THE highest River Murray flows in 23 years has allowed the Pike Floodplain, south of Renmark to flourish again.
A local volunteer group, the Pike River Land Management Group, carried out environmental watering along the Pike Floodplain during drier times in 2014 and 2015. Coupled with the recent high flows it has supported native plant growth and improved animal habitats.
Environmental watering uses pipes and man-made structures to deliver water set aside in storages for the environment, mimicking flows that would have happened naturally, before dams, weirs and channels.
Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources Pike Floodplain Manager Brad Hollis said it was great to collaborate with community groups and project partners to achieve environmental benefits for the floodplain.
"Thanks to environmental watering and the recent high flows, tree condition on the floodplain has improved and we’ve seen a greater diversity and abundance of birds in the area,” he said.
"Nutrients and carbon have moved between the river and floodplain driving ecological productivity and we’re also seeing more natural floodplain vegetation, with amphibious plants replacing terrestrial plants.”
Mr Hollis said the number of water-based plants at the Duck Hole Wetland had increased by 100 per cent, while at the Mundic wetland there had been a 300pc increase in water-based plants, including the rare Desert Cucumber.
"The recent high flows connected the River Murray with Mundic Creek for the first time in about 80 years, allowing fish and other forms of life to move freely between the creek and river,” he said.
"Environmental watering is part of a suite of initiatives helping to restore the long-term ecological health of the Pike Floodplain and in doing so, flush the floodplain and improve the quality of irrigation water."