RIVERLAND agricultural companies are collaborating with a state environment initiative to deliver another win for the River Murray.

Accolade Wines and Angove Family Winemakers will collaborate with the Department for Environment and Water (DEW) for its re-snagging initiative being rolled out again in 2022.

DEW program co-ordination and development manager, Glenn Shimmin, said the re-snagging process places native hardwood root balls and timber in the river to create native fish breeding habitats.

“The first trials of this project in 2019 at Bookpurnong, and subsequent placements at Banrock Station and Overland Corner, are already showing promising signs with Murray cod and golden perch (callop) juveniles being recorded within the snags,” Mr Shimmin said.

“However, these first placements came at a cost as the required red gum timber pins, used to lock down the root balls, had to be sourced from interstate and trucked to South Australia.”

Accolade Wines and Angove have offered up trees from their woodlots for the pins and root balls, after hearing of plans for the continuations of the successful DEW Sustaining Riverland Environments (SRE) Program.

Both wineries divert waste water from their operations to woodlots where they plant and subsequently water native trees like river redgum, as part of their environmental commitment.

Tim Field, manager of Banrock Station Wetland, which is owned by Accolade Wines, said offering the woodlot trees was an important part of the company’s contribution to the region.

“After being involved in one of the first re-snagging activities, and with the trees in our woodlot coming to the end of their life, we knew they would be perfect for root balls or red gum pins.” Mr Field said.

“We recognise the need for timber to go back into the river to provide important native fish habitats, and repurposing these trees fits the bill.”

Angove operations manager, Deon Hallam, said the winery was pleased to be partnering with DEW, local businesses and the community by providing trees grown at its Renmark woodlot.

“We’ve been here for five generations and we’ve always had a strongly held belief that all activities undertaken must be sustainable now and into the future, so supporting initiatives like this is vitally important,” Mr Hallam said.

“The time has come to thin (the trees) so putting them to good use with the Department was an easy decision to make.”

Sites earmarked for the next round of re-snagging include Bookmark Creek in Renmark, Overland Corner and Banrock Station.