Jailbreak: a fishway releases the endangered Macquarie perch from confinement below an anthropogenic barrier
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
CSIRO PUBLISHING
Marine and Freshwater Research, 2013, 64, 900–908
http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/MF12245
Jailbreak: a fishway releases the endangered Macquarie
perch from confinement below an anthropogenic barrier
B. T. Broadhurst A,B,E, B. C. Ebner B,C, M. Lintermans A,B,
J. D. Thiem A,D and R. C. Clear A,B
A
Parks, Conservation & Lands, Territory & Municipal Services, GPO Box 158, Canberra,
ACT 2601, Australia.
B
Present address: Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra, Bruce, ACT 2601,
Australia.
C
Present address: Tropical Landscapes Joint Venture, CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences & TropWATER,
PO Box 780, 47 Maunds Road, Atherton, Qld 4883, Australia.
D
Present address: Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology,
Carleton University, 1125 Colonel Bay Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K1S 5B6, Canada.
E
Corresponding author. Email: ben.broadhurst@canberra.edu.au
Abstract. Management interventions are often needed to facilitate the recovery of ecosystems affected as a result of
human alteration. Population-level monitoring is often central to evaluating the effectiveness of specific on-ground
actions. In the present study, we assessed the response of a remnant population of the endangered Macquarie perch
(Macquaria australasica) to the construction of a rock ramp fishway on the Cotter River, Australia, over a 7-year period.
Prior to fishway construction, this obligate riverine spawner had been previously confined to Cotter Reservoir and six
kilometres of stream by a raised road-crossing. Surveys conducted in the 2 years following fishway completion failed to
detect Macquarie perch upstream of the fishway. Subsequent surveys (6–7 years post-fishway completion) detected
Macquarie perch up to 12 km upstream of the fishway. The number and distribution of smaller-sized individuals
(0þ (,100-mm total length (TL) and 1þ (100- to .150-mm TL)) suggests that individuals found upstream of the fishway
are resident stream fish and not fish that have migrated from known downstream spawning areas. The success of the
fishway has been timely because enlargement of a downstream reservoir will inundate four kilometres of river and destroy
the majority of spawning sites of this species downstream of the fishway in the Cotter River.
Additional keywords: distribution, fish passage, long-term assessment, Macquaria, Percichthyidae, rock-ramp fishway.
Received 6 September 2012, accepted 24 June 2013, published online 6 September 2013
Introduction landscapes and populations represent a major threat to many
Connectivity refers to the degree to which the landscape enables ecosystems (Lord and Norton 1990; Saunders et al. 1991).
biota to move among habitats (Henein and Merriam 1990; Fragmentation can reduce the probability that critical habitats
Tischendorf and Fahrig 2000). For instance, individuals may are available (Dunning et al. 1992) and increase isolation of
need to move among feeding, breeding, nursery and refuge populations, rendering them more susceptible to stochastic
habitats either on daily, seasonal or annual timeframes. Popu- events, leading to population and species extinction (Fahrig
lations can also intermix or have the capacity to recolonise areas 1997; Hilderbrand and Kershner 2000b). Riverine ecosystems
after local disturbances, and the temporal nature of such con- are easily fragmented because of their linear nature (riverscapes)
nections operate across a multitude of scales and frequencies. and the relative inability of in-stream biota (e.g. fish) to pass
Natural connections of habitats may be intermittent (e.g. glacier barriers (Fausch et al. 2002; Fullerton et al. 2010), and are
formation, seasonal ice formation, the cover of night) and in commonly disrupted because water is a valuable human
undisturbed ecosystems provide drivers of ecosystem and evo- resource. A variety of anthropogenic structures result in frag-
lutionary structure and function. Importantly, this connectivity mentation of river ecosystems, with dams, weirs and road
is a function of landscape features and the dispersal ability of crossings being the most common (Warren Jr and Pardew
species (Tischendorf and Fahrig 2000). 1998; Verreault et al. 2004; Sheer and Steel 2006; Williams
Fragmentation occurs when connectivity is discontinued and et al. 2012). Fragmentation of river habitats can have negative
can be a basis for speciation and species extinction (Darwin effects on fish populations, especially those of migratory species
1859). Anthropogenic disturbances leading to fragmentation of (Laine et al. 2002; Wofford et al. 2005). Fishways are a common
Journal compilation Ó CSIRO 2013 www.publish.csiro.au/journals/mfrFishway releases the endangered Macquarie perch Marine and Freshwater Research 901
and effective management tool for increasing connectivity of Cotter
river habitats for fish (Jungwirth 1998; Stuart et al. 2008; Reservoir
Williams et al. 2012) and have been used for more than 300
A
years to facilitate fish movement past barriers (Nemenyi 1941).
Many of Australia’s freshwater fish species are migratory, at B
least to some degree (Harris et al. 1998) and barriers to fish
passage have long been recognised as a contributing factor to
freshwater fish declines in Australia (Mallen-Cooper 1999). The Vanitys fishway
majority of anthropogenic barriers to fish passage occur in the C
Murray–Darling Basin in south-eastern Australia (some 4000),
where human occupation and agriculture are concentrated
(Harris and Mallen-Cooper 1994; Lintermans 2007; Koehn
and Lintermans 2012). Consequently, fishways have a history D
er
in Australia spanning at least a century, although some earlier
Riv
fishways were ineffective for Australian fish species (Harris and
E
tter
Mallen-Cooper 1994; Barrett and Mallen-Cooper 2006). Recent
w
Co
Flo
and ongoing research on the swimming abilities of native fish
has provided more detailed parameters for fishway design
specifically targeted at Australian fishes (Harris and Mallen-
Cooper 1994; Mallen-Cooper 1994; Starrs et al. 2011). At low
level weirs (,1.5 m) and road crossings, rock-ramp (or nature-
like) fishways are being increasingly used as a relatively F
inexpensive and effective means of providing fish passage Bendora
Reservoir
(Harris et al. 1998; Beatty et al. 2007; Calles and Greenberg
2009; Steffensen et al. 2013). Furthermore, rock-ramp fishways
adopt a design philosophy which is ecologically based and aims
2 0 2 4 km
to mimic natural river segments (Katopodis et al. 2001) and
offer a relatively efficient means of passage (Bunt et al. 2012). N
Macquarie perch, Macquaria australasica Cuvier, 1830, has
reduced in distribution and in abundance since the early 1980s, Fig. 1. Location of Macquarie perch sampling sites (A–F) and Vanitys
Crossing fishway on the Cotter River between Bendora Dam and Cotter Dam
so much so that the species was declared nationally endangered
(inset location of study area within Australia).
