The latest report on the ACT’s water catchment health has found that hot and dry seasons have negatively impacted the region’s waterways.
Minister for the Environment and Heritage, Mick Gentleman said the report, Catchment Health Indicator Program 2019, had been compiled from data collected by over 200 Waterwatch volunteers.
“The successful citizen science report details conditions across 232 sites, representing 98 ‘reaches’ of waterway,” Mr Gentleman said
“Three reaches were found to be in ‘excellent’ condition, 37 were ‘good’, 53 were ‘fair’, four were ‘poor’, none were ‘degraded’ and one was too dry for too long to produce results,” he said.
“While the results are positive they have deteriorated in recent years, which the Waterwatch team has attributed to below average rainfall in 2019.”
Mr Gentleman said most of the Murrumbidgee River reaches had shown signs of stress after an extended dry period, including around Tharwa where the river almost ceased to flow in December.
“[The] report provides us with an early warning system for ecosystem health issues through its surveys of water quality, waterbugs and the condition of riverbank vegetation,” he said.
“More than 200 volunteers conducted over 2,000 water quality surveys for the 2019 report.”
Mr Gentleman said the Territory would continue its support for the program and had committed ongoing funding to Waterwatch in the 2019/20 mid-year budget review.
The 140-page report can be accessed on the Environment, Planning and Sustainable Development Directorate’s website at this PS News link.
