‘Smart’ water initiative aims to protect threatened population
A platypus looks for prey along Monbulk Creek, south-east of Melbourne. Being a platypus is intense work.
In normal times, he will eat 20 to 30 percent of his body weight each day. If she is nursing and caring for her puppies, she will need to eat a heavy meal that is 80 percent of her body weight.
No one knows for sure how many of these elusive creatures remain in this section of the stream, but Melbourne Waterways and wetlands research manager Rhys Coleman estimates the number could be as few as 30.
No platypus has been spotted in nearby Ferny Creek since 1997, while no platypus has been spotted in Upper Dandenong Creek since 2011.
But there is still hope at Monbulk Creek. In the most recent study, conducted last month, researchers captured and released eight platypuses, including a young female.
Coleman said the discovery of the young platypus was encouraging and offered hope for future generations of this vulnerable species.
“It’s always a huge relief to see them breed, and obviously it’s a big focus for us to try to create conditions where they can breed,” he said.
The Victorian government listed the platypus as a threatened species in 2021, following the extinction of some local populations during and after the Millennium Drought.
In this context, Melbourne Water, in partnership with organizations such as the University of Melbourne, Yarra Ranges Council and South East Water, is making a concerted effort to protect the isolated Monbulk Creek population.
Melbourne Water, with $4 million in funding and support from the Victorian government, is establishing an Australia-first “smart” water initiative aimed at regulating stream water levels.
During heavy rains, stormwater systems leading to the stream can erode stream walls and rapidly increase water levels, trapping and drowning platypuses in their burrows.
Climate change also means the risk of drought and low flows increases.
Within the scope of the program, households near the stream were offered free rain tanks that would be connected to smart technology. Sensors located in tanks, streams and nearby lakes will allow authorities to monitor water levels and needs in real time.
Ahead of predicted heavy rainfall, tanks may be partially drained to capture roof rain runoff and manage the flow of rainwater to the stream. During dry times, the tanks will release water into a parched stream.
It is hoped that the strategy will also help countless creatures, including crustaceans and aquatic insects that platypuses consume.
“They’re really sensitive about having enough water in a stream, and one of the reasons for that is they need to eat a lot… they pretty much go out and feed from dusk until dawn,” said Coleman.
“And one of the big things we focus on is supplementing the dry weather flows in the fall so we can sustain food and help the females recover and get ready for the next season.”
Modeling in the Victorian government’s 10-year Healthy Waterways Strategy, published in 2018, predicts that the length of waterways unable to support platypuses will increase by approximately 1,200 kilometers if no changes are made to stormwater management systems.
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