Gaynor Swamp Wildlife Reserve

Gaynor Swamp Wildlife Reserve is a 303-hectare deep freshwater marsh located about seven kilometres south-east of Corop in northern Victoria. It forms part of the Corop Lakes system and the nationally significant Wallenjoe Wetlands. The reserve is managed by Parks Victoria and is valued for its rarity, species diversity, wetland vegetation and important waterbird breeding habitat.

Gaynor Swamp is a nationally significant seasonal deep freshwater marsh within the Victorian Riverina bioregion and the Corop Lakes drainage system. The wetland provides breeding, feeding, roosting and drought-refuge habitat for a diverse range of waterbirds and other wetland fauna. It is particularly important as breeding habitat for Brolga. The wetland is surrounded by irrigated and dryland agricultural land and has experienced major hydrological alteration since the development of irrigation in the district.

Before European settlement, Gaynor Swamp was generally a shallow freshwater marsh supplied by Cornella Creek when Lake Cooper filled sufficiently to back water into the creek system. European settlement occurred in the Corop district during the nineteenth century. The swamp was named after John Gaynor, who owned land at its southern end.
Irrigation development during the 1940s and 1950s substantially altered the wetland's hydrology, producing longer periods of inundation and changing it towards a semi-permanent deep freshwater marsh. This contributed to the loss of areas of Southern Cane-grass and River Red Gum.
Gaynor Swamp remained freehold land until 1976-77, when it was purchased for wildlife preservation. Parts were reserved under Crown-land legislation in 1978, and by 1986 all land parcels within the reserve had been transferred to Crown ownership. A regulating structure was constructed in 1995-96 to reduce the entry of saline backflow from Lake Cooper.

• Improve the diversity of native wetland flora to be consistent with relevant Ecological Vegetation Class benchmarks.
• Reduce the cover and diversity of exotic flora species.
• Re-establish populations of Spiny Lignum and Salt Paperbark.
• Maintain or increase the diversity and abundance of frog species supported by the wetland.
• Provide opportunities for waterbird breeding, especially Brolga.
• Maintain a variable wetting and drying regime.
• Protect shallow-water, deep-water and mudflat habitat.
• Prevent inappropriate saline-water entry and maintain suitable water quality.
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Principal threats include altered hydrology; prolonged or poorly timed inundation; inadequate natural flooding; poor water quality; salinity; turbidity; low dissolved oxygen; excessive nutrient levels; blue-green algae; invasive plants; pest fish; surrounding agricultural activity; and the loss or degradation of waterbird breeding habitat.

• URGENT CONCERN
The attitude of Parks Victoria in relation to the outlet structure.
Since approximately 2022 and just recently Parks Victorian have done absolutely nothing in regards to the outlet regulator for fear of being sued by a local land holder.
After being cught redhanded jamming the flume open, allowing water fo drain from the swamp, the Parks Officer claimed that he had been told by the MINISTER, to DRAIN THE SWAMP!!!!!

• URGENT CONCERN
The lack of Progress (circa 2012) in repairing the Outlet Regulator into Lake Cooper

• Maintain an ecologically appropriate variable water regime.
• Deliver environmental water when natural inflows are inadequate and suitable delivery infrastructure is available.
• Monitor water level, salinity, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, nutrients and temperature.
• Monitor native flora, frogs and waterbird breeding responses.
• Protect breeding birds from sudden water-level changes.
• Prevent saline backflow from Lake Cooper.
• Investigate or maintain infrastructure for environmental-water delivery.
• Consider carp-exclusion measures where practicable.
• Control pest plants and pest fish.
• Maintain reserve fencing and access controls as required.

A regulating structure was constructed in 1995-96 to reduce saline backflow from Lake Cooper. Gaynor Swamp is included in Goulburn Broken environmental-watering planning. The 2012 plan identified possible delivery options through Cornella Creek and Backbone Channel 16, although infrastructure and capacity constraints were noted.

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