Somerset Dam Fish Stocking?

[Birdy]

I have heard through a few mates that the Somerset Dam Water Board have said in local press they are going to cease stocking fish into Lake Somerset and Winevhoe Dam for this coming season.

I guess this has something to do with low water levels......my issue is that i have spent money this year on my SIP and i have ticked both of these impoundments as my preferences....so where does my money now go to?
My main Question to anyone who may know.......since when do the Water Board make the decisions on how these waterways are stocked??...as i understand it we have a volunteer based community stocking group for these kinds of decisions.

Does anyone out there have an answer????

Birdy

[swano]

bloody top question birdy as a fellow sipper i wonder where my coupla bucks has gone this year ????????
cheers swano

[Luc]

Apart from SIP funding, I think that the waterboard was doing some stocking out of their own pocket possibly using $$ from the boating permits.

Maybe they've decided that since the SIP if for stocking, the boating fee will be used to offset the cost of facilities for boat users.

With the water level down, I don't see the point of putting in fingerlings. With not weedbeds to provide cover, they'll simply end up as fodder for the bigger fish.

Better to hold the money until conditions are better.

Luc

[Fitzy]

G'Day Birdy,
Your mate may be referring to an article in the Qld Times newspaper last week where it was stated that SEQWater (water controller for Somerset, Wivenhoe & Samsonvale) is not going to purchase any fingerlings this season.
However, going by the conversations I've had with their staff this week, it appears to be the case this year, however this corporation anually contribute $10k towards fish stocking divided between their 3 lakes.
All fish stocked by SEQWater are done under the permit that is held by community fish stocking groups, whose role it is to create, manage and maintain the fisheries.
In the case of Somerset, Wivenhoe & Atkinsons dams, the upper Brisbane & Stanley Rivers, the stocking group is called the Somerset & Wivenhoe Fish Stocking Assn. It decides when, where & how to purchase and stock fish in these lakes in the best interests of recreational anglers & the fish. It has been determined by this group to continue with fish stocking this season (contrary to SEQWater & the QT statements) to move forward & place orders for fish this season. The SWFSA have set a conservative low water level cut off of 10% capacity for each of the 3 lakes it stocks. This falls well on the safe limit advised by DPI&F.
Atkinsons dam has been under this level for some time & hence has had no fish stocked. Currently Somerset & Wivenhoe are above this mark so the ordering of fish will be undertaken.
There is a reasonable expectation that as anglers purchase SIP permits, the money will be spent on restocking these lakes to replace lost fish. There is also a responsibility to maintain year classes for an optimum & balanced fishery. If we drop a year it can have impacts & the funds may be lost.

To put it in some perspective, Wivenhoe holds some 1,165,240ML when full & Somerset around 379,850ML (source SEQWater).
Maroon dam at FSL holds 44 300ML at FSL, Borumba a little more (source Sunwater).
Somerset at 10% is almost as much as Maroon when 100% full. I would hardly expect anyone to stop stocking Maroon when it drops below 90%.... Sheer sillyness.
Wivenhoe at 10% capacity would take Borumba and Maroon combined from empty to over flowing & then some.

Yes, low water levels are a real concern for us all, however if these lakes ever get to 0%, I would think that we have alot more to worry about than the fingerlings we may stock this season. There's over 4 million much bigger stocked fish in these lakes without counting the fish that breed (bony bream, catfish, tilapia, spangled perch, gold fish, gudgeons, rainbowfish, barred grunter, eels, Lungfish..... need i go on??? Let alone the fact that we wont really care about any of the fish if we're out of water, we will be too worried about our own survival.

If SEQWater, for what ever reason decide to abandon or neglect their contributions toward recreational fishing, that is their decision. The SWFSA assoc is still out there working in a responsible manner for the best outcome for fish conservation & recreational anglers.
Dont fear, your hard earned & spent SIP funds will NOT dissapear into some treasury black hole, they will be going back towards your fishery. Thats what you've paid for, that's what you will get.

If any individual, SEQWater representative or Qld Times journo wants to be a part of the planning & implementation of the fisheries mentioned above, they are heartily invited to attend S&WFSA meetings, 3rd wednesday of each month at the Futures Complex, Fernvale. 7:00pm. All welcome.

Regards,

Garry Fitzgerald
Secretary
Life Member
Somerset & Wivenhoe Fish Stocking Assn

Current water levels
Somerset 24.83%
Wivenhoe 15.35%

PS- Where is the promised recylced water pipeline????

[big schlong]

maybe if they are not stocking they should take the boat ramps down to the low water level with the money so in future low water levels we will be able to launch our boats safely just a thougth

[Louis]

I question if there is any point in stocking Wivenhoe or Somerset at the moment.

I am out there frequently and from what I see the water level is dropping rapidly. I question whether there will be any water there at all in 12 to 18 months time.

Perhaps any fingerlings stocked now that could indeed survive the plague of Fork-tailed catfish would still wind up lying rotting on dry earth in 12 to 18 months from now. Before they even had the chance to get to maturity.

