The Bennett Road culvert crossing of Enoggera Creek in Brisbane represents a barrier to upstream fish migration due to high velocity, shallow flow, water surface drop, and lack of resting place for fish. This structure represents a barrier to aquatic fauna connectivity between habitat areas in the creek and prevents migration from downstream to upstream reaches for more than 6 species of native freshwater fish. The Walaman prefabricated fishway system has recently been installed to provide for upstream fish passage and to overcome the fish migration barriers for a range of flow conditions at the culvert.
The Walaman prefabricated fishway system has been installed in the Enoggera Creek Bennett Road culvert in Brisbane. Project objectives are to provide for upstream fish passage, retain the integrity and function of the culvert structure, and provide a demonstration site. The fishway incorporates the Block Ramp and Offset Baffle fishway designs to overcome hydraulic barriers in various zones of the structure – downstream of the culvert, on the culvert downstream apron, and within the culvert barrel. Flow observations and hydraulic monitoring have been undertaken in August 2010 to examine initial hydraulic and physical performance of the fishway for flows up to 400 mm deep. Biological monitoring of the fishway will be undertaken later this year when fish are expected to be moving in the waterway.