(Ingram et al. 2000; Lintermans 2007). Barriers to passage,
sedimentation, alien fish species and overfishing are commonly
associated with the decline of Macquarie perch (Lintermans
increasing its distribution and providing access to potential
2007). Macquarie perch is a medium-sized deep-bodied Per-
spawning areas upstream.
cichthyid that attains a maximum size of 3.5 kg and 550 mm in
total length (TL), although individuals larger than 1 kg and
Materials and methods
350-mm TL are uncommon (Ingram et al. 2000; Lintermans
2007; Lintermans and Ebner 2010). Sexual maturity is reached at Study site
2 years (150–200-mm TL) for males and 3 years (,300-mm TL) The study was undertaken in the Cotter River, an upland stream
for females, although this can vary based on whether a fish that flows north along the western edge of the Australian Capital
matures in a river or reservoir (Appleford et al. 1998; Territory (ACT), Australia (Fig. 1). The Cotter River, located
Lintermans 2007). The species is highly fecund (50 000– within the Murray–Darling Basin, is a highly regulated upland
100 000 eggs per female) and long-lived (commonly 10–15 stream interrupted by numerous road crossings and the follow-
years, maximum of 26 years) (Cadwallader and Rogan 1977; ing three dams: Cotter Dam (500 m above sea level (asl),
Cadwallader 1984; Ingram et al. 1994; Lintermans and Ebner 358190 1000 S, 1488560 1900 E), Bendora Dam (778 m asl,
2010). Macquarie perch requires access to riverine habitats for 358260 4800 S, 1488490 4300 E) and Corin Dam (955 m asl,
spawning (Cadwallader and Rogan 1977; Tonkin et al. 2010). 358320 0700 S, 1488500 1300 E) (Nichols et al. 2006). The Cotter
Adult Macquarie perch that inhabit reservoirs have been found River has a total catchment area of 480 km2 and serves as the
to migrate only a few kilometres from the reservoir into the river main domestic water supply for the city of Canberra. Two
to spawn (Cadwallader and Rogan 1977; Tonkin et al. 2010). nationally endangered fishes, Macquarie perch and trout cod,
Translocated populations have established in several catch- Maccullochella macquariensis Cuvier, 1829, and one locally
ments, although time between translocation and detection of a threatened fish, two-spined blackfish, Gadopsis bispinosus
population can be delayed (Lintermans 2013c). In the current Sanger, 1984, as well as introduced rainbow trout, Oncor-
study, we aimed to determine whether the installation of a rock- hynchus mykiss Walbaum, 1792, brown trout Salmo trutta
ramp fishway facilitated upstream expansion of a Macquarie Linnaeus, 1758, goldfish Carassius auratus Linnaeus, 1758,
perch population immediately post-installation, and over a oriental weatherloach, Misgurnus anguillicaudatus Cantor,
longer period (.5 years) after installation. It was predicted that 1842, and eastern Gambusia, Gambusia holbrooki Girard, 1859,
the fishway would allow upstream access for Macquarie perch, currently reside in the Cotter River (Lintermans 2007, 2012).902 Marine and Freshwater Research B. T. Broadhurst et al.
In 2001, a rock-ramp fishway was installed on a road crossing (a)
(Vanitys Crossing 358200 4600 S, 1488530 2300 E, approximately
6 km upstream of Cotter Reservoir, see Fig. 1); this was con-
structed to provide access for Macquarie perch to 22 km of
upstream river habitat (Ebner and Lintermans 2007). Previous
sampling in the 1980s and 1990s using a variety of methods
(fyke netting, backpack electro-fishing) had not detected
Macquarie perch upstream of the road crossing and it was
believed that this species was extinct from this reach of the Cotter
River (M. Lintermans, unpubl. data). However, ad hoc obser-
vations and sampling had demonstrated that the species was
present up to the pool immediately downstream of the road
crossing (M. Lintermans, unpubl. data). The crossing was not
believed to be a barrier to either of the salmonid species,
because both were encountered frequently both upstream and
(b)
downstream of the crossing, and both are capable of surmounting
in-stream obstacles by jumping (M. Lintermans, unpubl. data).
The current study was undertaken along the 27-km river reach,
from immediately upstream of Cotter Reservoir to immediately
downstream of Bendora Dam (Fig. 1). Full supply level of the
recently completed enlarged Cotter Dam will move the extent of
the impounded waters upstream to within 1.5 km of the Vanitys
Crossing fishway (Lintermans 2012; Site B, Fig. 1).
