Installations for the fish habitat being lowered into place at Waranga Basin.
New fish habitat has been installed in Waranga Basin, creating a sustainable golden perch fishery readily accessible by recreational fishers.
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Fish habitats provide small ecosystems for different species of fish. The Waranga Basin fish habitat has been specifically designed for golden perch and constructed with a range of locally sourced materials, including river timber, plants, cinderblocks and sleepers.
Construction of the habitat will be supported by the stocking of 700,000 golden perch fingerlings in the storage over the next three years.
Goulburn-Murray Water recreation and land officer Chris Braden said Waranga Basin was the perfect location for the habitat.
“Waranga Basin is a very popular destination among both boaters and fishers,” he said.
“In recent years we have upgraded the Harriman Point boat ramp, and made numerous improvements to the facilities at the basin, including the installation of multiple all-ability facilities.”
The site is near Murray Dve, about 500m south of Waranga Boat Club.
Cinder blocks and tree material were some of the components of the installation at Waranga Basin.
Some residents of the nearby residential estate, Waranga Shores, complained they were not consulted about the project and several last minute alterations were made to the project after meetings with the residents.
Several factors determined where the fish habitat would be located, including the topography of the basin floor, the basin’s operating levels, minimising the impact of other users at the storage, and accessibility for fishers.
The habitat was constructed with the assistance of a grant from the Victorian Fisheries Authority.
Some of the timber from the Rushworth to Murchison rail trail project was used for the project.
GV Association of Angling Clubs chair Roland Huber said he was pleased to see the project come to fruition.
“It’s been a great effort from all the different agencies to see this project completed,” he said.
“A lot of people have helped out in researching the habitat’s location and design, so I’m confident it will be an excellent outcome for the community.”
Works on the habitat were completed on Friday, October 13.
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