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Changes in land management, the clearing
of vegetation and industrial, urban and
rural development practices, have resulted
in a decline in water quality in some areas
of Tasmania. Through monitoring local
aquatic environments, the Waterwatch
programme provides techniques for assessing
catchment health.
Waterwatch Tasmania comprises 13 regional
groups. Through Waterwatch, groups can link
with each other, share discoveries, compare
findings and build a picture of the health
of waterways across Australia.
Each region has its own specific target
and objectives as it faces its own
environmental issues.
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King Island Waterwatch is one of five NRM projects managed by the King Island Natural
Resource Management Group (KI NRM). The KI NRM Group
is a special committee of the King Island
Council, made up entirely of community
volunteers dedicated to "promoting
coordinated and integrated management of
natural resources for the economic and
environmental sustainability of King
Island".
The King Island Waterwatch program was
developed to address the lack of baseline
water quality data for the island and to
provide a locally-based facilitator to
educate, train and inform the community
about water resource management issues
specific to the region.
Since the employment of a co-ordinator in
March 2000, King Island Waterwatch has had
several significant achievements:
- Establishment of a monthly and
rainfall event water monitoring program,
with 30 employees of the King Island
dairies. Participants record chemical and
water life upstream and downstream of the
factory.
- Every one of the 325 King Island
District High School children involved in
Waterwatch information sessions, activities
and excursions, within the first nine months.
- Establishment of a community-based
platypus monitoring survey and research
programme with the Melbourne Zoo.
- State
Runners-up 2000 and State Winners 2001, Race Around the Catchment - School Category.
To date our key regional issues have also
included regular monthly monitoring of key
waterways, saline groundwater monitoring by
landholders, promoting alternative stock
watering options for waterway health,
identification and management of algal
blooms, development and co-ordination of the
King Island LEAPFROG Wetland Rehabilitation
Project, plus the preparation of a regional
aquatic biota inventory and health indicator
reference collection.
This work is on top of our ongoing
commitment to providing information,
training and management advice on water
quality and water resource management
issues, for the educational, agricultural,
industrial and wider community groups of
King Island.
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Burnie-Wynyard Regional Waterwatch strives to educate the public and
especially schoolchildren about our unique
freshwater systems. This is particularly
important in this area as the waterways are
used intensively by a number of industries.
The group also work hand in hand with groups that
are involved in the repair of these
waterways. Water testing is undertaken at
many sites with the chemistry of the water
tested and the health of the rivers'
inhabitants from macro-invertebrates to the
giant freshwater lobsters.
Key issues include sedimentation, introduced plants (willows), introduced
animals (yabbies), heating of our waterways through turbidity and shade
loss, land clearing practices and acid mine drainage.
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Five Rivers Waterwatch Inc. is a community
based water quality monitoring group which
comprises schools, Landcare groups,
community members, local councils,
landholders and business and industry
groups.
The group formed in March 1994,
originally as Latrobe Region Waterwatch,
looking at the Rubicon and lower Mersey
Rivers. Members were from the Port Sorell
and Latrobe Landcare groups and the Latrobe
High School. The group has grown from these
humble beginnings to now include 17 schools,
7 Landcare and Coastcare groups, local
councils, government agencies, industry and
community members.
Contact: Pat Ellison
Phone: (03) 6421 7736
Email: fiveriv@southcom.com.au
Web site: www.tased.edu.au/tasonline/fiveriv/fiveriv.htm
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The
Tamar Valley provides a great setting for
Waterwatch activities. The Tamar Estuary begins at the confluence of the North and
South Esk Rivers at Launceston, then follows
a meandering course 60km through the Tamar
Valley, before entering Bass Strait at Low Head and Beauty Point. Along the way there
are a range of wetlands from brackish native
reed marshes to ricegrass saltmarshes as
well as numerous streams and three major
rivers flowing into the estuary.
Waterwatch
activities in the Tamar Valley are diverse,
reflecting the diversity of waterways.
Untreated stormwater entering waterways is a
focus of urban activities. Riverside Primary
School has been monitoring the stormwater
drain at Riverside High School lake. They
have found high orthophosphate levels, and a
lot of rubbish in the lake. Waterwatch is
presently negotiating with the council for
the instillation of a gross pollutant trap.
Lilydale Waterwatch have been monitoring the
Second River, part of the Piper River
catchment, for turbidity, flow rate and
orthophosphate levels. There are various
activities on this river, such as farming
and forestry practices, that are of concern
to the group.
