Imagine being able to find a rare, nocturnal animal in our river without ever having to see it, catch it, or set a camera trap.
Thanks to leading-edge technology, we no longer have to imagine it. We are stepping into a new era of river care, and the Beverley River Care Group is right at the forefront.
Recently, we heard from locally based Curtin University researchers, Dr Josh Newton and Dr Angus Lawrie, who are doing fascinating work with environmental DNA (eDNA) right here in Western Australia. The technology is brilliant in its simplicity. As animals live, move and breathe in a river, they shed microscopic bits of themselves: skin cells, scales, mucus and waste. By simply taking a sample of water and filtering it, scientists can extract this genetic material and identify many of the species that have recently been present.
It is a non-invasive, highly accurate way to take a biological snapshot of our waterways. While eDNA cannot tell us how many animals are present, it is remarkably good at revealing whether a species has recently occupied a waterway.
A textbook example: The “Extinct” Pygmy Perch
If you want to know how powerful eDNA is, look no further than the incredible discovery made on the Mandoon Bilya (Helena River) in the Perth Hills in May 2026.
Researchers and Indigenous rangers from the Bibbul Ngarma Aboriginal Association (BNAA) were conducting routine water testing as part of their BoorYul-Bah-Bilya river restoration program. Using eDNA, they detected the genetic traces of Balston’s pygmy perch, a threatened native freshwater fish previously thought to be extinct north of Margaret River.
Finding this hidden population in the Helena River proved that a resilient northern group had survived harsh drying conditions and habitat changes. Following the initial eDNA signal, the BNAA teamed up with the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER) River Science team to run physical surveys, confirming the fish were living and active in the upper catchment.
Because these fish survived such harsh conditions, scientists believe they may hold vital clues to helping native species adapt to a changing climate. This discovery is now helping Traditional Owners and local authorities plan better land management and water flows to protect the river.
What could be hiding in the Avon and Dale Rivers?
The Helena River discovery is a powerful reminder that our rivers hold secrets. What might we find in our own backyards?
Here in the Shire of Beverley, we are fortunate to have both the Avon River and the Dale River. Downstream of the confluence of these two waterways, our friends at the York River Conservation Society will soon be conducting their own eDNA testing, specifically looking for Rakali. As top predators, Rakali are a brilliant indicator of a healthy river system.
For the Beverley River Care Group, our focus is searching up the Avon River to understand what might be living in very different, and sometimes challenging, environments. It will be fascinating to see what survives in the hypersaline waters of Yenyening Lakes. We are also keen to test the degraded pool in the Beverley townsite, a pool that struggles over summer when dead algae draws vital oxygen from the water.
Our upcoming testing
Thanks to the generosity of Josh and Angus at Curtin University’s School of Molecular and Life Sciences, and the York River Conservation Society, we have obtained our first batch of eDNA test kits. Over the coming weeks, we will be sampling at Yenyening Lakes, Harry Eyre’s Pool, the Beverley Town Pool and Speldhurst Pool plus making sure the Friends of the Dale can sample Reserve Pool too.
Through this testing, we are hoping to find evidence of mussels or Rakali, plus any native fish that might indicate the river is healthier than we think. Because eDNA acts like a conveyor belt, washing genetic material from upstream down to our filters, a single water sample can sometimes reveal species that have been living more than 5 km upstream, depending on river conditions.
Yenyening Lakes has never been sampled with eDNA before, so we genuinely have no idea what we might find. We could discover critters we didn’t even know we had!
Whatever the results, this data will give our committee the hard evidence needed to better understand our waterways and advocate for their protection and management.
Stay tuned for updates as we collect our samples and send them off to the lab. Who knows what secrets the water will reveal?
Let us know what you think hello@beverleyrivercare.org.au
25th July 2026