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Living Streams Streamwatch in the Blue Mountains
What is Living Streams Streamwatch?
Living Streams Streamwatch is a community water monitoring program where groups "adopt" a creek in the Blue Mountains. Living Streams is part of the Streamwatch environmental action network, aimed at educating and empowering communities to work together for healthy catchments. Groups look after the health of their waterway, through regularly sampling and monitoring the health of the water and surrounding areas.
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Living in the Blue Mountains, a City within a World Heritage Area, creates a unique opportunity via community monitoring to not only act locally but also act globally in setting world standards. Living Streams Streamwatch is a fresh approach for community monitoring in the Blue Mountains, and aims to be a model for communities in the Hawkesbury-Nepean system.
It's one way you can become empowered and take responsibility to help improve the health of our local waterways!
History of Living Streams
Living Streams Streamwatch was initiated by Blue Mountains City Council in December 2001 as part of a National, State, Regional and Local framework for increasing community involvement in looking after the health of local creeks and streams. Living Streams Streamwatch receives support from Streamwatch (Sydney Catchment Authority and Sydney Water) and Waterwatch.
What do Living Streams Groups Do?
 Above: Kedumba Living Streams group measuring turbidity of the water. |
 Above: Horseshoe Falls Living Streams members collecting water bugs. |
 Above: Jamison Creek Living Streams group, who are also part of the Jamison Creek Bushcare. |
 Above: Wentworth Falls Lake Living Streams, working together with Council to implement the Wentworth Falls Lake Water Quality Action Plan. |
 Above: Wentworth Falls Lake Living Streams, working together with Council to implement the Wentworth Falls Lake Water Quality Action Plan. |
The waterways throughout the Blue Mountains sustain a variety of life - they truly are alive! Living Streams Streamwatch groups focus their monitoring on the living aspects of our waterways. Living Streams Streamwatch groups regularly meet at their waterway to:
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Carry out water quality tests. These simple tests include dissolved oxygen, pH, water temperature, total dissolved solids and turbidity. Some groups have expanded on these tests to target specific issues for their creek.
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Conduct water bug surveys. Water bugs are also called macroinvertebrates, and they live in our creeks for part or all of their life. Different types of macroinvertebrates, such as yabbies, water boatman and snails, have varying sensitivities to pollution and are great indicators of creek health. Water bug surveys are carried out to determine a health rating of the waterway.
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Record visual observations of habitat and impacts. Living Streams Streamwatch members know their creeks well, and are likely to be the first to notice impacts on the creek. Recording the visual observations over time contributes to good information that can assist in understanding and managing the creek. Many Living Streams Streamwatch groups are also Bushcare groups, and they are monitoring the impacts of these works, giving a more wholistic view of the creek.
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Identify areas and sources where water degradation exists, as well as areas in need of improvement. Living Streams Streamwatch is not only about monitoring, but about making real improvements in the life of our creek ecosystems. Council supports Living Streams Streamwatch groups in making a real difference through on-ground actions that protect and conserve the creeks and wetlands. These include developing action plans, planting bank vegetation, removing weeds and looking at catchment improvements and education.
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Create partnerships between Council and all sectors of the community, to work collaboratively towards healthy waterways. Information gathered as part of the Living Streams Streamwatch program is used by Council and other agencies to assist in managing our waterways. Every one can view the water quality results from the Living Streams groups on the Streamwatch website www.streamwatch.org.au.
Get in Touch with a Streamwatch Group
Click here to view information on what creeks have Living Stream Streamwatch groups and their contact details.
2003 Streamwatch Awards
The 2003 Streamwatch Awards were held in late November at the IMAX cinemas at Darling Harbour, Sydney. Three upper mountains groups as well as Blue Mountains City Council were acknowledged for their commitment to protecting the health of our waterways.
Wentworth Falls Lake Bushcare Group won the award for Excellence in Water Quality Monitoring for their consistent monitoring of the Lake over the past two years. The group's water quality results were instrumental in Council's Plan of Action for the lake.
The Megalong Valley Local Residents Group won Highly Commended in the Excellence in Water Quality Monitoring category for their continued monitoring of 5 sites in the Megalong Valley.
Westclub Katoomba won Best New Group after having joined the Streamwatch program in August 2003. The group tests once a month in the Vale Street wetlands Katoomba.
Blue Mountains Mayor Jim Angel congratulates all the groups on their wins and says, "that our success in winning these awards reflects the great ongoing effort by all groups in the Blue Mountains who take the time to look after their local waterway".
(Page updated on 19 August 2004)