SWIM: Weir removed for better fish passage

The final vestiges of Cookes Weir have been removed.
Cookes Weir is 12km upstream of Jabour Weir on the Richmond River at Casino.
The Jabour Weir wall was raised in 1976 and pools water to within 20mm of Cookes Weir pool.
Cookes Weir drop boards were removed from the central drop board bay in 2009 which meant the weir had no impact on upstream water levels.
Cookes Weir was listed as a ‘high’ priority barrier for fish passage remediation under the NSW Fish Passage Strategy as it presented a significant barrier to native fish migration in the Richmond River.
The weir’s removal is part of the NSW Marine Estate Management Strategy to improve fish passage in coastal catchments.
With Cookes Weir gone, migration of fish such as the Australian Bass will be easier.
The Department of Primary Industries approached WaterNSW in April 2019 to collaborate on the removal of Cookes Weir.  The State Government contributed $250,000 towards the project.
Cookes Weir has been removed from Richmond River.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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