Platypus, water bugs and several fish species that call Melbourne’s iconic Yarra River home all benefit from the release of environmental water.

Melbourne Water, in partnership with the Victorian Environmental Water Holder (VEWH), released 4 billion litres of water from the Upper Yarra and Maroondah Reservoirs earlier this year.

Otherwise known as a ‘summer fresh’, the releases aim to mimic a river’s natural process by maintaining water quality, flushing sediment and organic material from the river bed, maintaining habitat for bugs and fish life, and ensuring native vegetation along the river bank receives enough water when the river is otherwise low.

The releases improve the availability and quality of habitat for the river’s many endangered aquatic inhabitants including Australian grayling, Macquarie Perch, river blackfish, platypus and waterbugs including dragonflies, damselflies, caddisflies and diving beetles.

As Melbourne and the surrounding region have grown over the past two centuries, water has been diverted away from the Yarra River for drinking water, irrigation and use by industry.

Melbourne Water, as waterway manager, works with the Victorian Environmental Water Holder to carefully plan and target the release of environmental water from dams. We do this in a way which helps the native plants and animals that call the Yarra home to cope with the pressures of urbanisation.

Environmental water releases also improve the overall amenity of one of Melbourne’s greatest community assets.

In addition, the releases deliver great social benefits by improving conditions for everyone who enjoys the Yarra, particularly those engaged in fishing, camping and canoeing. Improving water quality also delivers indirect economic benefits to irrigators and urban water supply

The water is part of the Yarra River’s annual environmental allocation that is dedicated to maintaining the important environmental values in Melbourne’s iconic waterway.

Melbourne Water is working with the VEWH and other stakeholders to monitor the response of the river and aquatic life closely following the event to inform future releases. The VEWH prioritised this water release as part of its Seasonal Watering Plan 2016-17, which aims to improve river and wetland health across Victoria.

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