Key
issues for 2003 will be wetland
rehabilitation, stormwater treatment and
mitigation, maintaining environmental flow
rates and sedimentation.
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 Dorset Waterwatch is
the third oldest Waterwatch group in
Tasmania and has been in operation for 7
years. The group’s operations cover the
entire Dorset municipality in North East
Tasmania. The group’s mission is to work
with the community to improve water quality
in the municipality. Its slogan is:
"Communities Caring for
Catchments".
Our logo features Astacopsis gouldi, the giant freshwater lobster. Dorset
Waterwatch has been involved in the
conservation of this species since 1997. The
group is also committed to the protection of Litoria raniformis, the endangered
Green and Gold Frog, and Engaeus sp., burrowing
crayfish.The group focuses on community
empowerment through education and water
quality monitoring. Highlights for 2001 have
been:
- The production of a Catchment Calendar
of school students’ work.The publication in the local media of
Oral History stories about our rivers
and how they have changed in living
memory.The facilitation of a Community
Participative Case Study and tour of the
Diddleum area to empower local government
and the community to participate in
natural resource management in upper
catchments.The gaining of a Golden Dipstick Award
for the most accurate measurement and
labelling of water samples in a recent
state-wide Dipstick Event.The stencilling of 250 stormwater drain
covers in Bridport, Ringarooma, Branxholm
and Scottsdale.
- The presentation of interactive
Waterwatch displays at the Scottsdale and
Ringarooma shows.
Contact: Debbie Searle
Phone: (03) 6352 6536
Email: dsearle@dorset.tas.gov.au
Web site: www.tased.edu.au/tasonline/dorsetww
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Break O'Day Waterwatch in the east coastal region has been in progress for
over five years. Both adults and students have participated in learning and
monitoring the lagoons and wetlands near the coast and major waterways that
flow from several tiers into the Tasman Sea.
Due to the prevalence of farming and forestry practices, parameters
measured are mainly quantity, turbidity, some nutrient and E. coli levels. Occasionally
synthetic chemicals have been tested following plantation establishments.
Break O'Day Waterwatch works in partnership with the Break O'Day Council,
Glamorgan/Spring Bay Council and the State Waterwatch program. This is
especially so in the lower reaches where groups have tested, and are still monitoring for,
bacterial levels which may affect recreational activities.
The two District High Schools, St. Helen's and St.
Mary's, continue to be
involved in the field with Waterwatch at different times during the year.
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Derwent Catchment Waterwatch Group Inc. is working with schools and
community members throughout the Derwent Catchment with the most
activity taking place in the mid Derwent region between New Norfolk and
Westerway.
Eight schools are involved in regular monitoring and many others are involved
in educational activities on their local streams. There is a growing
interest from urban community environment groups and residents who live
near
the rivulets that run from Mt Wellington to the Derwent estuary, which are
currently conduits for stormwater pollution.
The group has been developing teacher support materials and is in the
process of developing an interactive computer game based on the journey of
water through the Derwent catchment. The key issues are water quantity and quality being fairly shared in sub-catchments; weeds and lack of vegetation in the riparian zone; keeping the
Derwent river clean enough for drinking water supply while still allowing
multiple use, including farming and forestry;
stormwater and introduced species in the estuary.
Web site: www.tas.waterwatch.org.au/derwent/
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Glamorgan-Spring Bay Waterwatch is a
programme of the Glamorgan-Spring Bay
Landcare Management Committee, which is a
special committee of the Glamorgan-Spring
Bay Council.
Glamorgan-Spring Bay Waterwatch aims to
achieve the National Waterwatch Objectives
which are the strategic focus of the
National Waterwatch Programme.
Objective One
To raise community awareness and
understanding about the health of our
waterways and relationship to land uses
within the catchment.
- Water-saving tips and water facts
column in the local media;
- Monthly Waterwatch session with local
schools within the Municipality;
- Community Water Forums - eg. Dolphin
Sands Groundwater Forum;
- General participation in water and
land management focused conversations
with different members of the
community;
- Preparation of signs to be place at
all sites currently being monitored by
schools and community groups;
- Work with members of the community and
Council to develop and implement water
quality monitoring plans.
Objective Two
To encourage community monitoring of
waterways.
- Estuarine monitoring with Orford PS,
Triabunna DHS, Swansea PS;
- Freshwater monitoring with Levendale
PS;
- Groundwater monitoring with members of
the Dolphin Sands community.
