Willows- Not so Good for Fish!

[poddy mullet]

Many of the best fishing spots throughout the central west region have Willow trees along the banks, however the truth about Willows is that they are causing major problems for native fish and the river in general.
Willows were planted by European settlers for several reasons which include aiding paddle-steamer navigation by marking the main channels in Murray River during the 1860s, and the stabilisation and prevention of erosion of the banks which occurred due to the clearing of riverside and catchment vegetation. Willows were also introduced to the banks of Australian rivers for their aesthetic appeal.
The Willows along the Macquarie do provide a small amount of food and habitat for some river life, but they compete with native gums for water, and some plants, fish, and animals such as platypus and tortoises are discouraged by their dense shade.
Many native fish, such as the Murray Cod, rely on snags provided by River Red Gum branches for spawning sites and shelter, and as Willow tree limbs break down very quickly they do not provide sufficient snags for native fish to breed.
Willows also drop all their leaves at the end of autumn, which increases the organic load and nutrient levels in waterways. The leaves of Willow trees are also ‘soft’ and decompose very readily, far more quickly than our aquatic macro-fauna can process. The large load of organic material, coupled with rapid breakdown by microbes, results in an excessive release of nutrients into water systems, causing deterioration in water quality
The intense shading caused by many deciduous trees can prevent other flora from growing beneath them. The resulting lack of understory vegetation can render the banks of waterways prone to erosion. By contrast, in other situations willows may form dense mats of roots which extend out into streams and rivers, causing increased sedimentation. In severe cases this can cause a channel blockage and result in flooding upstream. Trees such as willows are also easily uprooted in floods, causing major blockages.
Willows also increase the river’s salinity problems as they only take water from the upper fresh layers, allowing salt to rise into the river, whereas red gums take 40–50 per cent of their water from these layers, helping to keep the saline water table low.

[BR65]

Thanks mate, bloody feral tree rates up their with fox's. rabbits and carp.

[hkconc]

I agree totally. They might make a nice shady place to set in the summertime, but as for trying to catch anything near them, forget it.
I have noticed that where ever theres a gum log, theres a cod suspended within a meter or two. Catchin it is another story thou.

[tim barra master]

Mate that is nothing but the nuts and bolts and i totaly agree
I own a small property in central tablelands nsw and i destroyed about 20 willows on the streem
I then budozed there remains during the drought
ponds that used to dryup now hold water nearly year round and we now catch more crays and fish than ever before
Us europeans have a lot to answer for alright
hopefully we can get our waterways back on track
On another bug of mine Its a real problem big business holding back flood water This country relies on the big fella pushing the full flush button to wash the shit awayand all we can do is catch it and again spray salty water back onto salty land to draw salt up from the underground artesian levels and to then combine pestisides on those thirsty crops that dont belong on this continent either cotton and rice my pet hates
the ratio of water weight used to product weight of rice produced is stupid economics Especially when one considers just how long a bowl of rice lasts in ones belly I certanly would not dream of puting a days work in on a feed of asain rice We might as well sell more of our country to the japs
Its a bloody miracle we still have fish in the murray darling system at all
I like nearly every inland fisherman could not be happier to see that flood follow up on the december flooding
Shame it didnt knock a few wiers and dam walls over though
Maybe our Fuxxxxx xxx fabulouse labour gov should tax the shit out of some greedy corporation farmers instead of the miners
make them pay the same price for there water as the town folk do for there drinking water Afterall the cotton farmers profit heavily on the misfortune of the riversystem And the tax man loves profit

[hkconc]

way to go mate, you tell them