Murrumbidgee Monitoring Evaluation and Research Program, ecological responses to Commonwealth environmental water: Field report. Number 3, January 2020

This report describes preliminary outcomes of Commonwealth environmental watering actions at selected wetlands in the mid and lower Murrumbidgee. These surveys are conducted four times a year as part of the Murrumbidgee Monitoring, Evaluation and Research Program and include assessment of ecological outcomes in the Murrumbidgee River and connected wetlands through the mid-Murrumbidgee and Lowbidgee floodplain wetlands as outlined in the Murrumbidgee Monitoring and Evaluation Plan.
Routine monitoring of fish, frogs, tadpoles, water quality and vegetation diversity was undertaken at the 12 MER wetland monitoring sites in the Murrumbidgee Selected Area during January 2020. All sites were accessible, but two sites were either dry or held insufficient water to set nets. An additional pumped wetland site in the mid-Murrumbidgee (Mantangery Lagoon) was also monitored.

Weather conditions were variable, with mild daytime temperatures and several mm of rain falling in the Lowbidgee. Strong winds and dust storms also occurred at Gayini Nimmie-Caira during the first survey week. Conditions were hot and sunny in the mid-Murrumbidgee where daytime maximum temperatures reached 38-42C and overnight lows dropped to around 20C.