Vanitys Crossing fishway
Vanitys Crossing is a concrete ford ,45 m in length that was
constructed in the 1970s and acted as a barrier preventing
upstream migration of Macquarie perch (Fig. 2a; Lintermans
1991). A partial-width rock-ramp fishway with a random-ridge
rock and reverse-leg design was installed here because the Fig. 2. Vanitys Crossing (a) before and (b) after installation of the rock-
stream is relatively narrow (,20 m), this fishway design ramp fishway.
requires minimal maintenance and the fishway only needed to
operate over a small range of flows (Fig. 2b). Biological char-
acteristics of Macquarie perch were incorporated into specific Table 1. Summary of fyke net effort used per site for the 2001]2002
design elements of the fishway. The fishway was designed with and 2007]2008 surveys of the Cotter Reservoir and Cotter River
a lower than customary gradient (1 : 30 rather than 1 : 25), DNS ¼ did not sample
specifically to accommodate the perceived poor swimming
performance of adult Macquarie perch (actual performance Reach Distance upstream of Net nights
unknown at the time of sampling). Velocities in the fishway Cotter Reservoir (km) 2001–2002 2007–2008
ranged from 0 to .1.0 m s1, although they were typically
Cotter Reservoir 0 227 24
,0.5 m s1, on the basis of three random transects (Ebner and Site A 1 70 24
Lintermans 2007). The fishway was also designed with a ‘v’ Site B 5 40 24
profile (deeper in middle) to accommodate the depth require- Site C 9 24 24
ment of large adult Macquarie perch. Capping was installed on Site D 14 16 24
the downstream side of the road crossing to raise the water depth Site E 18 13 24
of the fishway exit over the existing roadway. Site F 27 DNS 24
Fish collection
Sampling of riverine subreaches (Fig. 1, Table 1) was conducted decade-long drought throughout the entire period (Fig. 3).
over two periods; in the 2 years after installation of the fishway Cotter Reservoir was also sampled to provide an indication of
at Vanitys Crossing (2001–2002) and 6–7 years later the status of the reservoir population. Sampling effort (number
(2007–2008), to determine whether Macquarie perch had used of net nights and the number of sites sampled) differed between
the fishway to access the river upstream. Riverine reaches were the two sampling periods (Table 1). Abundances of Macquarie
sampled between September and May (spring to autumn) in perch captured at each site were standardised by dividing the
2001–2002 and between January and April (summer to autumn) number of fish caught by the number of net nights per site. Fish
in 2007–2008. Cotter Reservoir was sampled year-round in were captured using single-winged fyke nets (wing 5 m; 20-mm
2001–2002 and between January and March (summer to stretched mesh in 2001–2002 and 13-mm stretched mesh in
autumn) in 2007–2008. Cotter River was in the middle of a 2007–2008) set from shore. For pools, three or four fyke netsFishway releases the endangered Macquarie perch Marine and Freshwater Research 903
16 000
14 000
Mean daily flow (ML day⫺1) 12 000
10 000
8000
6000
4000
2000
0
1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012
Year
Fig. 3. Mean daily flow (ML day1) of the Cotter River at Vanitys Crossing from 1988 to 2012 (ACTEW
Water, unpubl. data).
were set per pool, and 10–12 were set from a boat around the 12
perimeter of the reservoir. Fyke nets were set for ,16 h
(typically from 1530 hours to 0730 hours). Total length of
captured Macquarie perch was recorded to the nearest milli- 10
Abundance (individuals/net night)
metre, with fish then released unharmed at the site of capture.
8
Data analyses
Fishway
To test for differences in abundance, a repeated-measures
ANOVA was undertaken, with location (downstream and 6
upstream of the fishway) as a fixed factor, year as a within-
subject factor and site nested within location and treated as
4
subjects in the analysis. The data were non-normally distributed
and PERMANOVA analysis was also employed (Anderson
2001). The results of the PERMANOVA were almost identical 2
to the repeated-measures ANOVA, so the latter was retained for
interpretation. To complement the abundance analysis, we
looked at proportional occurrence between the sites and dates as 0
an indicator of fish abundance at a site. A log-linear analysis was Cotter Res. A B C D
employed to compare proportions of nets with fish (number of Site
net nights divided by the number of net nights with fish present)
Fig. 4. Abundance (mean individuals per net night s.e.) of Macquarie
between years and sites. The analysis was followed by pair-wise
perch in the lower Cotter River and Cotter Reservoir in 2001–2002 (black
tests between years within sites to tease out interaction effects. bars) and 2007–2008 (grey bars).
Statistical significance was set at a ¼ 0.05. Data analysis
was performed using SAS (v9.1, SAS Institute, Cary, North
Carolina, USA). Data is reported as mean standard error (s.e.), Abundance
unless otherwise specified.
There was a greater relative abundance of Macquarie perch
captured at all riverine sites in 2007–2008 than in 2001–2002
Results
(Fig. 4). Of the riverine sites, Site A was the only site where
Distribution Macquarie perch was captured in 2001–2002. At riverine sites in
Macquarie perch was not recorded upstream of the fishway in 2007–2008, the highest abundance of Macquarie perch was at
2001–2002, whereas in 2007–2008, it was detected at the first Site C, followed by Sites A, B and D (Fig. 4). In both 2001–2002
and second sites upstream of the fishway (Sites C and D, Fig. 4). and 2007–2008, Cotter Reservoir had higher abundances of
Note that an individual was captured by backpack electro-fishing Macquarie perch than did the riverine sites (Fig. 4). There was
at Site E in 2008 (B. T. Broadhurst, unpubl. data). The recorded no significant effect of year, location (i.e. upstream vs down-
distribution of Macquarie perch increased from 1 km upstream stream of the fishway) or the interaction between year and
of Cotter Reservoir in 2001–2002 (when it was found only in the location on the relative abundance of Macquarie perch
Cotter Reservoir and Site A) to 16 km in 2007–2008 (when it was (Table 2). However, there was a significance difference among
found at every site up to and including Site D, Fig. 4). sites and the interaction between site and year in the relative904 Marine and Freshwater Research B. T. Broadhurst et al.
