River red gum with and flood-tolerant understorey objectives Inundate low lying river red gum to maintain health of trees. Inundate river red gum to: maintain health of river red gum trees maintain productivity of river red gum understorey including terete culm sedge and Warrego summer grass inundate organic debris, reduce summer blackwater risks and export organic matter to Murray River allow fish to return to permanent habitat during the flood recession. Inundate river red gum to: maintain growth of river red gum trees promote aquatic plant growth in understorey including Moira grass, milfoil and spike sedge support post-flooding productivity of river red gum understorey including terete culm sedge and Warrego summer grass provide waterbird feeding habitat inundate organic debris, reduce summer blackwater risks and export organic matter to Murray River allow fish to return to permanent habitat on the flood recession. Inundate river red gum to: maintain growth of river red gum trees promote aquatic plant growth in understorey including Moira Grass, milfoil and spike sedge support post-inundation productivity of river red gum understorey including terete culm sedge and Warrego summer grass provide waterbird feeding habitat inundate organic debris, reduce summer blackwater risks and export organic matter to Murray River allow fish to return to permanent habitat on the high flow recession. Black box woodland objectives None. None. Inundate black box to maintain tree health and understorey productivity and composition.
Table 6: Flow regimes for Gunbower Creek and Gunbower Forest environmental water use Month Gunbower Creek flow at Koondrook Weir Forest and wetlands Extreme dry Dry Median Wet Extreme dry Dry Median Wet ML/d Days ML/d Days ML/d Days ML/d Days ML/d Days ML/d Days ML/d Days ML/d Days May 500 31 500 31 500 31 500 31 0 0 0 0 0 0 300 31 June 500 30 500 30 500 30 500 250 15 15 0 0 600 30 920 1,650 15 15 920 1,650 15 15 July 600 31 250 31 250 31 250 31 0 0 1,650 31 1,650 31 1,650 31 August 700 31 250 700 16 15 250 700 15 16 250 31 300 31 1,650 920 15 16 1,650 920 15 16 1,650 31 September 700 30 700 30 700 30 250 30 300 30 920 30 920 30 1,650 30 October 700 31 700 31 700 31 700 31 300 31 920 31 920 31 920 31 November 500 30 500 30 500 30 500 30 300 30 920 30 920 30 600 30 December 0 0 300 31 300 31 300 31 0 0 600 31 600 31 600 31 January 0 0 200 31 300 31 300 31 0 0 300 31 600 31 600 31 February 0 0 200 28 300 28 300 28 0 0 0 0 300 31 300 28 March 0 0 200 31 300 31 300 31 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 April 0 0 300 30 500 30 500 30 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Water scenario Event No. of years in 10 with event of any duration (all years) No. of years in 10 with event of specified duration (all years) No. of years in 10 with event of any duration (water scenarios only) No. of years in 10 with event of specified duration (water scenarios only) Very dry 93 ML/d for 16 days at Black Swamp regulator, August–September*. 8 6.6 7.4 5.9 330 ML/d for 16 days at Reedy Lagoon regulator, August–September*. 8 6.6 7.4 5.9 Passing flow of between 500 and 700 ML/d at Koondrook Weir, 9.7 0 9.7 0 Flow into Gunbower Forest of between 300 and 920 ML/d, August–November*. 7.9 1.1 7.4 0.6 Dry Flow into Gunbower Forest of between 300 and 1,650 ML/d, May–January*. 8.7 0 9.1 0 Passing flow of between 200 and 700 ML/d at Koondrook Weir, year round. 9.9 0 10 0 Medium Flow into Gunbower Forest of between 200 and 1,650 ML/d, May–March*. 