Oxygenation method usually used in emergencies trialled in Darling River

February 25, 2024 4:52 AM

Oxygenation method usually used in emergencies trialled in Darling River to prevent mass fish kills. Tens of millions of native fish have perished along the Darling River over the past five years following a series of mass kills. In an attempt to mitigate future deaths the NSW government are trialling technology that pumps pure oxygen into the water.
posted by chariot pulled by cassowaries (5 comments total)

Interesting they are using pure oxygen. Lake aeration is used here during the winter to prevent winter kill but it is just introducing air.
posted by Mitheral at 11:18 AM on February 25

Oxygenation has been done on the Thames since the Eighties. It helps prevent acute problems.

Or, you know, you could deal with the sources of chronic stress to the river - over-allocation of water, pollution, and nutrient run-off.

Nah, let's just slap another band-aid on it.
posted by happyinmotion at 11:59 AM on February 25 [3 favorites]

They have had a system like this on the lake near me for a little over a decade now. News article about it here; map here. While I tend to agree with happyinmotion that it is a technical solution to a management problem, it seems to be popular in the Savannah River watershed, which is pretty highly controlled (3 major hydroelectric dams, at least one smaller hydroelectric dam, and two navigational lock and dam structures). Although I knew about the oxygen system, I hadn’t given a lot of thought about it until we were out on the lake in August and my wife’s son suggested we go swimming by the oxygen tubes. They were easy to find, especially given that there was a line of boats fishing the cool, oxygen rich water. But jumping off the boat and swimming there was a new experience. The air temps here that time of year are at or near 100 degrees (F) and surface temps in the water are not far behind. But the oxygen bubbles pull cooler water up from the bottom, and there are still enough bubbles at the surface that the effect is like swimming in a lightly chilled pool filled with club soda. Definitely a unique experience that I would recommend.
posted by TedW at 12:46 PM on February 25 [2 favorites]

I guess they're stuck with technical solutions given the obvious and correct solution is to stop mega-corporations from sucking all the water out of the river to feed their cash crops.
posted by dg at 2:38 PM on February 25 [4 favorites]

I guess they're stuck with technical solutions given the obvious and correct solution is to stop mega-corporations from sucking all the water out of the river to feed their cash crops.

There's also a problem with mining companies, including (but not limited to) coal mines, sucking water out for their mines. :(
posted by chariot pulled by cassowaries at 2:40 PM on February 25 [4 favorites]