Table 2. Results of repeated-measures ANOVA on the relative abun- creating or exacerbating low-flow barriers. The success of the
dance of Macquarie perch between years, locations and sites in the fishway in establishing a population of Macquarie perch in
Cotter River upstream reaches validates the fishway design parameters, and
provides a useful template for providing fish passage for this
Source d.f. F-value P.F species in other locations.
Site (location) 2 10.53 ,0.0001 The present study has illustrated the benefit of long-term
Year 1 2.40 0.2616 (.5 years) assessment following management intervention
Year Site (location) 2 7.54 0.0007 aimed at conservation of an endangered species. In the present
Year Location 1 0.25 0.6642 situation, short-term assessment in the first year following
Location 1 0.20 0.6989 installation of a rock-ramp fishway did not detect any positive
effects in the form of upstream colonisation by Macquarie perch.
However, a considerably longer duration of assessment has
abundance of Macquarie perch (Table 2). Analysis of the revealed a significant benefit of the fishway installation, with
proportion of nets that contained Macquarie perch detected a Macquarie perch making its way past the road crossing and
significant difference in year (x2¼ 10.76, d.f. ¼ 1, P ¼ 0.001), establishing a significant population in upstream reaches. The
site (x2 ¼ 100.62, d.f. ¼ 3, P , 0.0001) and a significant inter- delayed result highlights the need for funding for longer-term
action between year and site (x2 ¼ 15.55, d.f. ¼ 3, P ¼ 0.0014). monitoring after interventions, to ensure adequate assessment of
There was significantly higher proportion of nets containing their success can be made. The depth and water velocities in the
Macquarie perch in 2007–2008 than in 2001–2002 for Sites Vanitys Crossing fishway are passable by Macquarie perch on
B (x2 ¼ 25.6282, d.f. ¼ 1, P , 0.0001) and C (x2 ¼ 27.8693, the basis of laboratory flume-tank trials of swimming perfor-
d.f. ¼ 1, P , 0.0001), but no difference at Site A (x2 ¼ 3.4888, mance of adults and subadults (Starrs et al. 2011). Fishways,
d.f. ¼ 1, P ¼ 0.0618) or Site D (analysis void because more than including those of the rock-ramp design in the present study,
50% of 225 nets contained fewer than five). have been shown to be passable by many Australian fish species
(e.g. Harris et al. 1998; Stuart and Berghuis 2002; Beatty et al.
Population structure 2007). Our result may be explained by the fact that the majority
of Macquarie perch resided in Cotter Reservoir rather than the
Macquarie perch individuals captured in Cotter Reservoir in river in 2001 and 2002, and rarely encountered the fishway
2001–2002 were predominantly fish that were 0þ and 1þ years during short-term movements (Ebner et al. 2011).
of age (TL ranging from 51 to 150 mm, Fig. 5a). Similarly, the Macquarie perch are a moderately long-lived species
majority of individuals captured in the river downstream of (Cadwallader 1984; Lintermans and Ebner 2010) and, on the
the fishway (Sites A and B) comprised small Macquarie perch basis of the results of the present study, can be slow dispersers and
individuals with a higher proportion of 1þ age fish (101–150-mm colonisers. As well as slow dispersal, the species may also take a
TL) than in the Cotter Reservoir (Fig. 5a–c). In 2007–2008, at prolonged period to commence recruitment in new reaches, with
both Cotter Reservoir and the two river sites downstream of the no recruitment detected in 5 years of monitoring following a
fishway (Sites A and B), the dominant size of Macquarie perch translocation of adult fish in the Queanbeyan River (Lintermans
caught was between 101 and 150 mm in TL (Fig. 5a–c). Over 2013c). It is also possible that low numbers of Macquarie perch
80% of Macquarie perch individuals caught upstream of the used the fishway in the Cotter River immediately following its
fishway (Sites C and D) in 2007–2008 were 0þ individuals of less installation, but remained at undetectable levels for the first few
than 50-mm TL (Fig. 5d). Site C contained fish from at least four years, similar to that found for a translocated population of
different size classes, likely corresponding to different annual Macquarie perch in the Queanbeyan River (Lintermans 2013c).
cohorts (Fig. 5d; cf. Cadwallader 1984). Fishway efficiency, a key determinant of the success of a fish
passage structure (Bunt et al. 2012), has yet to be quantified for
Discussion different fishway types for Macquarie perch and is still an
Fragmentation of aquatic habitats is a major issue worldwide important knowledge gap for management of this structure
(Nilsson et al. 2005; Dudgeon et al. 2006), and restoration of fish and the facilitation of movement by this species.
