The Cohuna Irrigation Diversion Screen Project has been operating now for over four years.
During this time, the North Central Catchment Management Authority (NCCMA) have conducted several post installation tests. The results have been consistent with project expectations, to successfully achieve:
- The required water supply
- Minimal power consumption
- Minimal head loss
- Low maintenance costs
- Successful fish and debris screening results
- Indications of recovering fish populations
- Reduced weed loads downstream
NSW Fisheries studies indicate for every megalitre of water extracted from natural waterways, 3.5 fish are lost.
Assuming a similar fish loss in the Gunbower Creek, for Cohuna’s Number 3 Offtake this would equate to an average 200ML/d extracted x 3.5 fish lost x 270 days in the irrigation season x 4 years = possibly 756,000 fish that have remained in the Gunbower Creek over the past 4 years, that had previously been lost to the irrigation diversion system.
This is a substantial contribution toward the native breeding stock in the area.
Read more about the project here.
