How to get involved Noosa and District Landcare & Waterwatch Pavilion Street, Pomona PO Box 278, Pomona, Qld 4568 Phone 5485 2155 www.noosalandcare.org
Aquatic Macroinvertebrates Water bugs or aquatic macroinvertebrates such as yabbies, beetles, dragonfly larva and mayfly nymphs, are fascinating creatures that spend some or all of their lives in waterways. They are a vital source of food for fish, frogs and birds. We use water bugs as health indicators in biological monitoring because they reflect the aggregate of impacts on the stream. Any form of pollution in our waterways that kills off water bugs will indirectly affect the rest of the animals up the food chain. Water bugs are widespread, easy to collect, relatively immobile, and can be seen with the naked eye.
All water quality monitoring equipment is carefully maintained and regularly calibrated.
Noosa Integrated Catchment Association Shop 20, Noosa Marina Tewantin, Qld 4565 Phone 5449 9650 www.noosariver.com.au
Can you tell how healthy your creek is?
Mooloolah River Waterwatch & Landcare Holcim site, 2671 Steve Irwin Way, Glenview PO Box 6202, Mooloolah Valley, Qld 4553 Phone 5494 5074 www.mrwl.org.au Maroochy Waterwatch & Catchment Centre Donaldson Rd, Nambour PO Box 311, Nambour, Qld 4560 Phone 5476 4777 www.maroochycatchmentcentre.org.au Currimundi Catchment Care Group & Friends of Currimundi Lake 1 Gam Avenue, Currimundi, Qld 4551 Phone 5493 9695 www.currimundicatchment.org.au The printing of this brochure is proudly supported by
WATERWATCH
Sunshine Coast Communities Caring for Catchments
You can monitor your creek to see if it supports aquatic life and healthy ecosystems What data does a Waterwatch volunteer collect? Temperature A healthy water temperature range with no extreme fluctuations is important, otherwise animals and plants become stressed. This is because temperature influences the physical, chemical and biological characteristics of a waterway. Cold water holds relatively more dissolved oxygen than hot water, which is why most organisms prefer to live in cool water. Water temperature can be influenced by soil erosion, turbidity and runoff from warm urban surfaces such as streets and driveways. Overhanging vegetation on creek banks helps regulate temperature, keeping the water cool. Dissolved Oxygen Oxygen Aquatic animals and plants need oxygen in the water to breathe through a process we all know as respiration. This dissolved oxygen in the water needs to be maintained at a high level for healthy and diverse ecosystems to exist. The amount of oxygen dissolved in the water will vary according to daily cycles of photosynthesis and respiration, and can also be influenced by organic matter, nutrient inputs, flow, depth, salinity, altitude, and water temperature.
pH pH measures how acidic or alkaline water is on a log scale of 1—14. Aquatic animals and plants have adapted to specific pH ranges. Slight fluctuations from the normal range can cause stress or death to organisms, depending on their sensitivity. The pH of a stream is largely determined by catchment geology and soil type. Water running off limestone would have a relatively high pH compared with streams in low lying coastal areas that have a very low pH. If acid sulfate soils are exposed or wetlands drained, sulfuric acid can be formed and released through the soil, acidifying ground and surface water. Electrical Conductivityy Salts or charged ions such as sodium, calcium and magnesium are dissolved in the water and are required in small amounts for growth by aquatic animals and plants. Because salts conduct electricity, electrical conductivity values can be converted to salinity values to give an indication of the salt content. Salinity is related to the geology and soils of the catchment. It can also reflect human induced changes including urban development, oil or sewage discharges, and rising water tables caused by over-irrigation or land clearing.
Turbidity Turbidity provides a measure of the silt or muddiness of water caused by suspended particles. Turbidity is affected by geology, land use, soil type and vegetation cover. Increased turbidity reduces light penetration, limiting the growth of beneficial aquatic plants and lowering dissolved oxygen levels. Often, pollutants such as phosphorus and heavy metals can become attached to soil particles and carried into the water. Nutrients Nitrogen and phosphorus are naturally occurring elements that are essential for life. Under natural conditions, nutrient levels vary depending on geology, soil type, land use and rainfall. High nutrient concentrations resulting from human activities can disrupt the delicate balance of aquatic ecosystems leading to algal blooms, excessive weed growth and loss of diversity. Runoff containing fertlisers or detergents, eroded soil, animal waste and sewage can all contribute excess nutrients. Swimming, boating and fishing also contribute nitrogen to streams through body contact, discarding of food waste and fish cleaning.
Together, these parameters give us a good picture of the physical, chemical and biological condition of your creek.