passage has become a priority recovery activity both inter- Range expansion of this isolated remnant population of
nationally (e.g. Calles and Greenberg 2007; Kemp and Macquarie perch is of significant conservation benefit. It is
O’Hanley 2010; Gough et al. 2012) and in Australia (Barrett also fortuitous in its timing; a decade-long drought in southern
2008; Lintermans 2013a, 2013b). Although many fishways are Australia has affected the Cotter Catchment (Fig. 3) and led to
now commonly designed to pass a range of species and sizes the enlargement of the existing Cotter Reservoir for water
(e.g. Stuart et al. 2008; Thiem et al. 2013), the targeting of fish- supply to the city of Canberra. This in turn will inundate the
passage remediation at a single species or species group still Cotter River by a further 4.5 km, flooding the river to within
occurs, particularly for highly valued sportfish (e.g. salmonids) ,1.5 km of the fishway at Vanitys Crossing (Lintermans
or, increasingly, threatened species (e.g. Morgan and Beatty 2012). Without a functioning fishway (or translocation) and
2006), and the Vanitys Crossing fishway is an example of this. the establishment of a self-sustaining subpopulation upstream
Macquarie perch is now largely confined to upland streams in of the fishway, the resident Macquarie perch population faced
south-eastern Australia (Douglas 2002; Lintermans 2007; local extinction as a result of loss of riffle-run-pool habitat
Tonkin et al. 2010), and this is where many impoundments are critical for spawning and nursery functions (Cadwallader and
also located, altering downstream flow regimes and potentially Rogan 1977), akin to what occurred in Googong ReservoirFishway releases the endangered Macquarie perch Marine and Freshwater Research 905
80 (a) 2001/2002 2007/2008
n ⫽ 1458 n ⫽ 193
60
40
20
0
80
(b)
n ⫽ 129 n ⫽ 49
60
40
20
% Length frequency
0
80
(c)
n⫽0 n ⫽ 38
60
40
20
0
80
(d )
n⫽0 n ⫽ 88
60
40
20
0
0 100 200 300 400 0 100 200 300 400
Total length (mm)
Fig. 5. Length frequency distribution (expressed as a percentage of catch for each site) of Macquarie perch captured in
2001–2002 and 2007–2008. (a) Cotter Reservoir, (b) Site A, (c) Site B and (d ) Site C.
following damming of the nearby Queanbeyan River subpopulations will render the Cotter population less vulnera-
(Lintermans 2013c). ble to stochastic demographic and localised environmental
The expanded spatial extent of the population from 5.5 km events (Fahrig 1997; Hilderbrand and Kershner 2000a;
of river to at least 17.5 km and the establishment of a riverine Fullerton et al. 2010). To this end, we recommend developing
subpopulation is a welcome result for Cotter River Macquarie quantitative relationships among factors (e.g. flow require-
perch. The increase in connectivity of both habitats and ments, invasive species) affecting Macquarie perch spawning906 Marine and Freshwater Research B. T. Broadhurst et al.
and recruitment and support the commitment to improvements relevance in demonstrating the benefit of long-term assessment
to fish passage on road crossings upstream of Vanitys Crossing for evaluating effectiveness of in-stream interventions.
in the Cotter River (see also Ebner et al. 2008; Lintermans
et al. 2010). Acknowledgements
Young-of-the-year was the most abundant cohort in the
Thanks go to David Shorthouse for long-term support that made this study
population of Macquarie perch upstream of the fishway. This possible. Danswell Starrs, Mark Jekabsons and Simon Godschalx assisted
suggests that spawning and recruitment (at least to juvenile with field work. The manuscript was improved through comments from
stage) has been successful upstream of the fishway. Larvae and Chris Fulton and discussion with Ivor Stuart along with two anonymous
juvenile Macquarie perch were observed via snorkelling up to reviewers. Wayne Robinson (NSW DPI Fisheries) provided statistical
9 km upstream of Cotter Reservoir (Broadhurst et al. 2012). The advice. ACT Government provided funding for the construction of the rock-
riverine extent of the young-of-the-year individuals detected in ramp fishway at Vanitys Crossing. Martin Mallen-Cooper designed the
the current study and the distribution of larval and juvenile fishway. Thanks also go to the two anonymous reviewers who provided
Macquarie perch found in Broadhurst et al. (2012) were three- comments on this manuscript. This research was conducted with approval
fold greater than the extent of breeding sites reported previously from the University of Canberra Animal Ethics Committee (Project numbers
CEAE 01/05; CEAE 05/10). This research was funded by the Australian
(usually ,3 km) from studies of reservoir populations of
Federal Government under the National Action Plan for Salinity and Water
Macquarie perch (Cadwallader and Rogan 1977; Douglas 2002; Quality and Natural Heritage Trust funding schemes. Our research was
Tonkin et al. 2010), and most likely reflect a recruiting riverine conducted in Ngunnawal country.
population upstream of the fishway. Furthermore, the presence
in the current study of up to four Macquarie perch cohorts
upstream of the fishway suggests establishment of a self- References
sustaining riverine subpopulation, which has important implica- Anderson, M. J. (2001). Permutation tests for univariate or multivariate
tions for the long-term survival of this species in the Cotter River analysis of variance and regression. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and
Aquatic Sciences 58, 626–639. doi:10.1139/F01-004
(i.e. increasing the population resilience to stochastic events).
Appleford, P., Anderson, T. A., and Gooley, G. J. (1998). Reproductive
The absence of larger adults (.350-mm TL) in the current study
cycle and gonadal development of Macquarie perch, Macquaria aus-
may reflect the true population structure of the newly estab- tralasica Cuvier (Percichthyidae), in Lake Dartmouth and tributaries of
lished riverine subpopulation, or may simply reflect a sampling the Murray–Darling Basin, Victoria, Australia. Marine and Freshwater
bias, because fyke nets are a poor method of capturing Research 49, 163–169. doi:10.1071/MF97012
larger adults in both reservoir and riverine habitats (Ebner and Barrett, J. (Ed.) (2008). ‘The Sea to Hume Dam: Restoring Fish Passage in
Lintermans 2007). On the basis of the extent of spawning the Murray River.’ (Murray–Darlin Basin Commission: Canberra.)
migrations from previous studies of ,1 km (Cadwallader and Barrett, J., and Mallen-Cooper, M. (2006). The Murray River’s ‘Sea to
Rogan 1977; Douglas 2002; Tonkin et al. 2010), it is unlikely that Hume Dam’ fish passage program; progress to date and lesson learned.
the absence of large adults upstream of the fishway would be due Ecological Management & Restoration 7, 173–183. doi:10.1111/
J.1442-8903.2006.00307.X
to these adults returning to Cotter Reservoir before spawning.
