1. GRCCC COMMUNITY RIVERHEALTH MONITORING PROJECT

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

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

4. 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.

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

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

8. 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.

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. 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.

12. 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.

13. 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.

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

15. 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.

16. 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.

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