8.4 0 8.6 0 Passing flow of between 250 and 700 ML/d at Koondrook Weir, year round. 9.9 0 8.6 0 Wet Flow into Gunbower Forest of between 200 and 1,650 ML/d, May–February*. 7.9 0 8.6 0 Passing flow of between 250 and 700 ML/d at Koondrook Weir, year round. 9.9 0 10 0 * Forest regulators are not individually modelled in MSM-Bigmod, event occurrence was assessed based on modelled Murray River flow and modelled diversions through the upper forest channel (Hipwell Road) and to Koondrook Weir. Note: See Table 5 for more detail on the specified events. The volume of additional water that would be required to meet the flow targets was calculated. For the flows through the regulators and into the forest, this calculation supplemented existing flows through the use of the Hipwell Road scheme (up to the required flow rate). For passing flows at Koondrook Weir, this calculation supplemented existing flow at Koondrook Weir. For the continual flow events, each
Water scenario Flow objective Season/ timing Average return period Trigger for delivery Trigger for ceasing delivery (if applicable) Very Dry 93 ML/d for 16 days at Black Swamp regulator. Every very dry year. Would be delivered as part of flows into Gunbower Forest and to Koondrook Weir. Switch to recommendations if allocation increases significantly by end of November to extend deliveries into summer/autumn. 330 ML/d for 16 days at Reedy Lagoon regulator. Passing flow of between 500 and 700 ML/d at Koondrook Weir. Maintain through the specified period. Flow into Gunbower Forest of 300 ML/d. Maintain through the specified period. Dry Flow into Gunbower Forest of between 600 and 1,650 ML/d. Jun–Dec Every dry year. Maintain through the specified period. N/A Passing flow of between 200 and 700 ML/d at Koondrook Weir. Year round Maintain through the specified period. Medium Flow into Gunbower Forest of between 300 and 1,650 ML/d. Every medium year Maintain through the specified period. N/A Passing flow of between 250 and 700 ML/d at Koondrook Weir. Year round Maintain through the specified period. Wet Flow into Gunbower Forest of between 300 and 1,650 ML/d. Every wet year Maintain through the specified period. N/A Passing flow of between 250 and 700 ML/d at Koondrook Weir. Year round Maintain through the specified period. Nov Feb Mar Sep Sep
Birds Australasian bittern Botaurus poiciloptilus L E Australasian shoveler Anas rhynchotis V Australian bustard Ardeotis australis L CE Australian painted snipe Rostratula benghalensis australis (Rostratula australis) L CR V, M Australian pratincole Stiltia isabella NT Azure kingfisher Alcedo azurea NT Baillon's crake Porzana pusilla palustris L V Barking owl Ninox connivens connivens L E Black falcon Falco subniger V Black-chinned honeyeater Melithreptus gularis gularis NT Black-eared cuckoo Chrysococcyx osculans NT Blue-billed duck Oxyura australis L E Brolga Grus rubicunda L V Brown quail Coturnix ypsilophora australis NT Brown treecreeper (south-eastern ssp.) Climacteris picumnus victoriae NT Bush stone-curlew Burhinus grallarius L E Cattle egret Ardea ibis M Common greenshank Tringa nebularia M Diamond dove Geopelia cuneata L NT Diamond firetail Stagonopleura guttata L V Eastern great egret Ardea modesta (alba) L V M Fork-tailed swift Apus pacificus M Glossy ibis Plegadis falcinellus NT M Grey falcon Falco hypoleucos L E Grey goshawk Accipiter novaehollandiae novaehollandiae L V Grey plover Pluvialis squatarola NT M Grey-crowned babbler Pomatostomus temporalis temporalis L E Ground cuckoo-shrike Coracina maxima L V Gull-billed tern Gelochelidon (Sterna) nilotica macrotarsa L E Hardhead Aythya australis V Hooded robin Melanodryas cucullata cucullata L NT Intermediate egret Ardea intermedia L CE Latham's snipe Gallinago hardwickii NT M Little bittern Ixobrychus minutus dubius L E Little button-quail Turnix velox NT Little egret Egretta garzetta nigripes L E
