Gone Fishing

One of the most common recreational uses of rivers is fishing and in this, the Barwon and its tributaries are no different to most. What is caught and where varies from river to river and location to location and there are multiple websites which give detailed descriptions of what fish can be caught where and when, such as the Department of Environment and Primary Industries site which includes the Barwon and more.

Fisherman at Barwon Heads

During my meanderings up and down the Barwon I've come across several species of fish which call the river home and come across all sorts of people fishing along its length, from families fishing off the William Buckley footbridge at Barwon Heads or on the banks amongst the mangroves to the retirees fishing off the platforms through Geelong.
On a recent paddle up from Baum's Weir we met a guy paddling a fully-equipped Hobie Cat upriver to spend the day fishing for redfin (aka English perch) in the quiet section of river above Merrawarp Road. He claimed to have caught over fifty of the fish in the river over the past two weeks, which is good news for the Barwon as they are an introduced species which impacts native fish populations. Fortunately, they also make good eating (the reason they were introduced by settlers in the 1860s). Whilst they have been declared a noxious species in New South Wales, this is not as far as I can tell, yet the case in Victoria, however anglers are strongly encouraged not to return redfin to the water once caught.
Other problem exotic species I have come across in the Barwon are mosquito fish and of course carp, all of which I mentioned in an earlier post. It has been noted that since the introduced carp population took hold in the 1960s, that stocks of redfin have reduced, however the carp themselves cause serious damage to native fish populations and our waterways.


Carp in the Barwon at Breakwater

On the other hand however, I did come across a native species on a recent fishing excursion to the Moorabool River. We took the kids (along with the rods they received for Christmas) to a relative's property where we used to fish as kids too. I can't say that the haul was huge however, there were several good bites which resulted in a catch of one short-finned eel and a redfin fingerling, which had the misfortune of catching its tail on the hook.

Short-finned eel taken from the Moorabool

Like redfin, short-finned eel make good eating and are particularly popular as an export to Japan. They are found in many of our waterways, extending from the South Australian border along the east coast. They are also found in New Zealand and almost as far north as Fiji. Their ability to draw up to 50% of their oxygen through their skin, means young eels are able to move short distances between bodies of water such as lakes, river pools, swamps and dams over moist ground, where they stake a territory of around 400m. Males are somewhat smaller than females, reaching maturity at around 14 years as opposed to females maturing between 18 and 24 years.
Short-finned eels were also an important source of food for the local Wathaurong tribes who used the rocky parts of the riverbed - such as the anabranch at Fyansford - to create traps to catch the eels as they swam downstream.

Anabranch, Fyansford

Whilst there are a number of other species of native fish common to the Barwon and associated waterways, I have yet to spot them.

Eaten away

Erosion is a problem common to many rivers and it comes in three main forms: bank erosion, gully erosion and hillslope erosion. Whilst the Barwon is subject to all three forms, studies have shown that by far the biggest impact comes from bank erosion.

Riverbank between Pollocksford and Merrawarp Roads

As the products of erosion enter the river system, they take one of two paths. The lighter matter remains suspended in the water and is carried downstream whilst the heavier material forms what is known as "bedload" which sinks to the streambed to be washed down more slowly. Whilst the suspended material may be deposited on flood plains, ultimately increasing soil fertility, it can cause a reduction in water quality as well as problems downstream, particularly in the shallow lake systems below Geelong.
Bedload can build up on the stream bed further upstream, restricting the flow of water and movement of fish and other river fauna as well as adversely impacting on their habitat.
Prior to European settlement, the river environment was believed to be relatively stable, however from 1836 onwards, clearing of native vegetation, the introduction of stock which impacted soil quality and bank stability and the exploding rabbit population burrowing into banks all added to a rapid increase in erosion along the Barwon. Other contributing factors included the draining of wetlands and marshes for farming purposes and the diversion of water from the Barwon and its tributaries.

The West Barwon Dam

Early efforts to control erosion included the planting of willow trees which it was believed would stabilise the banks. Unfortunately however, they - and any number of other exotic plant species - had the opposite effect, not only contributing to the erosion, but also impacting upon nutrient levels in the water and destroying the habitat of native animals. As their dense roots extend into the riverbank, burrowing animals such as platypus are unable to dig their burrows. As I have blogged previously, by 1949 willows were found to choke the stream, causing flooding, erosion and silting. Today, only a few willows remain here and there along the river.
Another introduced species which can impact riverbank stability is the introduced carp, which not only eats the plants necessary for the survival of native fish, but with its aggressive feeding habits can cause bank erosion. Various initiatives such as "Catch-a-Carp Day" and the draining and dredging of Reedy Lake where a tonne of carp was removed help to control levels of this pervasive pest. If caught while fishing, it is illegal to return carp to the river.

