Numerous birdcalls ring out across the Chowilla Floodplain as the area is being nourished back to life.
The South Australian flood plain is an internationally recognised wetland with the largest remaining natural river red gum forest in the Lower Murray.
An environmental watering program is seeing the landscape flourish for the first time in years and threatened species such as the blue-billed duck and Australasian shoveler are being spotted returning to the iconic site.
The Chowilla Reserve is an internationally recognised wetland through the Ramsar Convention. (ABC Riverland: Will Hunter)
Glenn Chisholm is an Erawirung man, who has worked several jobs as part of the River Murray Mallee Aboriginal Corporation (RMMAC) ranger team, helping to manage and maintain the environmental sites.
The unifying theme between his roles has always been his love of home, people, the environment and the Riverland’s history.
“I’ve got some background in amateur archaeology,” the cultural heritage officer said.
“I’ve always dug around in the dirt and loved looking for Aboriginal cultural artefacts and protecting those works — a bit of everything really.”
Glenn Chisholm is delighted to watch the Chowilla Floodplain blossoming back into life. (ABC News: ABC Riverland: Will Hunter)
A lifelong passion
More environmental water has recently been delivered to areas like Lake Limbra.
Environmental watering is the delivery of water to mimic natural flows in rivers, as well as wetting and drying patterns in wetlands.
Mr Chisholm said he was excited to be one of the people on the ground seeing the benefits of the dedicated flows.
“It is amazing out there at the moment. Everything has recovered really well after the flood, there’s just green everywhere,” he said.
“We’ve heard reports that the swans are breeding … and they’ve gotten footage of the cygnets having their first swim with mum and dad.”
Mr Chisholm has travelled all around South Australia but always finds himself coming back home. (ABC Riverland: Will Hunter)
In the past, Aboriginal people used the trees that line the waters to craft bowls and the nearby gums to make canoes.
Mr Chisholm said it was just one of several culturally significant aspects of the area.
“There’s a range of middens, burial grounds and scar trees throughout the area,” he said.
“There’s a number of scar trees out there, varying from canoes to bowls and other utensils.
“Chowilla is a very important cultural site.”
Mr Chisholm says work on improving the waterways never stops. ( ABC Riverland: Will Hunter)
How much water is needed?
A spokesperson for the SA Department of Water (DEW) said the flood plain has “experienced severe ecological decline” due to a lack of flooding, which used to occur naturally about once every two years.
The department said flows from across the border in New South Wales were sitting at about 6,000 megalitres (ML) per day, which will likely decrease over the coming weeks before being bolstered by additional environmental flows.
Returning the flood plain to its former condition after the Millennium Drought has taken many years. (ABC Riverland: Will Hunter)
Lake Limbra has been a recent site for environmental water delivery by the department.
During autumn this year, water was pumped into the lake to provide waterbird habitat and food resources.
The water is also benefiting fringing black box woodlands, cooba woodlands and understorey vegetation such as native sedges and grasses.
The wetland is made up of a number of different creeks. (ABC Riverland: Will Hunter)
For Mr Chisholm and a variety of ranger teams, there is no shortage of work.
“Our work on Chowilla is continuous, we’re constantly working on the value of waterways, how we can rejuvenate certain animal species and bring certain birds back,” he said.
“There’s no end in sight.”
