Volunteers Ian Wall and Ian Campbell got to work with the chainsaw during Sunday’s working bee.
A group of North Deniliquin residents have started a community project to restore the lagoon and its surrounding area back to the wonderful place it once was.
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This will be a long term project and will involve the help of community volunteers, students and staff from Deniliquin North Public School and Deniliquin High School, Murray Irrigation, Kolety Landcare Lagoon Program and Edward River Council.
A working bee was held on Sunday with only four people participating, but organisers are hoping more help will be forthcoming.
The lagoon is adjacent to Deni North School, bordered by Victoria, River, Hyde and Box Sts.
Lead organisers Ian Campbell and Allan Jones were driven to act by the state of the lagoon and its surrounds.
They wish to restore it to its former beauty.
They have started removing non-native, “vermin” trees and weeds and intend to enhance the area by planting new native trees in the area.
Another aim is to restore the ecology of the lagoon to its natural wetlands.
It is currently overrun with “dismal water quality filled with carp and cumbungi”.
Mr Campbell anticipates it will be a five year project, saying removing the cumbungi is quite the physical challenge.
He said they will be enlisting help from local ecologist Dr John Conallin to determine suitable replacement plants.
Dr Conallin will also supervise the planting and re-establishing fish species.
Mr Campbell expects students from Deniliquin North School and Deniliquin High School will help in the rejuvenation process.
Deni North principal Mark Peterson said “students and staff are looking forward to helping where we can”.
“We also hope to have the help of the high school students involved in the Kolety Landcare Lagoon Program, to buddy with North students in the hope they will stay involved with the program when they progress to high school,” Mr Peterson said.
If you can volunteer or provide assistance for the project, call Mr Campbell on 0427 534 312 or Mr Jones on 0457 277 374.
Volunteers hard at work at the north Deniliquin lagoon on Sunday.
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