Due to the rains over the December/January period the Friends of Mongarlowe River were unable to do the planned downstream assessment that will be the first ever study of the habitat values, and threatening processes down the whole length of the river. The Threatened Species Network, who funded FMR through the World Wildlife Fund, have extended the project to protect the nationally threatened Macquarie Perch found in the Mongarlowe River.

The rains may have delayed the project but was very welcomed by farmers and the like and has been the first season of many that gave the Macquarie Perch the chance to spawn. The Macca breeds from October to January needing a good flow over riffle areas of the river to lay their eggs. This last long drought had thwarted the Maccas breeding hence a very low yield has been monitored. Even so there have been reports of fishers catching (and releasing) adult Maccas over the time of this project.

Associate Professor Mark Lintermans, a Macquarie Perch expert, has recently been Fyke netting with help from FMR members showing better results than last year. With good seasons for the next few years, a rise in the Mac Perch population could occur.

After spending to date, three days of six, assessing the river, FMR is impressed by its overall condition, which still retains a wilderness feel despite the many properties that now have river frontage. Any damage caused is by blackberry, thistle and other weeds coming downstream, as well as carp and gambusia that are moving up from the Shoalhaven. There are some areas where rehabilitation has occurred following the recent removal of cattle access to the river. However all of the grazed areas show higher weed infestations than on other river banks.