Images of Kinnairds Wetland captured by a drone – a remote controlled aerial camera - will provide baseline information to measure the wetland’s recovery after fire swept through Numurkah and surrounds on February 9.
Images of Kinnairds Wetland captured by a drone – a remote controlled aerial camera - will provide baseline information to measure the wetland’s recovery after fire swept through Numurkah and surrounds on February 9.
Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority (CMA) Environmental Water Reserve Coordinator Simon Casanelia said the drone, operated by AUV’s James Rennie, would help Goulburn Broken CMA, Moira Shire Council and Goulburn Murray Water with the ongoing assessment and monitoring of the wetland.
The majority of the 96ha wetland was burnt, as well as walkways, bird hides and fences.
“The drone is just one of a range of tools we’ll use to monitor the wetland’s recovery,” Mr Casanelia said.
“This initial fly over helps us identify the full extent of the fire damage to native vegetation and, over time, we’ll be able to determine what measures have worked and what else may need to be done to help the recovery.”
A 600 megalitre environmental flow will be delivered next month to help trigger regeneration of native vegetation.
“In the short-term, re-establishing the understorey vegetation is vital,” Mr Casanelia said. “It provides important habitat for the many insects, reptiles, birds and mammals that feed and breed in the wetland, while the replacement of mature red gums and box trees may take over 100 years.”
Mr Casanelia said the drone would fly over the wetland again in spring.
“This will help us measure the effectiveness of the environmental water, where regeneration is occurring naturally and what areas or vegetation may not be recovering so well,” he said.
Vision of the wetlands captured by the drone can be viewed on the Goulburn Broken CMA’s You tube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v16ILYR6OXM