The Broken River is a tributary of the Goulburn River, starting south of Benalla and flowing north-west for 190km until it joins the Goulburn River near Shepparton.
The river and its associated floodplain and wetlands support riparian vegetation communities such as river red gum and yellow box, and threatened species including Murray cod, Macquarie perch, silver perch, river blackfish, bush stone-curlew, carpet python and royal spoonbill. They also contain important cultural heritage sites, provide water for agriculture and support recreational activities such as fishing, camping and bushwalking.
Lake Nillachootie, situated on the Broken River 36km upstream of Benalla, has modified the river’s natural flow pattern causing winter-spring flows to be lower and summer-autumn low flows to be higher to meet irrigation demands. These impacts are most pronounced from Lake Nillahcootie to Hollands Creek. From Hollands Creek to the Goulburn River the river still retains a largely natural flow pattern in average and wet years.
In 2013 an environmental watering plan identified a range of priority watering actions for all reaches of the Broken River. The priority watering actions include:
- Year round baseflows to provide:
- habitat and movement opportunities for native fish
- food and habitat for water bugs
- habitat for aquatic plants.
- Spring, summer, autumn and winter freshes to:
- maintain instream habitat for aquatic plants, water bugs and fish by scouring pools, submerging snags, and replenishing slackwater
- maintain floodplain and wetland vegetation
More information regarding proposed watering actions for the Broken River can be obtained by contacting the GB CMA.