MEDIA RELEASE
17th December 2018
Local manufacturing company, AWMA Water Control Solutions partnered with North Central Catchment Management Authority and NSW Department of Primary Industries to host 40 international guests, Friday and Saturday of last week.
The tour was held in conjunction with the inaugural Fish Passage’2018; Australia’s First Symposium on Hydropower and Fish Management.
The Fish Passage Conference held in Albury during the week was a huge success with almost 400 delegates from more than 30 countries attending.
Following the conference, delegates were offered a number of tours and short courses. Nearly 40 delegates chose a two-day ‘overnight outback excursion’ focused on Murray River fishways, river rehabilitation projects and AWMA’s leading edge fish screening technology.
The tour to Cohuna included an inspection of the new Irrigation Diversion Offtake Fish Screens, AWMA’s ‘FlowLab’ flow certification facility and manufacturing plant, stopping at other weirs and fishways along the way.
The majority of water flowing through our natural water ways is diverted through gravity or pumped offtakes, which also take fish, larvae and eggs from creeks and rivers, depleting natural fish stocks and clogging water diversion infrastructure.
Fish Exclusion Screens reduce the velocity levels at irrigation diversion points, to ensure native fish, embryo’s/larvae and eggs are not lost or impinged as a result of coming into contact with the an irrigation offtake, screen or screening structure.
AWMA Water Control Solutions have designed a range of Fish Exclusion Screens that can be customised for any type of gravity or pumped irrigation diversions from 10ML/D – 250ML/D per screen. The Cohuna Fish Exclusion Screen System is rated at 600ML/D maximum offtake flow.
Key design considerations for irrigation offtakes includes minimal head loss, ability to deliver guaranteed flow rates, debris, cleaning, maintenance and safety for asset owners and wildlife.
AWMA screens are specifically developed to protect both irrigation infrastructure and aquatic life, within Australian conditions.
Optimal pump efficiency is achieved through 100% of the screen remaining clean, 100% of the time with automated self-cleaning functions.
Fine mesh of 3mm slot size, increased screen area and reduced velocities prevent weeds and debris from being sucked onto the screen, with a reduced ‘area of influence’ around the screen. In the case of the Cohuna open channel diversion, screening prevents the entry of weed through the diversion and into on-farm pumps. Thus, providing irrigators a higher level of water quality.
AWMA screens ensure efficient water delivery through low ‘whole of life’ infrastructure that is safe, effective and accessible.
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Media Contact
Belinda Barker
AWMA Water Control Solutions
0412971580
belinda@nullawmawatercontrol.com.au
https://www.awmawatercontrol.com.au
Supporting information can be found at:
https://fishpassage.umass.edu/first-symposium-hydropower-and-fish-management
https://www.awmawatercontrol.com.au/projects/gunbower-fish-exclusion-screen-project-cohuna/
