Transcript Sach’s Creekwatch A Volunteer Community Awareness Program

Watching the Water in Sach’s Creek, Oak Valley, Townsville
Sach’s Creekwatch: A Volunteer Community Initiative
Sach’s Creek begins on the Southern slopes of Mt Stuart and flows through the community of Oak Valley and into
the Ross River Dam.
The importance of conservation and monitoring of the creek lies in the plant and animal communities supported as part
of the system and the fact that it delivers water to Townsville’s drinking water supply.
Sach’s Creek – Oak Valley
Sach’s Creek: A creek system free of aquatic weeds.
Electrical Conductivity: 2002 to 2005
Sach’s Creek is free of invasive aquatic
weeds and seems relatively unaffected by
300
increased sediment loads or nutrient
200
runoff, contributors to the invasion
100
process. The local community is well
0
aware of the need to preserve the health
Month (discontinuous)
of Sach’s Creek as part of its back
yard and a feeder into the Ross River
Electrical Conductivity is well within the expected range.
Dam.
(Note: Error Bars depict standard deviation around the
mean where there were multiple monthly readings taken.)
Chisholme Trail Dip
Month (discontinuous)
From August 2004 air and water temperature began
to rise with a corresponding decrease in dissolved
oxygen levels up to mid-December.
J1
ity 0f TownsviLL
Air Temp degrees C
Water Temp degrees C
Dissolved Oxygen % Sat
The Oval Picnic The Oval Chisholme Trail Benalla Road
Area
Sw imming Hole
Dip
Bridge
Fe
b05
De
c -0
4
Se
p -0
4
4
Ju
n-0
400
2002
300
2003
200
2004
100
2005
0
Jan
Upstream<------Sampling Site------>Downstream
Local community and Townsville City
Council have a long term commitment
to preserving Sach’s Creek
Millimetres
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Dissolved Oxygen:
% saturation
Temperature:
degrees Celsius
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Au
g -0
4
Monthly rainfall for Cormacks Alert, vicinity of Oak Valley
Jan. 2002 to Feb. 2005
Spatial comparison: The Oval Picnic Area to Benalla Road Bridge
Site, 15th December 2004
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Ap
r-0
4
A
Ju
l-0
2
Benalla Road Bridge
4
Dissolved
Oxygen %
Saturation
Ju
l-0
2
ug
-0
M 2
ar
-0
Ju 3
n0
Ja 3
n0
A 4
pr
-0
Ju 4
n0
A 4
ug
-0
S 4
ep
-0
D 4
ec
-0
Fe 4
b05
0
Water Temp.
degrees C
The Oval Picnic Area
3
20
400
M
ar
-0
4
40
500
Ja
n-0
60
Air Temp.
degrees C
Ju
n-0
80
M
ar
-0
3
100
Au
g -0
2
120
Dissolved Oxygen
(% saturation)
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Electrical conductivity
(microsiemens/cm)
600
Temperature
(degrees Celcius)
Sach’s Creekwatch is a
volunteer group who spend
time at the creek monitoring
water quality, fish populations
and keeping an eye on the
health of the creek system.
The team usually meet once a
fortnight and welcomes anyone
who would like to take part.
PRELIMINARY RESULTS
Benalla Road Bridge: Air & Water Temperatures Compared to
Dissolved Oxygen
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Month
Dissolved oxygen levels correspond to increases and
decreases in flow rate with the highest score at the
Swimming Hole where the creek course is narrower
and flows over a rock shelf.
Sach’s Ck
Sach’s Creek: Water quality monitoring
Rainfall patterns reflect normal seasonal variations (‘wet’
=Jan to Mar; ‘Dry’=Apr to Dec). Cormack’s Alert is
an automatic weather station of the Bureau of
Meteorology adjacent to Sach’s Creek (see map below).
Relocating and
caring for aquatic
fauna during the
dry season in Oak
Valley (1.3 metre
freshwater eel).
Source: Bureau of Meteorology [2005]
& AUSLIG [1990]
For more information call Greg Willcox on 0427 093 151or email [email protected]
Authors: Merilyn Thomas , Greg Willcox. Acknowledgements: Matt Bartel, Evan Kruckow, David Reid