Cute Critters Caught in River Survey

River Critter Survey Along the Margaret River

Along the foreshore of Wooditjup Bilya, over twenty environmental stewards and community members joined the Shire’s Environment and Landcare Team and Department of Water and Environmental Regulation’s (DWER) River Science Team for a River Critter survey!

Part of DWER’s Healthy Rivers program, the river health assessments are undertaken in strategic locations across the south west of Western Australia, including sites along the Margaret and Blackwood Rivers.

On the day, we were lucky to get up close and see two snake-necked turtles, two rakalis (water rats), western minor, eastern gambusia, blue-spot goby, marron and glass shrimp which were caught (and then released) as part of the survey.

Bunuru, being the hottest and driest time of the year, is the perfect time to survey and collect river health data, as our permanent pools are habitat refuges for aquatic fauna like fish, marron, turtles, frogs and invertebrates.

The data collected by DWER is used to inform land managers and support the development of strategies to best protect river ecosystems.

Thank you to the DWER River Science Team for letting us be a part of this very important program of protecting our local waterways. Find out more at Healthy Rivers.

If you would like to contribute towards the protection of our river foreshore reserves, get in contact at [email protected] about joining a local Friends of Reserves Group (Shire supported groups who focus their efforts on looking after natural areas in our shire).

Picture: Dr Tim Storer, Manager of River Science with DWER and a Rikali that was caught in Wooditjup Bilya.