Deeper Reading – Managing Wetlands

Deb Nias – Murray Darling Wetlands Working Group Ltd.

Wetlands are extremely diverse and widespread. They include marshes, floodplain forests, estuaries, alpine lakes, saline and freshwater lakes, billabongs and anabranches. They can be large and cover thousands of hectares or maybe just small ponds. A wetland might fill from a river or creek, as in floodplain wetlands, or it may fill via rainfall and local catchment runoff. They can be fresh, saline or brackish and may be permanent or temporary – not all wetlands are wet all the time, and some may only fill once every few years or even decades. This pattern of filling and drying is an essential part of the way a wetland works, and most of the plants and animals that live in Australian wetland systems are adapted to these ‘boom and bust’ (wet and dry) cycles.

In the Murray-Darling Basin, thousands of wetlands have been lost due to river regulation, construction of levee banks and drainage for human settlement and agriculture. Prior to river regulation, natural flow regimes were characterised by low summer and high winter/spring flows. Most of the wetlands along the Murray River floodplain are now filled during high summer irrigation flows at a time when they were naturally dry. This has disrupted the natural processes of the wetland and removed many of the cues and triggers needed for plants and animals to grow. Other impacts on wetlands include livestock grazing, increasing salinity, pollution and use of wetlands as drainage sites. The overall result of these numerous impacts is reduced diversity of wetlands as well as the species and populations of fish, birds and plants that inhabit them.

Wetlands provide habitat for plants and animals. Some animals rely on wetlands for suitable feeding and breeding habitat, and they act as nurseries for many aquatic species (Figure 1).

Wetlands have numerous other functions such as flood control, groundwater replenishment, sediment and nutrient retention, water purification and as reservoirs of biodiversity. They are also highly significant for their cultural values and recreation.

Figure 1: A typical wetlands food web (Shiel 1990)

Figure 2: Cross section of wetland showing the different vegetation groups and growth forms (Murray Darling Wetlands Working Group Ltd. Wetlands Watch).

Generally, you will notice standing water for a few months and the growth of water plants such as sedges or rushes along the edge of the wetland, as well as plants growing in the water column such as Ribbon Weed (Triglochin sp.) or Milfoil (Myriophyllum sp.). You may see plants floating on the surface such as Nardoo or Azolla. You may also see waterbirds visiting the site and hear frogs. These are signs that you have a wetland.

Every wetland is different, whether it be variation in water regime, grazing intensity, soil properties or type of plants found in it – they are site specific and require individual management options. However, many wetlands in the Riverina region suffer from two common problems – over-grazing and a changed water regime.

Cattle are damaging to wetlands because they disturb soil structure by ‘pugging’ the soil, increasing nutrients through their faeces and urine, and eating and trampling small and regenerating vegetation. Sheep and goats also cause problems.

It is essential to control stock access, though it may not be essential to exclude stock permanently. Stock grazing should be done on a sustainable basis so that the wetland plants can grow and regenerate. In many circumstances, this requires a trial-and-error approach and may also require fencing off the wetland until the plants have been able to re-establish. The area can then be opened for controlled, rotational grazing.

If fencing is needed, then the design is also important, particularly the width of area between the wetland edge and the fence. At least 30 metres from the wetland edge (when the wetland is full) can provide a good buffer zone for the wetland. Many wetland animals, such as frogs and turtles, use the surrounding dry areas of land as well as the water. These buffer zones help protect the habitat of these animals as well as provide a source of seeds for plants which grow in the wetland itself.

The water regime of a wetland (its hydrology) is one of the most fundamental characteristics that determine the type of wetland and what plants and animals live in it. Wetlands rely on water, but that water is most useful when it is delivered according to the demands of the plants and animals that rely on it. Many animals and plants only breed at certain times, particularly in spring. These animals and plants may also rely on a dry period that triggers them to breed or set seeds. Zooplankton (tiny crustaceans which form the basis of the food chain) are particularly reliant on wetting and drying periods.

A water regime includes:

• where the water comes from (eg. from floods, local runoff or groundwater);
• how frequently the wetland fills;
• what time of the year the wetland fills;
• the depth of water when full;
• how long it holds water (and, therefore, how frequently the wetland dries); and
• if it dries, and how long it stays dry. Most wetlands in the Riverina region will experience a variable water regime. In other words, water levels will change and sometimes the wetlands will dry. Many people mistakenly think that a wetland should have a constant water level and always be full.

However, constantly impounded water usually means lower diversity of plants and animals and can encourage the growth of blue-green algae, form carp breeding sites and be areas for aquatic weeds. Some wetlands will salinise very quickly if water is impounded and eventually, a constantly full wetland will become filled with sediment.

If your wetland is filled by natural run- off, then it is important not to restrict the water movement and allow the water level to rise and fall naturally. However, restoring natural water regimes to wetlands that are or were connected to rivers is not easy because of river regulation, levee banks and flood mitigation works. If levee banks or block banks are placed across rivers, creeks or floodplains without proper authorisation and approvals, serious fines can be incurred.

It is also possible to reinstate natural flooding patterns using engineering works. A well-controlled regulator, for example, can exclude summer irrigation flows but still allow for flooding or spring flows. This would result in a more natural flow regime and restore plant and zooplankton communities, which in turn, attract birds, fish and frogs. Installing a regulator is generally very expensive so contact the Department of Land and Water Conservation if you think your wetland would benefit from a regulator.

