Blue Mountains City Council

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Macroinvertebrate Surveys
Macroinvertebrate Surveys

The Aquatic Monitoring Program provides scientific information on the health of our aquatic ecosystems and helps to guide on-ground management in our catchments.

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Macroinvertebrate Surveys

Council's Aquatic Monitoring Program provides scientific information on the health of our aquatic ecosystems and helps to guide on-ground management in our catchments.

The monitoring program uses a range of physical, chemical and biological indicators to gauge the health of our waterways. Aquatic macroinvertebrates (water bugs) tend to be the most useful indicators, as:

  • Their presence or absence represents water quality over their entire lifespan, not just at the moment of sampling.
  • They reflect changes in physical habitats, including sediment deposition and altered hydrology.
  • They reflect changes in biological interaction such as the introduction of pest plant and animal species.
  • They are found in almost all waterbodies.
  • The type, number and diversity of macroinvertebrate Families present can indicate what stressors may be acting upon a given aquatic system.

2006-2007 saw the second year of the Environmental Levy-funded expanded monitoring program, with 46 sites sampled to gauge waterway health (an additional 6 sites were dry). Council staff carry out in-house identification of Macroinvertebrates, data analysis and reporting.

The Macroinvertebrate Survey Reports and related resources may be download at right.