Appendix 5: Full list of potential VEFMAP Stage 6 fish questions Shortlisted VEFMAP 6 fish questions as developed by ARI, UoM, CMAs and DELWP. Proposed Condition or Relevant Species Proposed Question Possible Scale Value Logic Question (can be characterisation of intervention catchment measurement posed by? constraints add/cost refined by CMAs) flow monitoring endpoint/s to answering sharing question 1. Does environmental Spring fresh flow Intervention Bunyip Grayling Otolith analysis Stream Catchment MW Several CMAs are flow management with 14-day duration barriers releasing water to Yarra Tupong Hydraulics & CMAs trigger post-larval and and 50% estuaries to enhance Regional Thomson Australian Fishway trapping YOY diadromous (fish exceedance flow diadromous fish bass Where that move between outcomes but attraction of Cardinia Distribution possible align freshwater & the sea) Young-Of-Year (YOY) Galaxiids? Glenelg Quantify hydraulic with areas fish to enter rivers from has not been formally Estuary perch cues (water velocity, where there is estuarine/marine tested. Data from Dights Werribee turbulence) stream barrier environments? Falls suggests that Barham remediation marine residency time is influenced by freshwater Tyers/ flows to estuaries. La Trobe Hence, recruitment of Barwon/ YOY in coastal rivers can potentially be enhanced Moorabool with freshwater flow cues. 2. Does environmental Spring/summer Intervention Glenelg Grayling CPUE barriers Catchment MW Several CMAs have flow management fresh flow with two reported that upstream Thomson Tupong Movement &Regional CMAs improve the spatial 10+ day duration dispersal of diadromous Cardinia Eels Fishway trapping distribution of events and 50% fish occurs during/after diadromous fish in exceedance flow flow events. Examples Yarra Australian Marked fish coastal rivers? are Estuary perch/tupong bass Barwon/ Distribution in Glenelg, Galaxiids? Quantify hydraulic tupong/grayling in Bunyip, Moorabool cues velocity, galaxiids in the Werribee Lampreys? Macalister turbulence) and several spp in the Werribee Estuary perch Macalister. By restoring flows and complementary Barham? actions (e.g. fish Tyers/La passage) there is Trobe potential to restore diadromous fish populations in the middle and upper freshwater reaches of coastal rivers.
Appendix 5: Full list of potential VEFMAP Stage 6 fish questions Shortlisted VEFMAP 6 fish questions as developed by ARI, UoM, CMAs and DELWP. Question (can be refined by CMAs) Proposed characterisation of flow Condition or intervention monitoring Relevant catchment Species Proposed measurement endpoint/s Question posed by? Possible constraints to answering question Scale Value add/cost sharing Logic 1. Does environmental flow management trigger post-larval and YOY diadromous (fish that move between freshwater & the sea) fish to enter rivers from estuarine/marine environments? Spring fresh flow with 14-day duration and 50% exceedance flow Quantify hydraulic cues (water velocity, turbulence) Intervention Bunyip Yarra Thomson Cardinia Glenelg Werribee Barham Tyers/ La Trobe Barwon/ Moorabool Grayling Tupong Australian bass Galaxiids? Estuary perch Otolith analysis Hydraulics Fishway trapping Distribution Stream barriers Where possible align with areas where there is stream barrier remediation Catchment & Regional MW CMAs Several CMAs are releasing water to estuaries to enhance diadromous fish outcomes but attraction of Young-Of-Year (YOY) has not been formally tested. Data from Dights Falls suggests that marine residency time is influenced by freshwater flows to estuaries. Hence, recruitment of YOY in coastal rivers can potentially be enhanced with freshwater flow cues. 2. Does environmental flow management improve the spatial distribution of diadromous fish in coastal rivers? Spring/summer fresh flow with two 10+ day duration events and 50% exceedance flow Quantify hydraulic cues velocity, turbulence) Intervention Glenelg Thomson Cardinia Yarra Barwon/ Moorabool Macalister Werribee Barham? Tyers/La Trobe Grayling Tupong Eels Australian bass Galaxiids? Lampreys? Estuary perch CPUE Movement Fishway trapping Marked fish Distribution barriers Catchment &Regional MW CMAs Several CMAs have reported that upstream dispersal of diadromous fish occurs during/after flow events. Examples are Estuary perch/tupong in Glenelg, tupong/grayling in Bunyip, galaxiids in the Werribee and several spp in the Macalister. By restoring flows and complementary actions (e.g. fish passage) there is potential to restore diadromous fish populations in the middle and upper freshwater reaches of coastal rivers.