The members of the Jeparit Waterwatch Group (JWW) have been relieved to see the improvement that the rain during last winter and spring has made in the water quality at the Wimmera River's "bottom end' at Jeparit.

Salinity, or the salt level in the water, is the key concern of JWW. Members have seen so much damage done to their wetland environment in extreme salinity levels over their lifetimes and have been documenting the extremes that have occurred in the last two decades. However, the review of changes in the last year was pleasing (graph below).

While salinity levels had skyrocketed last autumn, the winter rains halted this. Salinity levels dropped greatly, and have been reasonable since through the year since then. The water came back to the dry Lake Hindmarsh (photo below), and with it, fish and birds.

Jeparit Waterwatch volunteers on the River at their Museum site, on their 22nd birthday, from left: Frank Pitt, David Livingston, Campbell Livingston and Martin Stone, with Gordon Bennett and Jeanie Clark absent from this photo. Photo J. Clark

JWW also test turbidity, and pH and records temperature monthly. Nothing unusual was found in the last year.

Nitrate testing was also carried out but none was found.

"We hope to do some more specific testing for chemicals in the next year, through the support of the Wimmera CMA."



Annotated graph showing salinity changes for the JWW monitoring sites along the Wimmera River since the flood of Jan 2011. Graph J. Clark.

In May, JWW celebrated their 22nd year birthday of continuous monthly monitoring of the several sites along the River from Tarranyurk to Lake Hindmarsh. Aged from their 30's to 80's, the JWW volunteers meet monthly on the second Wednesday morning at the Jeparit Museum to do the testing and note changes in the River's environment and its wildlife.

"Visitors and new members are welcome to join us, and share in the activities and chat," David Livingston said.

"The water's return has also meant that the fish have been good in the last year compared with the previous one," Campbell Livingston said.

"We have commonly had reports of catches of Yellow Belly and Redfin, and Carp large and small."

JWW also record bird sightings along the River. In the last month, Frank Pitt was delighted to have seen a species that had not been seen for several years. This was the Whistling Tree Duck, seen in isolated pairs.

"This medium-sized duck settles in trees rather than on the water, and chirps rather than quacks," he said.

"There has also been recent large flocks of about 200 pelicans - probably attracted by fish in the Lake."

"Large flocks of Galahs have also been around since spring and the Jeparit Primary School children had also noticed a family of Tawny Frogmouths roosting in a tree by the oval in May. It's been really great to see these changes in the last year," Jeanie Clark added.



Water has returned to Lake Hindmarsh in the last year and there are fish within it. Photo J. Clark