The Dam
| While dams have little connection with manicured water gardens, for those interested in wildlife gardening and the cultivation of native aquatic plants they often have an important role to play. They are a link between manicured horticulture, agriculture and aquaculture and often take on a similar role to a water garden, even though their origin and essential function may be different. Increasingly those who own dams are looking at additional roles that they can play both in conservation and recreation.
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 Increasingly dams are fulfilling roles in conservation and recreation.
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 Those dams with shallow areas are useful for attracting wading birds.
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Dams are extremely diverse with over half a million in Australia. Those that are primarily for storing water are often deep and with a proportionally small surface area to reduce evaporation. While they can have some role in growing aquatic plants and maintaining a fish population, this is fairly minimal. It is shallow farm dams with a large surface area that are to be preferred. Those with shallow areas of 30cm or so can be useful for attracting wading birds, while an average depth of 1m or more is perfect for most fish except trout.
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| These require cool water and much prefer water in excess of 1m and a deep area of at least 3m. When considering adapting a farm dam completely or in part to aquatic activities, take into account where the water is gathered from. Often there is fertilizer run-off, and while perhaps surprisingly in a large volume of water this can cause a beneficial increase in the natural supply of foods for fish and other aquatic creatures, a very thin line exists between benefits and pollution, or the uncontrollable blooms of algae.
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 The surrounding area from where the water is gathered affects itsquality.
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 The cormorant family are fish predators.
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When fish are maintained as an interest, or for recreation or food, then predators are a potential problem, especially birds of the cormorant family. There are various forms of protection, but amongst the most pleasing to the eye and ultimate benefit of the local wildlife population is the floating raft island. These can be made from wooden pallets, linked together and planted. They are then anchored out in the dam and provide a place for fish to hide beneath, at the same time providing a safe nesting places for waterfowl. Well planted margins, and where the water is of a depth where it is possible, the planting of waterlilies and similar deep water aquatics will offer similar protection and be both a visual and wildlife asset.
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The vigorous Yellow Pond Lily, Nuphar lutea, and strong-growing waterlilies such as Nymphaea ‘Gladstoneana’ will grow contentedly in 2m of water and spread with verdant lily pad across the surface of the water making a suitable prancing stage for water birds like the Christbird or Comb Crested Jacana.
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 Waterlilies like ‘Gladstoniana’, grow in 2m of water.
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