- Landholder salinity monitoring;
- Recreational monitoring of popular
swimming areas at Coles Bay by the local
Community;
- Fresh and estuarine water quality
monitoring in the Denison Rivulet
Catchment by the local catchment
management group;
- Estuarine monitoring in the Saltwater
Lagoon in Swansea to look at the impact
of the Swansea effluent lagoon upgrade
as a component of the Glamorgan-Spring
Bay Effluent Treatment Upgrade and
Reuse, Coast and Clean Seas Program.
Objective Three
To empower the community to take part in
planning and action to address waterway and
catchment issues.
- Dolphin Sands Groundwater Forum - a
community forum aiming to determining
the direction for future cooperative
management involving the community,
industry, state government and council;
- Working with Orford PS in applying for
a Coastcare grant to improve the Prosser
River estuary and highlight the
significance of estuarine environments;
- Linking in with the Triabunna Estuary
Coastcare program;
- Developing a monitoring and education
program linking in with the
Glamorgan-Spring Bay Effluent Treatment
Upgrade and Reuse program;
- Bringing together the Glamorgan-Spring
Bay Landcare Committee, Council, DPIWE
representatives and community in
developing a Municipal Salinity
Management Plan;
- Involving schools in drain-stencilling
in Orford and Triabunna during Water
Week;
- Ongoing participation in the
Glamorgan-Spring Bay Landcare Committee
Meetings;
- Membership and participation in the
Tasmanian Threatened Fish Recovery Team.
Objective Four
To develop effective partnerships
between all sectors of the community working
towards healthy waterways.
Ongoing working relationship with the
Glamorgan-Spring Bay Council, specifically
the Technical Services department
(incorporating planning, engineering and
environmental health).
The schools based estuarine project and
Introduced Marine Pest Monitoring has been
developed with support from the Department
of Primary Industries, Water and Environment
and the CSIRO. The Estuarine monitoring
program also links in with Coastlink, the
East North East Coastal and Marine
management partnership between community ,
industry and government.
The groundwater monitoring program at
Dolphin Sands has been developed in close
collaboration with the community, the
Environmental Health Officers from the
Council and Adrian Waite from the Department
of Mineral Resources. It aims to achieve a
collaborative approach to groundwater
monitoring, data interpretation and ongoing
sustainable groundwater management.
Objective Five
To ensure financial and institutional
support for the Waterwatch
- Ensuring that all Waterwatch
activities become an integral part of
State and Local government strategic
planning processes. Specifically the
Draft Glamorgan-Spring Bay Strategic
Plan 2000
- Developing a public profile for
Waterwatch within the Municipality
through: Ongoing activities with all
schools within the Municipality;
Production and distribution of the
Glamorgan-Spring Bay Waterwatch - Report
Card 2000;The Dolphin Sands Groundwater
Forum.
- Developing relationships with local
businesses and industry within the
Municipality.
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South East Waterwatch has a new
co-ordination team. Tasharvest, a local
consultancy, has taken over from
Sinclair Knight Merz. The team working
on the project includes Stuart Smith,
manager of Tasharvest as the project
co-ordinator with Melanie Kelly, who has
been involved with Waterwatch in
Victoria, the Derwent Valley and the
East Coast of Tasmania, Alasdair
Macdonald and Sam Smee will be working
as technical officers and have a range
of experiences in agriculture and
environmental management. SE Waterwatch
is funded by Clarence City and Sorell
Councils in partnership with the federal
governments Natural Heritage Trust.
The South East Waterwatch team will
be working collectively to involve and
support the community in developing a
trained water quality monitoring
network. We have significant experience
in community education, water quality
monitoring, agriculture and
environmental management and a passion
for sustainable land and water
management.
What we do
We aim to achieve the objectives of
the National and State Waterwatch
program within the Municipalities of
Sorell and Clarence Councils. The
objective of the Waterwatch is Healthy
Waterways through:
- Project Coordination
- Training and support in water
quality monitoring
- Community and schools education
- Action Planning
- Water quality data management and
interpretation.
Who has been involved in the past
The South East Waterwatch program
began in 1998 and has involved many
schools and community groups monitoring
rivers, creeks, lagoons and estuaries
within the Sorell and Clarence
Municipalities.
How to become involved
The SE Waterwatch program aims to
build on monitoring programs already
being implemented within the region and
to link together the many projects and
catchment management plans within
specific catchments in the Sorell and
Clarence Council areas. Strategic areas
will be targeted and we will be inviting
industry, community members and schools
to become involved in developing and
implementing monitoring plans.
