Day 14, Wangaratta to Sydney

We started surveying along the King River, where there were only a few Wood Ducks. 

Then it was over to the Ovens River, without any dams upstream, it has many small lagoons.

From here it was on to the Keiwa River.

The Ovens and Kiewa Rivers in Victoria run through largely cleared farming land but there are still many of the original parts of the floodplain holding water. These small lagoons were where we saw most of the waterbirds with small flocks of Wood Ducks and Black Duck. There were also flocks of up to fifty Straw-necked Ibis, particularly on the Kiewa River.

We then flew to refuel in Albury.

From here, we flew over Hume Dam on the River Murray.

We then headed south along the Mitta Mitta River. This is now heavily impacted with water stored behind Dartmouth Dam upstream. The water coming from the bottom of the dam is freezing, much colder than normal temperatures. This affects native animals, including platypus which are in trouble in this river. 

There are two river regulation structures on the Mitta Mitta River, including this dam below Dartmouth Dam.

This dam had some Black Duck, Wood Duck and two Black Swans. 

We flew up the Mitta Mitta River and over the massive Dartmouth Dam wall, which holds back large amounts of water. 

* https://www.g-mwater.com.au/water-operations/storages/murray/dartmouthdam