A carp grazing along the riverbank at Marshall

If not used with care, speed boats can also contribute to bank erosion. Speed limits are used to help minimise these effects.
In some cases, natural events also contributed to the problems. When a landslide blocked the channel of the East Barwon River in 1952 causing the creation of Lake Elizabeth, water flow was significantly impacted. The following year when the blockage was partly breached, soil and debris was washed downstream, covering lower-lying farmland. Major flooding in 1995 also caused significant erosion.


Aerial view of the 1995 floods looking south west from the Geelong Advertiser

By the 1940s, efforts were underway to control erosion (whether natural or manmade) and improve water flows and water quality by stabilising the banks and bed of the river. In the 1970s further measures were taken such as the installation of silt traps and revegetation. Following the 1995 floods, intensive measures were required to control and reverse the damage done by the increased water flow.
Today, ongoing measures to minimise erosion and improve water quality are in place and a multitude of Landcare groups across the region work in conjunction with the Corangamite Catchment Management Authority to rehabilitate the Barwon.
Bank and gully erosion can be reasonably effectively controlled in rural areas by restricting the access of stock to rivers, creeks and gullies and by revegetation along riverbanks and areas likely to suffer from erosion. Education of landholders and improved farming methods are also important.
Hillslope erosion is best controlled by encouraging good ground cover improved soil structure which can be aided by measures such as the retention of stubble from cereal crops and the use of raised-bed farming.

Sheep on the river between Pollocksford and Merrawarp Roads

I have noticed in recent times (hence the idea for this post), that bank-stabilisation works are currently being undertaken near Breakwater where rocks are being used to line sections of the bank. Upstream at Queen's Park, some removal of exotic suckering species of trees such as ash has occurred, however I don't know whether this is for stabilising purposes.

Bank stabilising near Barwon Valley Golf Course

Lunch at "the break"

"The second break in the Barwon River." This was the Google Images search which greeted me as I took a quick glance at my stats page before starting this post.
I am guessing that someone was looking for pictures of the lower breakwater. I hope they found the first of my kayaking posts from earlier this month, but as it happens, I can add to the collection after another paddle down the river today. In fact, I stopped at the lower break for lunch before heading back to the upper breakwater to catch a ride home.
But first things first. I hit the water just near the Geelong Water Ski Club at the end of Wilsons Road in St. Albans Park and headed downriver, hoping to get a better idea of where that 19th century picnic spot "The Willows" was and also to see if I could access Reedy Lake.
Assuming my reasoning as outlined in my post The Willows is correct, then I was successful in my first endeavour and now have some photos to show for my efforts:

Thicket of elms at the possible site of The Willows, looking upstream

The above shot shows a thicket of elm trees, clearly non-native and well-established. There are no willows to be seen anymore anywhere along this stretch of river or even signs that the area may have been used for picnics and camping. Nor is there any sign of the "cutting" described by James Lister Cuthbertson in his description of The Willows, where the Grammar boys ran the boats up onto the bank.

Thicket of elms looking downriver towards The Willows

In fact the only place I could conveniently get out of the water to have a look around was several hundred metres away....maybe next time.
And so I paddled on. My next aim was to see if I could get inside Reedy Lake for a look around, however I soon discovered that the channel which connects the lake to the river is not designed for boat access.

Channel to Reedy Lake

None-the-less, it is a rather pretty part of the river with farmland on one side and high reeds interspersed with gum trees obscuring any sight of the lake on the other.

Looking downriver, about 2.5km below Wilsons Road

My next stop was the lower breakwater where I hauled myself and the "yak" out of the water, took a few photos and had some lunch at which time a decision had to be made. The weather was mild but increasing winds were forecast for later in the afternoon so I decided to leave a paddle around Lake Connewarre for another occasion and head back upriver.

Above the lower breakwater

Below the lower breakwater

As on at least three other occasions, the trip upstream was wind-assisted and therefore easier than the trip down.
At one point as I drifted quietly near the bank I became aware that I was not alone. As they often do, a number of carp were cruising along the bank looking for food. They were quite confident - provided I didn't move much - and were happily snapping up the grass seeds (we used to call them fairies) which were floating on the surface of the water.

A carp eating a "fairy"

A carp stalking a seed

After spending a bit of time stalking the carp, I got moving again, sloshing my way through the wake of several power boats at the water ski club until I reached quieter waters (and a patch of waterlilies) near "Greenbanks" on the Marshall side of the river.

"Greenbanks"

From there it was an uneventful paddle round the bend to Breakwater and a quick ride home. Not a bad day's paddling and my first solo expedition.



Yellow waterlily