PAPER BARK - Features

The Apex Park Wetland Project

The Apex Park Wetland Restoration Project, launched in February 2000, culminated earlier this year with the temporary draining of the wetland.

Lowering the water level enabled the removal of more than 1000 kg of feral fish, including European Carp, Goldfish and Plague Minnows (Gambusia, also known as 'Mosquito Fish'). Over 1000 carp alone were removed, including individuals weighing several kilos.

**The main pond viewed from the east**

**Great Egret**

Numerous waterbirds were attracted to the feast, including egrets, herons,
night herons, pelicans,
ibis, cormorants and stilts.

**Australian Ibis & White-faced Heron**

Once pumping ceased, the waterlevel slowly started to rise again from groundwater inflows. The period of low waterlevel is expected to stimulate the regeneration of wetland plants and the restoration of fish habitats.

At a ceremony on the 18th of March the Mayor of West Torrens, other dignitaries and schoolchildren from local primary schools released native fish back into the wetland.

TheWetland Restoration Project was a joint initiative between a number of bodies including Banrock Station, the Cities of West Torrens and Charles Sturt, the KESAB Clean Waters project, Landcare Australia, the Native Fish Association of SA, Natural Heritage Trust, the SA Urban Forest Biodiversity Project, SARDI, the Torrens Catchment Water Management Board and its 'Our Patch' project, as well as local school and community groups.

**Releasing native fish back into the wetland**

The City of West Torrens, the site owner, is keen to get residents involved with looking after their local parks and would like to see the development of a network of 'Friends of (local) Parks' groups.

Some members of the Friends of Pat Creek have already assisted at Apex Park planting days and we would like to become more involved. We can offer our knowledge, skills and our demonstrated long-term commitment towards caring for the environment.

The advantage to FoPC is that the high public profile of Apex Park (compared with the present near invisibility of Pat Creek) could help to increase public awareness of the Pat Creek site, boost our membership and increase our effectiveness in tackling the many tasks before us.

CREATED BY:	LINKED TO:
© Littoral Productions 2001	Ground Truth: towards an environmental history of South Australia

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Web version created 1st June 2001; last updated 12th April 2002.
This page maintained by Andrew Winkler for the Friends of Patawalonga Creek.
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© Littoral Productions 2001