Trees damaged by recent bushfires have been used to restore Upper Murray River with the hope of saving the endangered trout cod.
More than 65 large trees, deemed as dangerous, were removed from the roadside in the Towong Shire and used to improve the waterways.
The trees were turned into snags and used to stabilise the banks of the river, which are prone to erosion.
Land Services Officer Steve Thompson from Murray Local Land Service said the hydro system in the Upper Murray caused the river to run at full capacity in some parts.
"The banks wouldn't normally be wet all the time so they're slumping and that causes some of the erosion," he said.
Mr Thompson said the federally funded project was a win-win for the community.
"At the same time as stabilising the banks it provides habitat for some of our native fish," he said.
Post-bushfire impacts
Not long after the bushfires ravaged through North East communities came several heavy, localised rain events.
While the rain was welcomed by locals it caused damage to the waterways by washing huge amounts of sediment and ash through.
"I've seen streams further up in the catchment that are just black," Mr Thompson said.
Not only did the downpour impact upon the quality of the river but it had a huge effect on the creatures inhabiting it.
"We've had fish kills, there have been stories about crayfish crawling out of the river because there's just no oxygen in the river," Mr Thompson said.
Why the trout cod is endangered
One of the species particularly affected was the trout cod — an already endangered species.
"They were once really abundant and now they're just gone," Mr Thompson said.
River regulations and the introduction of other fish had a dramatic effect on the species.
Fishing had also caused the numbers to decline as the endangered trout cod looked very similar to the Murray cod.
De-snagging of vegetation was once considered best practice, but research showed it could do more harm to the environment than good.
"It was thought [de-snagging] would improve flows and allow transport and more boating up and down the rivers, but that's one of the reasons some of the native fish have disappeared," Mr Thompson said.
Native fish use the woody debris for shelter, food, and breeding locations.
"It just provides protection; it provides somewhere to breed," Mr Thompson said.
He hoped now that the project was complete, the numbers of trout cod would start to flourish again.
"We'd just hate to see our native species disappear," he said.
