Region: Upper Murray

Legal Number: LEGL/93-159/1

Plantation: Shelley

Conservation Priority: Low-High


93-159 March 01: Very poor creek crossing over Koetong Creek tributary only metres upstream of Koetong Creek. High sediment potential from this creek crossing. (Creek covered in shadow).

Plantation within Australian Newsprint Mill (ANM) Ltd area of supply.


Plantation within Carter Holt Harvey (now owned by International Paper) area of supply.

Plantation within Boral Timber (Tumbarumba) NSW area of supply.

Plantation within Dominance Industries (Alpine MDF Industries) area of supply.

North East Victoria Plantation Map here

Plantation Possibly located on Tin Mine tailings: Tin was first worked in the Koetong area in 1873. In June that year, stream tin was being worked on Koetong, Dry Forest, Burrowye, Pheasant and Cudgewa Creeks and their branches. Stream tin was worked in much the same way as alluvial gold; the upper soil (called 'stripping') on the creek flats was shovelled away until tin-bearing washdirt was exposed; sluicing was then carried out.

Water Catchment Area: LAKE HUME SUPPLIES WATER TO BELLBRIDGE, TALLANGATTA. MURRAY RIVER SUPPLIES WATER TO ALBURY/WODONGA, TANGAMBALANGA, KIEWA, RUTHERGLEN, YARRAWONGA, COBRAM, BARMAH, ECHUCA , KERANG, PIANGIL, SWAN HILL, ROBINVALE, MILDURA

Herbicides Used by Hancock in Pine Plantations - North East Region Victoria

Herbicide Label Rate max as kg/ha Used to control Notes Application
Carfentrazone-Ethyl 0.036      
Clopyralid 2.55 Woody Weeds Highly Toxic/Potential Ground water Contaminant air or ground
Glyphosate 3.6 Herbaceous and woody weeds, noxious weeds    
Hexazinone 4 Woody Weeds Ground Water Contaminant Aerial, ground, spot
Metsulfuron-Methyl 0.06 Woody Weeds, Noxious Weeds Potential Ground Water Contaminant Aerial, ground or spot
Triclopyr 3 Woody and Noxious Weeds   Ground, spot, basal bark

 

Plantation lies inside Lake Hume Designated Water Supply Catchment.

THREATENED FISH NOTES - KOETONG CREEK: Trout Cod stocked in Koetong Creek

Responsible Authority: Towong Shire Council

Plantation Catchment: Wetlands feeding into Koetong Creek and tributaries of Koetong Creek..

Catchment Managment Authority: North East Catchment Management Authority

Hancock Watch site visit Mar 01: Plantation stretches north of Koetong along farmland in the Koetong Creek valley. Most of the plantations in the valley were on flat farmland and therefore warranted a low priority. However, plantations at the northern end of the plantation warrant a high rating due to the likliehood of the Koetong Creek being stocked with a viable population of trout cod. At this end of the plantation a very dubious creek crossing was observed with potential siltation problems occurring. Just south of this site a small buffer zone was evident with some pines being within 10 metres of the creek. Therefore this plantation warranted a high protection priority. Buffer zones were apparent along creek although the creek appeared to be running very turbid.

Upper Murray River: The Upper Murray Basin is drained by numerous small streams which comprise part of the headwaters of the Murray River. All the rivers, except the lower reaches of the northern streams, flow through inaccessible, heavily forested mountain country. The two best trout waters are the Cudgewa and Nariel Creeks. Koetong Creek is being stocked with trout cod as part of a program aimed at establishing additional viable populations of this endangered native fish species.

Koetong Creek, Koetong: Rises in mountainous forested country, then flows swiftly down a steep gradient to a backwater of Lake Hume, gravel and granite rock bed. Narrow in the upper reaches and access requires local knowledge. Carries some brown trout to 1.2kg, although most fish are much smaller; some rainbow trout to 300g, and some spiny freshwater crayfish. Part of the stream has been identified as suitable habitat to attempt to establish a viable population of trout cod and a 3-5 year trial stocking program with hatchery produced fish commenced in 1989.

Source: A Guide to the Inland Angling Waters of Victoria by BR Tunbridge, PL Rogan, CA Barnham. Department Conservation and Environment. Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research, 123 Brown St, Heidelberg, 3084. (4th ed - 1991)

"The distribution of Trout Cod is more restricted than in the past (Cadwallader &Gooley 1984). They were once widespread in the Murray-Darling system, mostly in the upper reaches (e.g. Mitta Mitta, Ovens, King and Goulburn Rivers), though recorded as far downstream as Mannum in South Australia (Cadwallader &Backhouse 1983, Cadwallader & Gooley 1984). In Victoria the only known viable population occurs in Seven Creeks, upstream of Euroa between Gooram Falls and Polly McQuinns Weir, and originates from fish translocated from the Goulburn River in 1921 and 1922.

The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (CNR) and its predecessors have released fish into Koetong, Hughes, Ryans and Buffalo Creeks and the Coliban and Broken Rivers. There are also unconfirmed reports of Trout Cod in a number of waters, including the King, upper Ovens, and lower Goulburn Rivers, and Cutting, Narial, Cudgewa, Morses and Broken Creeks.

The fungal disease Pine Needle Blight (Dothistroma) is well advanced in pine plantations in the Koetong Creek catchment, upstream of a site where CNR is attempting to establish a population of Trout Cod. Copper-based chemical control of this disease may have adverse impacts on stream systems, particularly by disrupting litter decomposition, a process that relies in part on aquatic fungi, which are probably susceptible to copper-based fungicides. The protection of Trout Cod habitat may require prescriptive changes, such as increased buffer strips or no chemical use at all (requiring research into biological control methods).

Harvesting methods in the Koetong plantations may need to be revised to take into account Trout Cod habitat protection. The stands are even aged, and would normally be harvested over one to two years. To avoid potential changes to hydrology and the risk of erosion and stream sedimentation, harvesting may need to be spread over a longer period and different harvesting methods may need to be used (e.g. selective logging, strip thinning)". FFG - ACTION STATEMENT NOTES FOR TROUT COD. Department of Natural Resources and Environment.

Koetong Creek, Koetong: Rises in mountainous forested country, then flows swiftly down a steep gradient to a backwater of Lake Hume, gravel and granite rock bed. Narrow in the upper reaches and access requires local knowledge. Carries some brown trout to 1.2kg, although most fish are much smaller; some rainbow trout to 300g, and some spiny freshwater crayfish. Last stocked with trout by Department in 1964. Part of the stream has been identified as suitable habitat to attempt to establish a viable population of trout cod and a 3-5 year trial stocking program with hatchery produced fish commenced in 1989.

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