Beatty, S. J., Morgan, D. L., and Torre, A. (2007). Restoring ecological
The number of adult fish that has contributed to the estab-
connectivity in the Margaret River: Western Australia’s first rock-ramp
lishment of the riverine subpopulation is unknown. Other fishways. Ecological Management & Restoration 8, 224–228.
genetic studies on Macquarie perch subpopulations in the upper doi:10.1111/J.1442-8903.2007.00372.X
Murrumbidgee River catchment have revealed very small effec- Broadhurst, B., Ebner, B., and Clear, R. (2012). A rock-ramp fishway
tive population sizes (Ne), often .10 (Farrington et al. 2009). expands nursery grounds of the endangered Macquarie perch Macquaria
Indeed, the Ne of the Cotter Reservoir Macquarie perch popula- australasica. Australian Journal of Zoology 60, 91–100. doi:10.1071/
tion has been estimated at only 17–79 (Farrington et al. 2009), ZO12002
with an Ne of 1000 individuals recommended for maintaining Bunt, C. M., Castro-Santos, T., and Haro, A. (2012). Performance of fish
adaptive potential in the face of environmental change (Franklin passage structures at upstream barriers to migration. River Research and
and Frankham 1998; Weeks et al. 2011). Low Ne was estimated Applications 28, 457–478. doi:10.1002/RRA.1565
Cadwallader, P. L. (1984) ‘Use of Scales and Otoliths to Age Macquarie
for the re-established Queanbeyan River Macquarie perch
Perch Macquaria australasica (Pisces: Percichthyidae).’ (Arthur Rylah
population, which although establishing and persisting for more Institute for Environmental Research: Melbourne.)
than a decade, is now undetectable (Lintermans 2013c). The Ne Cadwallader, P. L., and Rogan, P. L. (1977). The Macquarie perch,
of the Cotter River subpopulation upstream of the fishway Macquaria australasica (Pisces: Percicthyidae), of Lake Eildon,
should be investigated and appropriate management undertaken Victoria. Australian Journal of Ecology 2, 409–418. doi:10.1111/
(i.e. translocation from the Cotter Reservoir) if it is significantly J.1442-9993.1977.TB01156.X
lower than that in Cotter Reservoir. Calles, E. O., and Greenberg, L. A. (2007). The use of two nature-like
In summary, the current study has demonstrated the value of fishways by some fish species in the Swedish River Emån. Ecology
a long-term commitment to conservation management in a river Freshwater Fish 16, 183–190.
catchment. Specifically, the focus has been on understanding the Calles, O., and Greenberg, L. (2009). Connectivity is a two-way street – the
need for a holistic approach to fish passage problems in regulated rivers.
effects of a successful management intervention, in this case,
River Research and Applications 25, 1268–1286. doi:10.1002/RRA.1228
installing a fishway for an endangered species. Our success Darwin, C. (1859). ‘On the Origin of Species.’ (John Murray: London.)
bodes well for planned additional Macquarie perch passage Douglas, J. (2002). Observations on aspects of Macquarie perch Macquaria
improvements upstream of the Vanitys Crossing fishway in the australasica (Cuvier) spawning natural recruitment and selected popu-
Cotter River. The success of the current fishway will inform lation attributes in Lake Dartmouth and the Mitta Mitta River between
future fish-passage designs for this species and has wider 1994 and 1998. Marine and Freshwater Resources Institute FreshwaterFishway releases the endangered Macquarie perch Marine and Freshwater Research 907
Fisheries report no. 02/07. Marine and Freshwater Resources Institute, Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 129, 1160–1170.
Department of Natural Resources and Environment, Victoria, doi:10.1577/1548-8659(2000)129,1160:MPOSRC.2.0.CO;2
Melbourne. Ingram, B. A., Rimmer, M. A., and Rowland, S. J. (1994). Induced spawning
Dudgeon, D., Arthington, A. H., Gessner, M. O., Kawabata, Z.-I., Knowler, trials with captive Macquarie perch, Macquaria australasica (Per-
D. J., Lévêque, C., Naiman, R. J., Prieur-Richard, A.-H., Soto, D., cichthyidae). Proceedings of the Linnaean Society of New South Wales
Stiassny, M. L. J., and Sullivan, C. A. (2006). Freshwater biodiversity: 114, 163–169.
importance, threats, status and conservation challenges. Biological Ingram, B. A., Douglas, J. W., and Lintermans, M. (2000). Threatened fishes
Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society 81, 163–182. of the world: Macquaria australasica Cuvier, 1830 (Percichthyidae).
doi:10.1017/S1464793105006950 Environmental Biology of Fishes 59, 68. doi:10.1023/A:1007669423532
Dunning, J. B., Danielson, B. J., and Pulliam, H. R. (1992). Ecological Jungwirth, M. (1998). River continuum and fish migration Going beyond
processes that affect populations in complex landscapes. Oikos 65, the longitudinal River Corrider in understanding ecological integrity.
169–175. doi:10.2307/3544901 In ‘Fish Migration and Fish Bypasses’. (Eds M. Jungwirth, S. Schmutz
Ebner, B., and Lintermans, M. (2007). Fish passage, movement require- and S. Weiss.) pp. 1932. (Fishing News Books – Blackwell Science:
ments and habitat use for Macquarie perch. Final report to the Depart- Oxford, UK.)
ment of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Australia. Parks, Katopodis, C., Kells, J. A., and Achara, M. (2001). Nature-like and
Conservation and Lands, Canberra. conventional fishways: alternative concepts? Canadian Water
Ebner, B., Thiem, J., Broadhurst, B., Clear, R., and Frawley, K. (2008). Resources Journal 26, 211–232. doi:10.4296/CWRJ2602211
Delivering environmental flows to large biota. Final report to the Kemp, P. S., and O’Hanley, J. R. (2010). Procedures for evaluating and
Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts. Parks, prioritising the removal of fish passage barriers: a synthesis. Fisheries
Conservation and Lands, Canberra. Management and Ecology 17, 297–322.
