream structures installed (rock chutes, log jams, boulder seeding and more)
- 3.21ha of willow control and 16.21ha of weed management
- Stewardship agreements with landholders for fencing and weed control
- 17.8 ha of revegetation completed with help from the Australian Trout Foundation and volunteers
- 4.1km of fencing to protect riparian zones.
Preliminary results from fish monitoring studies are showing signs of recovery.
This project is a testament to the power of collaboration involving DEECA, ARI, VFA, Towong Shire, Parks Vic, Gateway Health, Upper Murray Landcare, local angling clubs and many passionate locals.
(*) A clear mountain stream typically has a low turbidity level, often around one NTU, while a turbidity of 0-10 NTUs is generally considered normal.
This article appeared in Corryong Courier, 17 July 2025.
