Wimmera catchment leaders are confident Wimmera River conditions will be ideal for Horsham’s annual Labour Day Weekend fishing competition after water-quality-improvement efforts.

Wimmera Catchment Management Authority chief executive David Brennan said environmental flows had combined with favorable weather to flushed away a ‘blackwater’ threat in Horsham.

The Weekly Advertiser Horsham Fishing Competition is scheduled to go ahead on March 7 with a new-look COVID-safe format.

This year’s competition will be capped at 1000 anglers in line with restrictions.

Wimmera waterway managers are seeing improvements in water quality in the Wimmera River in Horsham after taking steps to minimise the impacts of large volumes of silt, leaves and other organic material since intense rainfall in the upper catchment in late January.

Wimmera Catchment Management Authority chief executive David Brennan caught up with The Weekly Advertiser editor Dean Lawson to provide the latest update, including the outlook for the Horsham Fishing Competition on the March long weekend.

The CMA is monitoring water quality in the upper catchment and further downstream around Horsham to check the response to an environmental water release from Taylors Lake. The CMA is also trialing aeration pumps in key locations.

Wimmera CMA will continue to closely monitor water quality, and is working with GWMWater, Horsham Rural City Council, Horsham Fishing Competition Committee, Victorian Fisheries Authority, Department of Land Water Planning and specialists from the Environment Protection Authority and Arthur Rylah Institute.

Mr Brennan asked the community to keep an eye on the river and let the CMA know if they noticed anything of concern or wanted to learn more and discuss water quality to get in touch with CMA.

“If people have any information or queries please phone our office on 5382 1544.”