Ebner, B. C., Lintermans, M., and Dunford, M. (2011). A reservoir serves as Koehn, J. D., and Lintermans, M. (2012). A strategy to rehabilitate fishes of
refuge for adults of the endangered Macquarie perch. Lakes and the Murray–Darling Basin, south-eastern Australia. Endangered Species
Reservoirs: Research and Management 16, 23–33. doi:10.1111/ Research 16, 165–181. doi:10.3354/ESR00398
J.1440-1770.2011.00463.X Laine, A., Jokivirta, T., and Katopodis, C. (2002). Atlantic salmon, Salmo
Fahrig, L. (1997). Relative effects of habitat lloss and fragmentation on salar L., and sea trout, Salmo trutta L., passage in a regulated northern
population extinction. The Journal of Wildlife Management 61, river fishway efficiency, fish entrance and environmental factors.
603–610. doi:10.2307/3802168 Fisheries Management and Ecology 9, 65–77. doi:10.1046/J.1365-2400.
Farrington, L. W., Lintermans, M., and Ebner, B. C. (2009). Characterising 2002.00279.X
genetic diversity in the nationally threatened fish Macquarie perch, Lintermans, M. (1991). The decline of native fish in the Canberra region: the
Macquaria australasica, in the upper Murrumbidgee River. Final Report effects of habitat modification. Bogong 12, 4–7.
to the Natural Heritage Trust. NHT Project No. 18152. Parks, Conserva- Lintermans, M. (2007). ‘Fishes of the Murray–Darling Basin: an Introduc-
tion and Lands, Canberra. tory Guide.’ (Murray–Darling Basin Commission: Canberra.)
Fausch, K. D., Torgersen, C. E., Baxter, C. V., and Li, H. W. (2002). Lintermans, M. (2012). Managing potential impacts of reservoir enlarge-
Landscapes to riverscapes: bridging the gap between research and ment on threatened Macquaria australasica and Gadopsis bispinosus in
conservation of stream fishes. Bioscience 52, 483–498. doi:10.1641/ southeastern Australia. Endangered Species Research 16, 1–16.
0006-3568(2002)052[0483:LTRBTG]2.0.CO;2 doi:10.3354/ESR00382
Franklin, I. R., and Frankham, R. (1998). How large must populations be to Lintermans, M. (2013a). Conservation and management. In ‘The Ecology of
retain evolutionary potential? Animal Conservation 1, 69–70. Australian Freshwater Fish’. (Eds P. Humphries and K. Walker.)
doi:10.1111/J.1469-1795.1998.TB00228.X (CSIRO Publishing: Melbourne.)
Fullerton, A. H., Burnett, K. M., Steel, E. A., Flitcroft, R. L., Pess, G. R., Lintermans, M. (2013b). A review of on-ground recovery actions for
Feist, B. E., Torgersen, C. E., Miller, D. J., and Sanderson, B. L. (2010). threatened freshwater fish in Australia. Marine and Freshwater
Hydrological connectivity for riverine fish: measurement challenges and Research 64, 775–791. doi:10.1071/MF12306
research opportunities. Freshwater Biology 55, 2215–2237. Lintermans, M. (2013c). The rise and fall of a translocated population of the
Gough, P., Philipson, P., Schollema, P. P., and Wanningen, H. (2012.) endangered Macquarie perch, Macquaria australasica, in south-eastern
‘From Sea to Source: International Guidance for the Restoration of Australia. Marine and Freshwater Research 64, 838–850. doi:10.1071/
Fish Migration Highways.’ MF12270
Harris, J. H., and Mallen-Cooper, M. (1994). Fish-passage development in Lintermans, M., and Ebner, B. (2010). Threatened fish profile: ‘Western’
the rehabilitation of fisheries in mainland south-eastern Australia. Macquarie perch Macquaria australasica Cuvier 1830. Australian
In ‘Rehabilitation of Freshwater Fisheries’. (Ed. I. G. Cowx.) Society for Fish Biology Newsletter 40, 76–78.
pp. 185193. (Fishing News Books: Hull, UK.) Lintermans, M., Broadhurst, B., Thiem, J., Ebner, B., Wright, D., Clear, R., and
Harris, J. H., Thorncraft, G., and Wem, P. (1998). Evaluation of rock-ramp Norris, R. (2010). Constructed homes for threatened fishes in the Cotter
fishways in Australia. In ‘Fish Migration and Fish Bypasses’. (Eds River catchment: Phase 2 final report. Report to ACTEW Corporation.
M. Jungwirth, S. Schmutz and S. Weiss.) pp. 331347. (Fishing News Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra, Canberra.
Books: Cambridge, UK.) Lord, J. M., and Norton, D. A. (1990). Scale and spatial concept of
Henein, K., and Merriam, G. (1990). The elements of connectivity where fragmentation. Conservation Biology 4, 197–202. doi:10.1111/J.1523-
corridor quality is variable. Landscape Ecology 4, 157–170. 1739.1990.TB00109.X
doi:10.1007/BF00132858 Mallen-Cooper, M. (1994). Swimming ability of adult golden perch
Hilderbrand, R. H., and Kershner, J. L. (2000a). Conserving inland cutthroat Macquaria ambigua (Percichthyidae), and adult silver perch, Bidyanus
trout in small streams: how much stream is enough? North American bidyanus (Teraponidae), in an experimental vertical-slot fishway.
