Annual fish sampling in the Eastern Mount Lofty Ranges

The annual Eastern Mount Lofty Ranges (EMLR) fish sampling is in full swing again.

The EMLR is defined as the eastern slopes of the Mount Lofty Ranges, spanning from Mannum to Goolwa. It is an important agricultural region, which has also been heavily altered since European colonisation, and contains over 8000 farm dams. Within this region are diverse aquatic habitats, including stream and swamp habitats and connectivity with the lower Murray and Lower Lakes. The EMLR region contains around 27 native fish species, many of them threatened with extinction. NGT has been undertaking annual surveys to monitor native fish communities in this region for many years.

With an extremely dry summer, following on from below-average rainfall last year, many wetlands and rivers have been drying up in the EMLR region. So, this year’s sampling is critical to help us better understand fish and water quality dynamics during drought times.

The sampling information is used by the Hills and Fleurieu Landscape Board (who are funding the EMLR surveys), to help guide their Water Allocation Plans, and by Nature Glenelg Trust and the Big Little Four Committee to help manage native threatened fish in the region.

See the photos below for some of the beautiful aquatic fauna sampled, including the threatened River Blackfish and Southern Purple-spotted Gugdeon.

This project is funded by the Hills and Fleurieu Landscape Board