Macquarie River and Marshes Flow-MER

The Centre for Ecosystem Science undertakes monitoring, evaluation and research (MER) on behalf of the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder (CEWH) in the Macquarie River system including the internationally significant, Ramsar-protected Macquarie Marshes.

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About the Macquarie River and Marshes

The Macquarie River and Marshes Flow-MER Area incorporates critical wetland and river assets including the Macquarie Marshes, one of the largest and most important wetlands in the Murray–Darling Basin, extending over 200,000 hectares, approximately 19,000 hectares of which are Ramsar-listed.

New to the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder’s (CEWH) Flow-MER program in 2024, the Macquarie River and Marshes Area extends downstream of Lake Burrendong, to the junction of the Barwon–Darling River system. It includes the mainstem Wambuul/Macquarie River including all creeks and rivers through the Macquarie Marshes and adjacent wetlands and floodplain.

The system relies on natural flooding and water from various sources including environmental water holdings, unregulated flows and local rainfall. Much of the flow in the Macquarie River is maintained by Burrendong and Windamere dam releases.

Showing major towns such as Bathurst and Dubbo, Windamere and Burrendong Dam in the south of the catchment, unregulated and regulated rivers, artificial channels and environmental assets, including the Macquarie Marshes in the north of the catchment

Macquarie Valley showing major rivers, creeks and Marshes Inset: Location of Macquarie catchment within Murray–Darling Basin

The Marshes include flood-dependent vegetation including extensive areas of common reed, water couch and river red gum forests.

This vegetation is critical in supporting large waterbird breeding rookeries that occur during large-scale flooding. The Marshes is one of the key wetland sites for nesting waterbirds in the Basin and also an important site for the endangered Australian painted snipe and threatened Australasian bittern.

The Wambuul/Macquarie River supports 24 native fish species, including threatened species the Murray cod, silver perch, trout cod and freshwater catfish.

The Marshes, which is made up of freshwater channels, small lagoons and streams, with seasonal and ephemeral swamps and floodplains, includes the Macquarie Marshes Nature Reserve. Much of the remaining area - some Ramsar-listed – is owned and managed by private landholders predominantly engaged in livestock production.

The landholders are represented by the Macquarie Marshes Environmental Landholders Association who have a strong focus on the long-term conservation of the Marshes.

The CEWH and NSW environmental water managers work collaboratively with the Macquarie-Cudgegong Environmental Water Advisory Group (EWAG) to plan and manage water for the environment in the Macquarie.

Research themes

Our monitoring, evaluation and research (MER) in the Macquarie River and Marshes informs the following themes:

Native vegetation

Our native vegetation studies in the Macquarie River and Marshes aim to understand how water for the environment contributes to water-dependent vegetation communities by maintaining and/or improving diverse vegetation; the extent and condition of woody and non-woody vegetation; and the condition of lignum shrublands.

Study methods include field quadrats and transects, satellite imagery and some drone imagery.

In 2024–2025 we are focused on selecting field and research sites, and vegetation surveys.

Native fish

The Flow-MER native fish work aims to understand how water for the environment contributes to population structure, abundance, diversity, recruitment and condition.

Sampling is conducted annually in Autumn at 20 sample sites along the Wambuul/Macquarie River and Marshes. Electrofishing and fyke netting (to collect freshwater catfish) are used for sampling.

In 2024–2025, key activities are fish community sampling and monitoring, monitoring of Murray cod and golden perch stocking outcomes, and water quality measurements. Fish movement research is also being undertaken.

Acoustic tags have been implanted into golden perch to extend previous research and utilise an existing acoustic telemetry network. Learn more about the acoustic tagging.

Waterbirds

Our waterbird studies aim to understand how water for the environment contributes to abundance and species diversity; breeding occurrences; and providing and supporting habitats.

The team undertake four sets of repeat ground-based field surveys at 10 sites annually and annual Spring aerial and ground surveys. Acoustic recorders monitor the presence of waterbird species outside of specific surveys.

Work in 2024-2025, the project’s first year, is focused on field surveys and installing water depth loggers and acoustic recorders.

River flows and connectivity

Our river flow and connectivity studies aim to understand how water for the environment influences flows, hydrological connectivity, and biotic indicators (eg. waterbirds and fish).

The team use a range of data sources including satellite imagery to capture inundation; existing river gauges to capture flows; and water depth loggers.

In 2024–2025 we are establishing a data archive and setting up the technology infrastructure and software resources required to manage and analyse satellite imagery, inundation models, and gauge and logger data.

Cultural outcomes

The Wayilwan people led by Danielle Flakelar are the cultural advisors for the Macquarie River and Marshes Area Flow-MER program. They support relationship building between Aboriginal People with connection to Country and UNSW staff. Cultural advisors work with Aboriginal People with connection to Country to:

Facilitate knowledge sharing between Aboriginal People, and between Aboriginal People and UNSW staff
Identify opportunities and activities to support the values and aspirations of Aboriginal People
Facilitate opportunities for Aboriginal People to be involved in the design and implementation of Flow-MER projects and activities.

In working together, UNSW supports the protection of Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP) and Indigenous Data Sovereignty rights as appropriate for the Aboriginal People we work with.

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