Priority catchments include:
- Pitt Water Catchment (including
the Coal River and tributaries)
- Sorell Rivulet and Iron Creek
Catchments
- Kangaroo Bay Rivulet Catchment
- Tranmere Clarence Plains Catchment
- Risdon Brook Catchment
- Carlton River Catchment
All monitoring programs will be
linked in with community, Council and
State water quality objectives.
Technical support will be provided by
experts from the Department of Primary
Industries, Water and Environment,
Clarence City Council and Sorell
Council. Volunteer monitors will be
provided with training and equipment.
To date
Our initial focus has been on
developing a Kangaroo Bay Rivulet
Waterwatch group which will build on the
substantial work that has been
undertaken in the KBR catchment over
many years.
We have undertaken a catchment tour
with many stakeholders and hope to
develop this into a Waterwatch group to
continue monitoring within the
catchment.
This will serve as an opportunity and
experience for the team to build on
throughout 2002.
Training and sharing of skills and
resources within the SE Waterwatch Team
and the broader Waterwatch network will
be a focus of our program. We hope to
develop a sustainable approach to the
Waterwatch program both for ourselves,
volunteers and supporters, especially
within light of the unknown future
funding context of the program.
For more information about the
project please contact the Tasharvest
office on (03) 6227 1124 or tasharvest@bigpond.com
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New Town Rivulet Catchment Care Group Inc. is a group of people who live and work
within the catchment of New Town Rivulet and who are concerned about its health.
New Town Rivulet rises on the slopes of Mt Wellington and flows through the Hobart
suburbs of Lenah Valley and New Town before entering the Derwent River.
The Group in conjunction with school students is involved with monitoring
the health of the Rivulet, acting on any problems found, raising community
awareness through displays, removing weeds and replanting native vegetation
along the edge of the Rivulet.
Some of the key issues for New Town Rivulet are:
stormwater inputs e.g. dog droppings, oil, detergents, paint etc.
weeds e.g. willows and lots of different garden escapees
raising awareness that the Rivulet is not a drain - it is an important
ecosystem within our city and we all have a responsibility to protect it.
Funding for the group ceased in December 2002.
Web site: www.tased.edu.au/tasonline/ntwater
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The Huon Valley Waterwatch program has
been operating since 1996 and together with
Landcare and Coastcare forms the basis of
the Healthy Rivers Project.
Waterwatch groups in the Huon Valley have
been collecting data from the Huon River and
its network of tributaries and subcatchment
rivers to build a picture of catchment
health and also to aid catchment management
decisions. Volunteers from local
communities, primary and secondary schools,
and primary industries actively monitor
various water quality parameters in the
picturesque, forested settings of the
valley.
This ongoing monitoring of local
waterways plays an important role in
catchment management. Particularly in light
of the deteriorating water quality of
certain creeks, which is attributable to
increased human settlement within
subcatchments. The major land use activities
of the Huon Valley, aquaculture,
agriculture, tourism, recreation, forestry,
and town and rural settlements, rely on the
health of the valley's catchments and
therefore on the ongoing involvement of the
Waterwatch groups.
Contact: Nell Nettlefold
Phone: (03) 6264 8410
Web site: www.huonvalley.tas.gov.au/healthyrivers
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The Waterworks Valley is a section of the Sandy Bay Rivulet catchment. It
is an urban area with a rural flavour as there are still paddocks and a
small number of sheep and horses in the area. At the head of the valley is
the Waterworks Reserve which contains two drinking water reservoirs managed
by Hobart Water. The Reserve is natural bushland and is a popular picnic
spot for Hobart residents managed by Hobart City Council. The Pipeline
track also starts about halfway down the valley and is a walking track to
Mt Wellington.
The people who live in the valley value the diversity of their area and the
Landcare group is looking for ways to expand the natural bushland,
prevent further degradation of Sandy Bay Rivulet, work in partnership with Hobart
City Council to develop the area as a link between the city and the
mountain and to minimise the weed invasion of the rivulet and surrounding
bushland.
Waterworks Valley Landcare Group have been operating since 1993. Many of
the original members have moved from the area, but there is still a group
of about 10 people who keep the activities of the group ticking along. The
group is currently involved in bushcare activities with Hobart City Council
on council land as well as Waterwatch. As much of the land along the
rivulet is privately owned, education about water
quality and weed infestation problems is considered to be essential. An access to this is
through highlighting the bird species and small furry animals that are
displaced by changes in habitat. They are also having input into the
proposed redevelopment of a quarry site by Hobart City Council as a public
open space area. As the Valley is very steep, the flat area of the quarry
will be premium public space.
Funding for the group ceased in December 2002.
Web site: www.tas.waterwatch.org.au/derwent
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