GRCCC COMMUNITY RIVERHEALTH MONITORING PROJECT

WHAT’S WHY’S WHERE’S HOW’S WHO’S WHEN’S

WHAT’S WHAT IS IT WE WANT TO DO? COLLECT ROBUST SCIENTIFIC DATA; ENGAGE COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO PARTICIPATE IN RIVERHEALTH MONITORING.

WHY’S WHY DO WE WANT TO DO THIS? GET A GREATER UNDERSTANDING OF THE CONDITION OF WATERWAYS AND OF AQUATIC BIODIVERSITY FOUND WITHIN THE GEORGES RIVER CATCHMENT; TO IDENTIFY AREAS OF IMPORTANCE FOR FUTURE ONGROUND WORKS; EMPOWER COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO TAKE OWNERSHIP IN THEIR WATERWAYS; EDUCATE COMMUNITY ON THE ISSUES AFFECTING OUR WATERWAYS AND TO CREATE AWARENESS OF THE CONNECTIVITY BETWEEN THE UPPER AND LOWER CATCHMENT.

WHERE’S WHERE ARE WE TARGETING? CATCHMENT WIDE APPROACH; INCORPORATING FRESHWATER AND ESTUARINE HABITAT; 39 SITES ACROSS THE CATCHMENT.

LGA BREAKDOWN ROCKDALE 1 KOGARAH 4 SUTHERLAND 8 HURSTVILLE BANKSTOWN FAIRFIELD LIVERPOOL CAMPBELLTOWN 6 WOLLONDILLY TOTAL 39

HOW ARE WE GOING TO DO THIS? HOW’S HOW ARE WE GOING TO DO THIS? ASSESS FRESH WATER AND ESTUARINE COMMUNITIES; 5 METHODOLOGIES FOR ASSESSEMENT OF INTER-RELATED HABITATS.

FRESHWATER HABITATS METHODS FRESHWATER MACROINVERTEBRATES SIGNAL2 COLLECT AND I.D MACROINVERTEBRATES TO ORDER; EACH MACROINVERTEBRATE ORDER ASSIGNED A POLLUTION SENSITIVITY SCORE (1-10); ENABLES A CALCULATATION OF A SIGNAL SCORE WHICH GIVES AN INDICATION OF WATER QUALITY (1-10); HIGHER SCORE – BETTER WATER QUALITY.

FRESHWATER HABITATS 2. RIPARIAN CORRIDOR RAPID APPRAISAL OF RIPARIAN CONDITION ASSESSES THE ECOLOGICAL CONDITION OF RIPARIAN HABITAT; ASSESSES 5 SUBINDICES; HABITAT, COVER, NATIVES, DEBRIS, FEATURES; ENABLES A CALCULATION OF A RARC SCORE (1-50); HIGHER SCORE – BETTER RIPARIAN CONDITION.

FRESHWATER HABITATS 3. WATER QUALITY IN-SITU - pH, EC, DO, TURBIDITY, TEMP; LAB – TOTAL NITROGEN, TOTAL PHOSPHOROUS (DRIVERS OF EUTRIPHICATION); ASSESS RESULTS AGAINST ANZECC/ARMCANZ WQ GUIDELINES.

ESTAURINE HABITATS METHODS ESTUARINE VEGETATION ASSESSMENT SPECIES, HEIGHT, CANOPY COVER, TRUNK DIAMETER, DENSITY, VEGETATION CONTINUITY. 2. ASSESSMENT OF INTERTIDAL BIODIVERSITY DIVERSITY & ABUNDANCE OF COMMON BENTHIC MACROINVERTEBRATES, CRAB BURROW DENSITY, MANGROVE CHARACTERISTICS.

ESTUARINE HABITATS 3. WATER QUALITY IN-SITU - pH, EC, DO, TURBIDITY, TEMP; LAB – CHLOROPHYLL-a (INDICATOR OF EUTRIPHICATION); ASSESS RESULTS AGAINST ANZECC/ARMCANZ WQ GUIDELINES.

REPORTING 1. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF DATA COMPARISON OF VARIABLES ACROSS SITES; ID BEST/WORST CASE AREAS. 2. PRODUCE REPORT CARD ON CATCHMENT HEALTH.

WHO’S WHO’S INVOLVED? COORDINATOR – PROVIDE TRAINING TO TECH OFFICERS/COMMUNITY MEMBERS, SUPPORT TECH OFFICERS AND ASSIST WITH SUPERVISION AND SAMPLING. COLLATE DATA AND REPORT FINDINGS; TECH OFFICERS – ASSIST WITH PROMOTION AND RECRUITMENT OF VOLUNTEERS, PROVIDE SUPPORT TO GROUPS ON TRAINING AND MONITORING DAYS; GREEC; COMMUNITY GROUPS – STREAMWATCH, BUSHCARE, STREAMCARE, SCHOOLS.

HOW ARE WE GOING TO RECRUIT? RECRUITMENT HOW ARE WE GOING TO RECRUIT? ADVERTISING IN COUNCIL PUBLICATIONS AND ON COUNCIL WEBSITES; DISTRIBUTION OF GRCCC FLYER; LOCAL MEDIA ARTICLES COORDINATED THROUGH COUNCIL; APPROACHING BUSHCARE GROUPS, COMMUNITY GROUPS.

WHEN IS THIS ALL HAPPENING? WHEN’S WHEN IS THIS ALL HAPPENING? SPRING ‘09 CAMPAIGN 3 WEEKS 17TH -31ST OCTOBER 1ST – 7TH NOVEMBER