Other things you can do include diverting drains away from wetlands or blocking and redirecting these drains to modify the water regime. Remember that most wetlands in the Riverina region are adapted to having water during spring and drying down over summer. It is useful to develop a water management plan for your wetland, and have it reviewed by wetland managers in the NSW Department of Land and Water Conservation.

Water quality is important for a well-functioning wetland and like the water regime, water quality will also vary. A wetland may have very clean water at times, but at other times, especially when it is drying out, the water may become stagnant. Turbidity, salinity and pH will all affect a wetland in different ways. Turbidity is due to fine clay particles being suspended in the water. A healthy wetland will generally be less turbid because of periodic drying that binds the soil, settling of fine sediment in calm water and the healthy growth of water plants. High turbidity may be due to erosion, so it is important to control erosion on your property. Carp and stock activity also increase turbidity.

High salinity in a freshwater wetland may be due to saline groundwater which enters the wetland, often because surrounding deep-rooted vegetation has been cleared. To mitigate salinity in a wetland, you may need to do some revegetation in strategic locations around the wetland. Having water constantly impounded can also increase salinity – allowing natural flow to occur will flush out salt.

pH is a measure of acidity or alkalinity of water. Many things affect pH in a wetland such as decomposing plants (tending to increase acidity) or surrounding rocks and soils (tending to increase alkalinity).

Pesticides or other chemicals will also affect wetlands either directly, by killing organisms, or indirectly by concentrating in the flesh of animals and being passed along the food chain. Pesticides and chemicals may enter a wetland as a result of direct inputs, or they may come from a more diffuse source such as water runoff. Many pesticides and chemicals stay in the sediments of wetlands and will continue to affect the food chains for many years. A shallow ‘holding’ pond may be needed to trap chemicals before they enter the wetland.

Carp are widespread in the Murray- Darling Basin. These pest fish damage wetlands by disturbing the mud and uprooting the wetland plants. The result is increased turbidity of the water and reduced sunlight to growing plants. Carp can also eat native fish, particularly eggs and juveniles, which in turn leads to a decline in the number and type of native fish.

Carp have flourished because they are adapted to more constant water regimes that now exist throughout the Murray- Darling Basin. By restoring a more natural water regime, or introducing variability to river flow, it may be possible to manage carp in localised areas. Allowing a wetland to regenerate will favour the native fish which can then compete for food with carp. If a wetland has a regulator, then it is possible to harvest the carp as they pass through when it is first opened. However, native fish can also be caught, so it is best to seek help from professional commercial fishers or from a Fisheries Department (eg. NSW Fisheries). Carp screens can also be fitted to regulators to exclude large carp – contact NSW Fisheries.

Cumbungi (Typha domingensis) is a native plant that can be common in areas where the water is still or very slow moving. In a wetland, Cumbungi can be an important habitat for waterbirds and other aquatic organisms, and because it slows water movement, it can be useful for reducing erosion of banks. However, Cumbungi can also become dominant, competing with other wetland plants for space, nutrients and sunlight. The result can be a wetland with a monoculture of Cumbungi, rather than a variety of plants. Because different plants provide different types of habitat to a variety of animals, a wetland with only Cumbungi may have a reduced biodiversity, so controlling Cumbungi may be necessary to allow other plants to re-establish. Control is usually through cutting, burning and poisoning, but only experienced people should do this. Contact NSW Agriculture for more information on how to control Cumbungi.

Under the Noxious Weeds Act 1993, noxious weeds must be controlled, and it is the responsibility of the owner or occupier of the land to take effective measures to eradicate them. This can be enforced by the issue of weed control notices by the Minister and local control authorities. Proclaimed noxious weeds include Water Hyacinth, Salvinia, Alligator Weed, Lagarosiphon and Water Lettuce. Contact your local council or NSW Agriculture for further information on how to identify and control these weeds.

Wetlands become revegetated naturally through the germination of a ‘seed bank’ in the soils of the wetland, and/or as a result of seeds being carried into the wetland by birds and other animals, water or wind. Provided the ‘right’ conditions exist, a wetland will need little direct revegetation. These conditions include a suitable temperature range, enough water for sufficient time in the right season, sufficient light and reduced competition from other plants, protection from plant eaters and a suitable slope for plant establishment. It may take many years for a wetland to revegetate, and it is natural for vegetation communities to change over time. However, it may be necessary to revegetate the wetland if there is little sign of natural revegetation. 

The aims of revegetation should be to introduce desirable plants to your wetland and to develop a plant community that will sustain itself naturally. This can be done using existing seeds in the wetland soils, or by direct planting of local species found in nearby wetlands (whilst taking care not to destroy the vegetation of the donating wetland!). Techniques to revegetate wetlands have been designed and successfully applied (see “Are there plants in your wetland? – Revegetating wetlands.” in the Further Reading section). See Appendix 3 for the types and suitable locations of wetland plants you might want to establish. Other notes on revegetation are found in Chapter ???.

Most private properties in the Riverina will have a farm dam. These can function as wetlands, with a range of native plants and animals taking advantage of the aquatic environment. To enhance a farm dam, it is necessary to control stock access, particularly cattle. Other ways to enhance a farm dam include altering the shape of a dam so that there is a variety of depths with a long margin where the greatest plant diversity and wildlife activity occurs. Revegetation of dams may also be needed. For further information, see the Australian National University Sustainable Farms – Enhanced Farm Dams Guide

Find out more…

Murray Darling Wetlands Working Group Ltd

PO Box 7016 EAST ALBURY NSW 2640

www.mdwwg.com.au

info@mdwwg.com.au

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