Project delivery: West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority

Targeted outcomes:

  • Environmental; Native vegetation, fauna and fish
  • Economic; Town water supply, irrigation supply
  • Social: Community recreation
  • Long-term monitoring site

Restoration works

The Carran Carran (Mid Thomson River) is a near-80 km stretch of the larger Thompson River system. It starts downstream of Cowwarr Weir and meets with the Macalister River. It also includes the Rainbow Creek anabranch – a section of a river or stream that diverts from the main channel.

This river contains many waterways prioritised in the West Gippsland Waterway Strategy. The flagship waterways project is a vital link in this strategy's long-term vision. They both have shared aims to provide habitat connectivity along the Thomson River.

Works on these habitats will stretch from the Victorian Alps to the Gippsland Lakes.

The West Gippsland CMA will lead the project in partnership with the local community. The project's main objectives are:

  • engage and inform communities that contribute to waterway management decisions
  • to maintain or increase native fish species populations and diversity
  • remove non-native vegetation such as willows from riverbanks
  • provide and protect a continuous native vegetation corridor along the river
  • create a river channel that can withstand moderate flooding with only minor erosion.

Environmental flows have focused on providing autumn and spring fresh water flows for spawning and recruitment opportunities for native fish species. Some fish species found in this area include Australian grayling, tupong and Australian bass. These flows also enable fish to move between habitats along the river.

An image of an Australian grayling fish on a pair of hands. A small transmittor is also in the image. This fish has a slender body and small head. Brownish to olive colouring on the upper body, and light on the sides and belly is white.
An Australian grayling fish with an acoustic transmitter
Source: WGCMA and the Arthur Rylah Institute.

Page last updated: 09/09/23