News

As part of a comprehensive fish management program, ACTEW Corporation and the University of Canberra are working together on a project to help protect the endangered Macquarie Perch which live in the Cotter Reservoir.

The ‘constructed homes’ project will provide new shelter for the fish once the reservoir is enlarged. The Macquarie Perch’s current daytime shelter - reed beds at the shore of the existing dam - will be inundated. Variable water levels in the new reservoir won’t encourage new reed beds to grow. Consequently a range of artificial shelter habitats will be constructed to provide new homes for the fish.



After testing a number of artificial shelters, the most effective were shown to be rock reefs. The substantial amounts of fallen trees that will be submerged by the new dam will provide additional shelter. Our project teams are currently selecting the best locations for the rock reefs, which will be in place in time for completion of the new dam at the end of 2011.