Journal of Fisheries Management 20, 513–520. doi:10.1577/1548-8675 Australian Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 45, 191–198.
(2000)020,0513:CICTIS.2.3.CO;2 doi:10.1071/MF9940191
Hilderbrand, R. H., and Kershner, J. L. (2000b). Movement patterns of Mallen-Cooper, M. (1999). Developing fishways for non-salmonid fishes:
stream-resident cutthroat trout in Beaver Creek, Idaho-Utah. a case study from the Murray River in Australia. In ‘Innovations in Fish908 Marine and Freshwater Research B. T. Broadhurst et al.
Passage Technology’. (Ed. M. Odeh.) pp. 173–195. (American Fisheries community? Marine and Freshwater Research 59, 332–346.
Society: Bethesda, MD.) doi:10.1071/MF07141
Morgan, D. L., and Beatty, S. J. (2006). Use of a vertical-slot fishway by Thiem, J. D., Binder, T. R., Dumont, P., Hatin, D., Hatry, C., Katopodis, C.,
galaxiids in Western Australia. Ecology Freshwater Fish 15, 500–509. Stamplecoskie, K. M., and Cooke, S. J. (2013). Multispecies fish passage
doi:10.1111/J.1600-0633.2006.00190.X behaviour in a vertical slot fishway on the Richelieu River, Quebec,
Nemenyi, P. (1941). ‘An Annotated Bibliography of Fishways.’ (University Canada. River Research and Applications 29, 582–592. doi:10.1002/
of Iowa Studies in Engineering Bulletin No. 23.) RRA.2553
Nichols, S., Norris, R., Maher, W., and Thoms, M. (2006). Ecological effects Tischendorf, L., and Fahrig, L. (2000). On the usage and measurement of
of serial impoundment on the Cotter River, Australia. Hydrobiologia landscape connectivity. Oikos 90, 7–19. doi:10.1034/J.1600-0706.2000.
572, 255–273. doi:10.1007/S10750-005-0995-6 900102.X
Nilsson, C., Reidy, C. A., Dynesius, M., and Revenga, C. (2005). Fragmen- Tonkin, Z., Lyon, J., and Pickworth, A. (2010). Spawning behaviour of the
tation and flow regulation of the world’s large river systems. Science endangered Macquarie perch Macquaria australasica in an upland
308, 405–408. doi:10.1126/SCIENCE.1107887 Australian river. Ecological Management & Restoration 11, 223–226.
Saunders, D. A., Hobbs, R. J., and Margules, C. R. (1991). Biological doi:10.1111/J.1442-8903.2010.00552.X
consequences of ecosystem fragmentation. Conservation Biology 5, Verreault, G., Dumont, P., and Mailhot, Y. (2004). Habitat losses and
18–32. doi:10.1111/J.1523-1739.1991.TB00384.X anthropogenic barriers as a cause of population decline for American
Sheer, M. B., and Steel, E. A. (2006). Lost watersheds: barriers, aquatic eel (Anguilla rostrata) in the St Lawrence watershed, Canada. In ‘2004
habitat connectivity, and salmon persistence in the Willamette and ICES Annual Science Conference’. (ICES: Vigo, Spain.)
Lower Columbia River Basins. Transactions of the American Fisheries Warren Jr, M. L., and Pardew, M. G. (1998). Road crossings as barriers to
Society 135, 1654–1669. doi:10.1577/T05-221.1 small-stream fish movement. Transactions of the American Fisheries
Starrs, D., Ebner, B. C., Lintermans, M., and Fulton, C. J. (2011). Using Society 127, 637–644. doi:10.1577/1548-8659(1998)127,0637:
sprint swimming performance to predict upstream passage of the RCABTS.2.0.CO;2
endangered Macquarie perch in a highly regulated river. Fisheries Weeks, A. R., Sgro, C. M., Young, A. G., Frankham, R., Mitchell, N. J.,
Management and Ecology 18, 360–374. doi:10.1111/J.1365-2400. Miller, K. A., Byrne, M., Coates, D. J., Eldridge, M. D. B., Sunnucks, P.,
2011.00788.X Breed, M. F., James, E. A., and Hoffmann, A. A. (2011). Assessing the
Steffensen, S. M., Thiem, J. D., Stamplecoskie, K. M., Binder, T. R., Hatry, benefits and risks of translocations in changing environments: a genetic
C., Langloi-Anderson, N., and Cooke, S. J. (2013). Biological effective- perspective. Evolutionary Applications 4, 709–725. doi:10.1111/J.1752-
ness of an inexpensive nature-like fishway for passage of warmwater fish 4571.2011.00192.X
in a small Ontario stream. Ecology Freshwater Fish 22, 374–383. Williams, J. G., Armstrong, G., Katopodis, C., Larinier, M., and Travade, F.
doi:10.1111/EFF.12032 (2012). Thinking like a fish: a key ingredient for development of
Stuart, I. G., and Berghuis, A. P. (2002). Upstream passage of fish through a effective fish passage facilities at river obstructions. River Research
vertical-slot fishway in an Australian subtropical river. Fisheries Man- and Applications 28, 407–417. doi:10.1002/RRA.1551
agement and Ecology 9, 111–122. doi:10.1046/J.1365-2400.2002. Wofford, J. E. B., Gresswell, R. E., and Banks, M. A. (2005). Influence of
00285.X barriers to movement on within-watershed genetic variation of coastal
Stuart, I. G., Zampatti, B. P., and Baumgartner, L. J. (2008). Can a low- cutthroat trout. Ecological Applications 15, 628–637. doi:10.1890/
gradient vertical-slot fishway provide passage for a lowland river fish 04-0095
www.publish.csiro.au/journals/mfrYou can also read
