11 July 2024
Creeks and rivers in the Wimmera region were flowing well last year following a wet winter. Project Platypus and the Wimmera Catchment Management Authority teamed up to make the most of the conditions. The Wimmera River and Nowhere Creek near near Elmhurst and Crowlands were surveyed for 33 species of animals using new eDNA testing technology. In total, six sites were sampled using a new specially designed vacuum pump mounted on a backpack that was able to sample up to 2 litres at a time. The water was passed through a filter, which captured any animal DNA for testing in a laboratory for different animals including fish, mammals and birds.
The testing revealed some very interesting species living in the waterways including several native fish, Rakali, turtles, frogs and waterbirds. This indicated that there are healthy sections in the upper catchment that provide important habitat for our native species. One section of Nowhere Creek had been really well protected with fencing and revegetation with a diversity of native grasses, sedges, shrubs and trees. This site demonstrated how effective habitat protection can be and the great benefits it has for native flora and fauna.
One of the animals that we hoped this survey would detect is the elusive Platypus. The upper Wimmera River and Mount Cole creek had reasonably healthy populations of Platypus 10-20 years ago and we are hopeful that there may still be some living in the area. Unfortunately, no Platypus were detected during this survey, however there are still several reports that we will follow up on later this year. We will be testing more potential platypus sites during late winter when there is likely to be more water flow and Platypus would be active.
Mark McLean
Manager