Malleefowl Leipoa ocellata L E V, M Musk duck Biziura lobata V Nankeen night heron Nycticorax caledonicus hillii NT Pied cormorant Phalacrocorax varius NT Plains-wanderer Pedionomus torquatus L CE V Rainbow bee-eater Merops ornatus M Red-backed kingfisher Todiramphus pyrropygia NT Red-chested Turnix pyrrhothorax L V Regent honeyeater Anthochaera Phrygia (Xanthomyza phrygia) L CE E, M Royal spoonbill Platalea regia V Spotted harrier Circus assimilis NT Square-tailed kite Lophoictinia isura L V Superb parrot Polytelis swainsonii L E V Swift parrot Lathamus discolor L E E Whiskered tern Chlidonias hybridus javanicus NT White-bellied sea-eagle Haliaeetus leucogaster L V M White-throated needletail Hirundapus caudacutus M Mammals Greater Long-eared Bat Nyctophilus timoriensis - form (Nyctophilus corbeni) L V V Rufous bettong Aepyprymnus rufescens L RX Squirrel glider Petaurus norfolcensis L E Fish Crimson-spotted rainbowfish Melanotaenia fluviatilis L DD Freshwater catfish Tandanus tandanus L E Golden perch Macquaria ambigua V Macquarie perch Macquaria australasica E L E Murray cod Maccullochella peelii peelii L E V Murray hardyhead Craterocephalus fluviatilis L CE V Silver perch Bidyanus bidyanus L CE Trout cod Maccullochella macquariensis L CE E Unspecked hardyhead Craterocephalus stercusmuscarum fulvus L DD Frogs Brown toadlet Pseudophryne bibronii L E Giant bullfrog Limnodynastes interioris L CE Growling grass frog Litoria raniformis L E V Reptiles Bearded dragon Pogona barbata DD Broad-shelled turtle Macrochelodina expansa L E
Carpet python Morelia spilota metcalfei L E Lace goanna Varanus varius V Striped legless lizard Delma impar L E V Woodland blind snake Ramphotyphlops proximus NT Legend CE Critically endangered DD Data deficient E Endangered L Listed M Fauna protected under migratory bird agreements NT Near threatened RX Regionally extinct V Vulnerable Appendix 2: Monthly streamflows at key locations All information presented in this appendix is sourced from MSM-Bigmod run #22061. Average daily flows (ML/d) for the Murray River downstream of Hume Dam (1895–2009) Month Very dry year (minimum on record) Dry year (30th percentile daily flow) Median year (50th percentile daily flow) Wet year (70th percentile daily flow) Jul 629 629 629 629 Aug 629 629 629 9,713 Sep 650 650 7,234 16,595 Oct 629 11,115 16,375 21,273 650 13,865 17,720 21,677 Dec 629 15,467 18,222 20,536 Jan 3,468 17,043 18,937 20,638 696 14,717 16,877 18,429 533 14,895 17,811 20,221 Apr 569 7,725 11,103 13,734
Average daily streamflows (ML/d) for the Murray River at Pental Island Month Very dry year (minimum on record) Dry year (30th percentile daily flow) Median year (50th percentile daily flow) Wet year (70th percentile daily flow) Jul 1,735 5,975 9,368 13,185 Aug 1,148 7,143 11,512 14,779 Sep 1,862 8,680 12,369 15,235 Oct 1,674 6,606 10,598 14,036 Nov 1,961 6,668 9,167 11,496 Dec 2,190 5,812 7,448 9,255 Jan 2,196 4,688 5,322 6,089 Feb 2,236 4,294 5,066 5,810 Mar 1,891 3,207 3,671 4,250 Apr 2,006 4,211 5,154 6,433 May 1,982 4,711 5,773 7,680 Jun 1,793 3,718 4,970 8,813 Appendix 3: Seasonal allocations October seasonal allocations for the Goulburn and Campaspe systems. April seasonal allocations for the Goulburn and Campaspe systems.