Dear Landcarers – Please read the information below and consider whether Streamwatch training is for you. Once you are trained for Streamwatch water quality monitoring – you will be responsible (with your group) for carrying out seasonal tests on the waterway you have chosen. This means spring, summer, winter & autumn. More often if you are really keen! Streamwatch training is booked for Saturday the 19th of November, 2011. It will either be in Mongarlowe or in Braidwood depending on who would like to participate.If this date suits you PLEASE let me know ASAP (Felicity 48422594). If you would really like to do the training but the date is wrong – please let me know that as well.
Streamwatch in the Upper Shoalhaven and Upper Deua.
Streamwatch began in 1990. The SCA (currently Caroline Dearson) oversees the program. Streamwatch is currently the Sydney water catchments answer to the national ‘Waterwatch’. Since its establishment – Streamwatch has shown itself to be a reliable source of data due to its strict quality assurance process. Because of this – the data can be used as an early warning system for changes in water quality that can affect human and non human health. It can also act as a reliable record of change over time if data is collected fairly continuously over time. This is very important when you are trying to pinpoint pollution in a catchment. It is also important to have baseline data so that change is determinable. This means having a full and thorough account of the stream/river/waterway that you are monitoring when you collect the first set of data. It may also mean conducting research to find out what water quality data has been collected in the past – and weather or not that information can be used as a baseline.
Streamwatch kits have the capacity to monitor:
- Temperature
- pH
- Electrical Conductivity (Salinity)
- Turbidity
- Dissolved Oxygen
- Nutrients (Available phosphates, total phosphate, nitrates)
- Aquatic Macro-invertebrates
- Faecal coliforms
Pollution in waterways can be broken down into two major areas. Point source pollution (arising from a specific spot) and diffuse pollution (arising from numerous places across the catchment).
By monitoring a stream or a river at several sites along its reach – data can be used to assist in targeting point sources pollution. For example – if an intensive piggery started operation on a creek, and phosphate levels downstream began to rise while staying level upstream – you would have sufficient evidence to argue that the piggery be investigated as a probable cause for the phosphate pollution in the creek.
The Streamwatch organisation supports participants by providing robust and up to date water analysis kits and by providing training and by acting as guardian of the data collected.
Go to http://www.streamwatch.org.au/streamwatch/ for more details.
The USLC have organised Streamwatch training for Saturday the 19th of November, 2011. If this date suits you PLEASE let me know ASAP (Felicity 48422594). If you would really like to do the training but the date is wrong – please let me know that as well.
Cheers, Felicity Sturgiss