“A stream in Queensland,” someone whispers. That is Hilliards Creek. It might seem like just another waterway. But it plays a vital role in the local ecosystem.
Hilliards Creek is located in Queensland, Australia. Its coordinates are 24°04′0.1″S 151°37′58.8″E. Anglers often seek out the best fishing spots along Hilliards Creek. FishBrain can help locate where others have had success. It shows big fish potential and current fishing conditions with Navionics depth maps.
The most common species reported in Hilliards Creek is the Javelin grunter. A total of one member reported catching this fish.
In an effort to improve fish passage, a rock-ramp fishway was constructed at Hilliards Creek weir. This project was a partnership between Redland City Council and Catchment Solutions. The weir was ranked the 36th highest priority fish barrier in the Greater Brisbane region. The assessment favored a full-width rock-ramp fishway. It would best assist fish to ascend past the barrier.
The fishway is 18 meters long. It contains nine ridges. The drops between pools measure 80 mm. Construction took only four days. A total of 205 tons of rock was used. The overall cost was $42,000.
Monitoring in December 2016 assessed the fishway’s capabilities. It aimed to see if the fishway could pass the full suite of fish species. It also aimed to see if it could pass size classes expected in Hilliards Creek. The fishway trap was set at the exit. It was on the upstream side of the crossing. This showed the numbers and species of fish able to ascend the rock-ramp fishway.
Across five days of monitoring, nine species were surveyed ascending the fishway. The overall catch rate was 177.66 fish per day. Even small fish, those as little as 15 mm, successfully ascended. This indicates the fishway is operating as intended. Small fish are generally weaker swimmers than adults. They don’t possess the same muscle to propel them.
However, fish migration numbers through this fishway were lower. This is compared to other fishways constructed as part of this project. The lower numbers are due to a low passability fish barrier. It is located downstream in Fellmonger Park.
The Fellmonger Park barrier is a raised pedestrian causeway. It has two small, partially blocked pipe culverts buried underneath. This causeway is a major barrier to fish passage. This is during all base, low, and medium flow events. Only during infrequent drown-out events is fish passage potentially available. But this is only if migrating fish are located below the weir at the time of drown-out. They must also possess swimming abilities exceeding the velocities at the barrier site.
Boat electrofishing surveys were undertaken upstream and downstream of this barrier. This was to detect any differences in fish community condition. The survey results demonstrated the barrier was significantly impacting upstream fish communities. The catch rate of diadromous fish species downstream of the barrier was more than four times higher than upstream.
Some showers may fall along the way. But don’t let that dampen your spirits. Walk along the paved paths. Enjoy the tranquility of Hilliards Creek and its birdlife. Some parts are grassy or dirt tracks. These are generally well-defined. Hilliards Creek offers more than meets the eye. It plays an important part in maintaining the ecological balance.