Mosaic Map: NRM funded projects
Key
site specific
region wide
Connecting landscapes at Lake Tyrrell
A project to connect landscapes at Lake Tyrrell, Victoria's largest salt lake, is providing a helping hand to threatened plant and animal species. It will protect and link existing habitat with newly planted areas.
Funding
The Mallee Catchment Management Authority (CMA) is undertaking the Linking Remnant Vegetation at Lake Tyrell and Surrounds project with $200,000 from the Australian Government and support from the State Government.
Activities
Lake Tyrrell is a large salt lake depression in the south-east of the Mallee.
"The Lake is an important wildlife corridor," said John McLaughlin, Mallee CMA project officer. "Its biodiversity is at risk due to salinity, the rising water table and the extensive land clearing,
"Our aim is to protect and link existing fragment or remnant native vegetation together, then connect these with the areas we've replanted, to create enough habitat for native plants and animals to survive."
The project has fenced off existing native vegetation to keep stock out and replanted other areas. Around 55 kilometres of ground has been prepared or ripped so tube stock can be planted, and 55 kilometres has been direct seeded. Some protected areas are now quite large, with the biggest forming an eight kilometre long, 100 metre wide corridor.
Achievements
Approximately 29 kilometres of fencing has been completed protecting a total of 712 hectares, including 644 hectares of existing native vegetation and 68 hectares of new plantings.
"As at January 2007, 60 per cent of the new plantings had survived—quite a good rate under the current drought conditions for a large-scale project that doesn't involve irrigation," said John. "More tube stock will be planted when more water is available.
"This project has exceeded all our original targets by a substantial margin across all areas."
The Catchment Management Authority worked extensively with local landholders throughout the project to understand their expectations and to factor in any specific requirements, such as different fencing requirements for different types of stock.
"We've had excellent feedback from landholders," said John. "One told us that 'our property will hopefully serve as a benchmark of what can be achieved to ensure sustainability and enable people to follow in our footsteps'."
More information
- Philip Stevens, Mallee CMA project officer: (03) 5051 4377 or philip.stevens@dpi.vic.gov.au
- Mallee Catchment Management Authority
See also
Key
Links to another web site
Opens a pop-up window