Garry, with respect to the level of water at Wivenhoe currently standing at 15.35%. Are you sure that this figure is current? Could this be an old statistic?

I question if the figure is this high?




Louis

[Fitzy]

Garry, with respect to the level of water at Wivenhoe currently standing at 15.35%. Are you sure that this figure is current? Could this be an old statistic?

I question if the figure is this high
Louis

Hi Louis,
Go check for yourself.
Figures are from SEQwater website. From the horses mouth, so to speak
http://www.seqwater.com.au/content/s...andMaintenance

Perhaps any fingerlings stocked now that could indeed survive the plague of Fork-tailed catfish would still wind up lying rotting on dry earth in 12 to 18 months from now. Before they even had the chance to get to maturity.

Yep, Wivenhoe does look low. This is in comparison to what it looks like when full. If we compare Wivenhoe at current capacity to Moogerah, Hinze, Maroon, Ewen Maddock, MacDonald, Borumba, Cressbrook, Lenthalls etc etc it is still a VERY large body of water.

Fish dying is a chance all locations take each & every year. Predation by larger fish is part of nature & it is a normal occurance when fish stocking. If we do not proceed with fish stocking for this reason, why next year, why last year, why at all??
Should we throw in the towel & leave Somerset to the skiers & let the tilapia population expode perhaps?

Low water levels are only one problem. Too much water can kill just as many fish in flood events. Cold weather, hot weather, polution, pathogens ...... the list goes on.

Cheers,

Fitz..

[Fitzy]

maybe if they are not stocking they should take the boat ramps down to the low water level with the money so in future low water levels we will be able to launch our boats safely just a thougth

A great idea.

I can tell you that they are working in extending the ramps at the moment.

Maybe that's where the $10k is going.

The other thing is the existing boat ramps that are locked up from the public..... another issue.

Cheers,

Fitz..

[aussiebasser]

Sad to that the water board are not upholding their obligations simply because SWFSA will continue the work. The board seem to be a buraucratic institution which is only interested in raising revenue from the sale of water so they can return a dividend to their share holders. A fairly typical thing in this curent financial climate. We now seem to be facing huge increases in the price of water in SEQ, why, because we're being responsible and using less, so the board is making less???

As for the pipeline, I can see the work going on every day from my front verandah. They are currenly drilling a hole under the Lowood/Fernvale road to carry the pipes. I think they started two weeks ago so it seems it must be a pretty tough job. Spare a thought for the farmer between Fernvale and Lowood who has given the use of his front paddock to store the pipes. They come in, strip the top soil from a dried out paddock, store their pipes there for the duration of the job. Put all the top soil back when they finish, and pay him $35k. Pretty good money for a cocky.

Luc and Louis, we'd love to see you at the SWFSA meeting this month. Its on EKKA day, August 15th. You can see the workings of the group and have you ropinions noted in the minutes. You can also learn how the group works, within the guidelines set down, and maybe put something back in to the fishery you enjoy.


Dale,
Vice President.
SWFSA Inc.

[mylestom]

Spare a thought for the farmer between Fernvale and Lowood who has given the use of his front paddock to store the pipes. They come in, strip the top soil from a dried out paddock, store their pipes there for the duration of the job. Put all the top soil back when they finish, and pay him $35k. Pretty good money for a cocky.



Dale,
Vice President.
SWFSA Inc.

Don't think that this was called for.

A good discussion about a few facts and things of interest in the rest of the thread.

However your quote above leave a little to be desired.

Do you think that he had any choice about the matter.

Will the paddock ever be the same again. Been there and had damage done by Government agencies before, what they offer, you never pays for the damage or the inconvenience.

I think a very cheap shot at someone.


Regards Trevor

[aussiebasser]

Don't think that this was called for.

A good discussion about a few facts and things of interest in the rest of the thread.

However your quote above leave a little to be desired.

Do you think that he had any choice about the matter.

Will the paddock ever be the same again. Been there and had damage done by Government agencies before, what they offer, you never pays for the damage or the inconvenience.

I think a very cheap shot at someone.


Regards Trevor

No Trevor,

Not a cheap shot at anyone. I don't know the guy, I just know this fact. It is happening all along the river from Brisbane to Wivenhoe. The amount of money invested in the water pipeline is huge, and necessary without the ability to get around the tree huggers and build more dams where they are needed. Good luck to the man on the land for receiving this amount. Honestly, his 10 odd acres would not have earned anywhere near that amount of money for him over the next year and a bit if he was farming it in the current drought conditions. I do know what the conditions are like out there, I only have to look at my own place, geez the grasshoppers are starving to death. I read a report the other day that said within 10 years Brisbane could overtake Melbourne as Australia's second largest city. Without additional infastructure to provide water, power and other necessities of life we could be in a whole heap of trouble up here. The privatisation of what were government utilities is to blame for this. Our taxes are paying for the pipeline, and yet the water it provides is supplied by a private company back to us at a cost. Now that's as bad as having our taxes pay for a road, then handing it over to someone who can charge us to drive on it. We really should only have to pay for something once.