Leaf litter from the red gums along the Campaspe River will be washed away as the North Central Catchment Management Authority prepares waterways for summer.
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Natural debris sits on various levels of the river bank and needs to be flushed down the river each year to avoid disaster.
NCCMA Project Manager Darren White said two flows in August and October would help the fish and platypus survive during spring, and give the banks a much-needed clean.
“Along some sections of the river there has been significant buildup of leaf litter and debris,” he said.
“This needs to be flushed away before it gets too hot. If it’s not, and there is a high flow in summer, it will wash into the river and could cause a toxic blackwater event.
“If we flush it down the river now, it will break down when the weather is cooler, providing a nutrient boom for fish and platypus.”
Up to 1300 megalitres a day for two days will flow down the river during both events and account for a maximum of 3 per cent of the water that flowed into Lake Eppalock.
“Over the past few years, our watering program has produced exciting results for the Campaspe,” Mr White said.
