A groundbreaking fish passage technology that has already helped over 7,500 native fish navigate the Lake Wetherell outlet regulator is set to enter its second year of trials, with the NSW Government hosting a community celebration to mark this significant milestone in river restoration.

On Saturday, 20 September 2025, the NSW Government will host a free community day at the Lake Wetherell Outlet Regulator on Main Weir Road from 10am to 3pm. The event will feature a free BBQ, behind-the-scenes demonstrations of the Fishheart control system, information stands about the project and the health of the Barka (Darling River), and a community art installation where visitors can help paint the pipes.

The celebration marks the launch of Year 2 of the temporary tube fishway trial, a pioneering project that represents the first time this technology has been tested under Australian conditions on native inland freshwater fish at this scale.

The fishway trial emerged from one of Australia's most devastating environmental disasters. In three separate events between December 2018 and January 2019, millions of fish—including endangered Murray Cod—died en masse along a 40-kilometre stretch of the Darling River near Menindee.

An independent panel concluded that over a million fish may have died in these events, caused by a combination of drought, algal blooms, and sudden temperature drops that mixed low-oxygen water. Menindee fish deaths | Murray–Darling Basin Authority

Further tragedy struck in 2023, when millions more fish died in similar circumstances, highlighting the ongoing crisis facing Australia's longest river system.

The Darling River is known as "Baaka" to the Barkindji people, with "Barkindji" literally meaning "people of the Baaka." These Aboriginal people have lived along the river for at least 45,000 years, with the waterway providing not only cultural foundations but also sustaining life through food supply from the waterways and surrounding areas.

The fish deaths have particular significance for Indigenous communities, as these species hold high cultural value and are central to traditional life along the river.

The Fishheart fishway system is an advanced, floating hydraulic technology that utilises artificial intelligence to detect fish and regulate water flow, ensuring efficient and safe passage.

Unlike traditional fishways, the system is adjustable, allowing researchers to fine-tune operations based on real-time environmental conditions.

Over 7,500 fish used the new temporary fishway at Lake Wetherell during its first 2.5 months of operation to find new homes, more food, and spawn and recruit, with the vast majority being native species dominated by bony herring.

The first fishway in NSW was constructed at Audley Weir on the Hacking River near Sydney, but early designs were based on northern hemisphere species like salmon and trout, making them largely ineffective for Australian native fish.

Unlike northern hemisphere species, most Australian native fish cannot swim up and over the artificial drops that weirs and dams create in waterways, leading to fish becoming stranded at the base of barriers. Fishways - NSW Department of Primary Industries

The trial forms part of the $25 million Restoring the Darling-Baaka River Program, which includes 26 actions addressing recommendations from the Office of the Chief Scientist and Engineer.

The program has already used better data from enhanced monitoring and modelling to strategically release water to avoid conditions that lead to fish deaths on at least nine occasions over the last 18 months.

Currently in the Lower Darling-Baaka, fish can only migrate upstream as far as Lake Wetherell and Menindee Main Weir, with regulators and weirs blocking fish passage and contributing to significant increases in fish biomass, especially in the Menindee town weir pool. Menindee Lower Darling-Baaka

The trial represents an exciting opportunity to test innovative fishway technology while DPIRD Fisheries develops a business case with partner agencies to find effective and permanent fish passage solutions.

Due to the complexity of the existing weirs and regulators that allow flow management throughout the Menindee Lakes system, there is no one-size-fits-all solution to restore fish passage.

The trial serves as an experimental approach to gauge the feasibility of temporary passage methods while working towards long-term solutions.

The community day represents more than just a celebration—it's an opportunity for residents to engage with cutting-edge conservation technology that could reshape how Australia manages fish migration around artificial barriers.

With the success of the first year demonstrating the technology's potential, the second year of trials will provide crucial data for scaling up these solutions across the Murray-Darling Basin.

For the Barkindji people and other communities along the Baaka, the fishway trial offers hope that their river—the lifeblood of their culture and survival—can be restored to health for future generations.

The community day runs from 10am to 3pm on Saturday, 20 September 2025, at Lake Wetherell Outlet Regulator, Main Weir Road, Menindee.