February 2023 saw Dr Deborah Bower and her team return to Toorale National Park (NP) in the Warriku (Warrego) Catchment of Western NSW to continue research with the University of New England (UNE) on freshwater turtle populations in floodplains. Find out more here on their findings.

Hydrology is the study of when, where and how galie (water) is delivered into a bagaay (river) channel, floodplain or warrambool (wetland). The Long Term Intervention Monitoring and Flow-MER projects have tracked natural flows and releases of Commonwealth water for the environment into the Gwydir River since July 2014. This delivery of galie directly impacts galie quality and through this defines the living conditions for aquatic species, including gunambaay (waterbirds) andvegetation.

Following the large inundation event Flow-MER scientists Jared Reid and Emeritus Professor Nick Reid undertook a waterbird survey. Many parts of the floodplain were still wet, providing great habitat for waterbirds.

The Gomeroi Warrambools (Gwydir Wetlands) make up a part of the Gomeroi Peoples Country. Its water is the life source of the Gomeroi People and has been for thousands of years. The wetlands play a major cultural and environmental role, and we explore many elements within with our Gwydir Flow-MER stories.

Dr Paul Frazier and Dr Mark Southwell met up with Bourke's Western Herald Newspaper and Rod Corfe from Radio 2WEB to discuss the recent Culture to Science day at Toorale, a part of the Warrego-Darling Flow-MER project.

On June 17 the Kurnu-Baakandji People, 2rog Consulting, University of New England, DPI Fisheries and members from the Toorale Joint Management Committee and National Parks and Wildlife Services gathered on Toorale National Park to share cultural and science knowledge. Thank you to everyone who joined us for the day.

The composition of inland floodplain vegetation communities, such as those on the Western Floodplain of the Warrego River, fluctuates as the floodplain alternates between wet and dry periods. Water loving species dominate wet periods, but as the floodplain dries these species die off, creating space for terrestrial species to move in.

As part of the Flow-MER program, scientists investigate what impact Commonwealth environmental water flows are having on fish, birds, vegetation and river connectivity in the Murray-Darling Basin. Felix Noble works for the University of New England’s Aquatic Ecology Restoration and Research Group as a field technician. Felix Noble composed a photo essay compiled from multiple trips Felix has made with Flow-MER scientists to the Gwydir Wetlands and Toorale National Park.