Devastating Start to Turtle Nesting Season After Major Flooding

After a record nesting season for an endangered species of turtle last year, it is a "devastating" start to this year's laying after major flooding drastically changed the banks of the Burnett River.

The white-throated snapping turtle, known as milbi in Taribelang Bunda language, is only found in the Burnett, Mary and Fitzroy Rivers in Queensland.

WYLD Projects Indigenous Corporation has been monitoring and relocating turtle nests for the past decade.

Last year, it found 187 clutches and was able to relocate 94 to predator-safe cages.

Only 1 per cent of the hatchlings survive to adulthood.

The turtles' historic nesting banks were damaged when the Burnett River peaked at Bundaberg at 7.4 metres in March this year.

WYLD Projects founder and director Brad Crosbie said the flood had washed away sand in some areas, and dumped it in others.

"[Flooding] impacts the bank angle, which is critical for our turtles to lay," he said.

Mr Crosbie said the steep banks and loose sand were resulting in extremely low clutch numbers.

"We've got 3 metres of loose sand that's now on our banks, which is not ideal for our turtles," he said.

"Turtles have been coming up, trying to nest and just deciding not to."

In past years, WYLD Projects would have relocated about 30 clutches to predator-safe cages by now.

This year, the group had found seven.

Mr Crosbie said he believed low water levels were also contributing to the small clutch count.

A Sunwater spokesperson said the organisation was working on upgrades to the Ben Anderson Barrage, which required lowering the water level for safe access.

They said Sunwater had approvals to reduce water levels and had ensured environmental mitigations were in place, including for turtle nesting.

"Water levels will be maintained at a reduced level during construction before being gradually raised to minimise the risk of inundating nesting areas," the spokesperson said.

Work is due to be completed in August.

Food source stripped

Mr Crosbie was also concerned about the impact of flooding on the turtles' food source, which included submerged plant meadows known as macrophyte beds.

"That will obviously affect next year's nesting because of the lack of food in the system," he said, adding that it took many years for macrophyte beds in the Mary River to regrow after flooding in 2022.

"Then we've got another flood, and she's all gone again. So, it could be another three years before it recovers."