LIFE has returned to the Peel River, but land-carers haven't stopped working to keep its banks strong and thriving as well.
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The river had trickled to a dramatic halt at the start of the year, but a surge of rainfall revived its tributaries and brought much-need flow.
It has given Tamworth Urban Landcare Group a new impetus in its decade-long revitalisation work on the Peel.
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Some dedicated volunteers tapped into the flow to water some tiny saplings along the banks, near the viaduct bridge.
The native trees were planted about two years ago and have survived intense drought, some haphazard slashing and even grass fires.
Just like the flowing stream below the banks, Landcarer and OzFisher Anne Michie said it shows how resilient nature could be.
Ms Michie expected the flow to slow once again "because the aquifers underground are just so dry."
It has still brought a shred of hope.
"It is just nice to see water in the river and bringing a bit of new life into the place again to give us hope that we will actually survive," she said.
"If we see this rain which is meant to come this week, that will be brilliant because we are long way from fixed."
Tributaries including the Cockburn River and Goonoo Goonoo Creek have flowed generously into the Peel, so the volunteers will be watching with interest to see how the river fares in coming weeks.
"If it dries right down again, there may be time to do another fish rescue and see what others we can get," Ms Michie said.
Landcare and OzFish will be doing some more work on the banks of the Peel near Jewry Street on Clean Up Australia Day, March 1.
Jacob McArthur
Jacob McArthur is opinions editor for The Canberra Times and Australian Community Media. As part of the Canberra Times' production team, he helps the people of Canberra and beyond get the stories they need, when they need them across a range of platforms, while helping maintain a high editorial standard. Before moving to Canberra in 2020, he started with Australian Community Media in 2015 as a journalist for The Northern Daily Leader in Tamworth where he kept a close eye on Tamworth Regional Council. Jacob was also the co-host of ACM's Water Pressure podcast where he and Jamieson Murphy took a deep dive on issues and key decisions arising during one of the region's worst droughts on record.
Jacob McArthur is opinions editor for The Canberra Times and Australian Community Media. As part of the Canberra Times' production team, he helps the people of Canberra and beyond get the stories they need, when they need them across a range of platforms, while helping maintain a high editorial standard. Before moving to Canberra in 2020, he started with Australian Community Media in 2015 as a journalist for The Northern Daily Leader in Tamworth where he kept a close eye on Tamworth Regional Council. Jacob was also the co-host of ACM's Water Pressure podcast where he and Jamieson Murphy took a deep dive on issues and key decisions arising during one of the region's worst droughts on record.
