Rare River Blackfish population kept healthy with extra water and air!

Hidden at the base of a rocky cliff face in the lower Rodwell Creek is a deep, peaceful pool that is home to one of the only remaining River Blackfish populations in the South Australian portion of the Murray Darling Basin. The population at Rodwell Creek was rediscovered back in 2004, after going undetected in the catchment for 50 years, and has been carefully and lovingly maintained and prevented from going extinct by NGT during dry periods. Read more about this project here.

Activities over the years undertaken by NGT have included regular population surveys to monitor its health, water provisions during dry periods to prevent the refuge pool from drying out (with water trucks bringing lifesaving bounties, thanks to funding provided by Department for Environment & Water and Hills and Fleurieu Landscape Board), and the installation of a solar aerator to the pool to ensure the fish get adequate oxygen levels.

In some very exciting news for all involved, over the past week Paul Drummond from NGT sampled 13 beautiful and healthy River Blackfish at Rodwell Creek, indicating that they are persisting well.

A big thank you to the landholder, Beryl and her late husband Jim, who have made the conservation of this important population of River Blackfish possible through their passion for the fish and the environment. For any further information about this project please contact Sylvia Zukowski () at NGT.