Influence of the Camballin Barrage on Fish Communities in the Fitzroy River, Western Australia

Citation

Land & Water Australia. 2009. Influence of the Camballin Barrage on Fish Communities in the Fitzroy River, Western Australia. [Online] (Updated July 30th, 2009)
Available at: http://lwa.gov.au/node/3587 [Accessed Monday 25th of April 2011 10:15:52 PM ].

The Barrage on the Fitzroy River presents a considerable barrier to fish migrations in this ecologically, culturally and socially important system.

This barrier leads to a bottleneck of predatory species that in turn affects the prevailing fauna and disrupts important ecological aspects of the system. For example, when some species become trapped below the Barrage they are subjected to increased predation and are more easily targeted by recreational fishers.

The report recommends that to restore fish passage in the river a fish-way should be constructed at the Barrage and that a feasibility study be undertaken to construct a fish-way and determine the hydrological impacts to the upstream pool and to Snake Creek.