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The unique waterways of the Blue Mountains support a vast array of life, provide opportunities for recreation and contribute to Sydney's drinking water supplies. Blue Mountains City Council and the local community are actively engaged in monitoring, protecting and restoring our creeks, lakes, lagoons and swamps.

Living Streams Streamwatch is a community-based water quality monitoring program aimed at engaging residents in looking after waterways in their local area. In 2006-2007 there were around 35 volunteers actively monitoring over 20 waterways across the mountains. Regular monitoring by volunteers allows for timely identification of water quality problems that can then be followed up by Council and other agencies. The Living Streams Streamwatch program is supported by Blue Mountains City Council (BMCC), Sydney Water and Sydney Catchment Authority (SCA).

The 2007 Blue Mountains Streamwatch Report is a summary and interpretation of Blue Mountains water quality results collected by Streamwatch volunteers during the 2006-2007 financial year, and may be downloaded at right. For raw Streamwatch water quality results and related resources visit www.streamwatch.org.au.

Streamcare aims to provide event-based opportunities for volunteers to become involved in on-ground works to improve the condition of local waterways. It is envisaged that Streamcare works will eventually include activities such as sediment source/erosion control (using soft engineering), riparian/creekline restoration works and reinstatement of aquatic habitat (eg woody debris) at appropriate sites. The first step will be to develop a framework to assist volunteers in monitoring the geomorphic condition of their sites so that the need for restoration works can be assessed and prioritised. The framework would help volunteers assess the nature and severity of problems such as bed/bank erosion or sediment deposition. This would complement the range of physical, chemical and biological tests of water quality that are already conducted through the Streamwatch program. Watch this space for more information and if you have comments/suggestions contact Amy on (02) 4780 5553.

Streamwatch Waterbug Surveys: Waterbugs (otherwise known as aquatic macroinvertebrates) are often used as biological indicators of waterway health because they live through the full range of physical and chemical conditions at a site. Our physical and chemical sampling (for indicators like pH, temperature, turbidity, DO and nutrients) may miss pollution incidents, but the bugs certainly won't! Different bugs have different tolerances to pollution and disturbance, so the types and number of bugs found at a site will give an indication of the level of pollution or disturbance in the waterway. Aside from the useful data a survey provides, wouldn’t you love to know what is living in your creek? Spring and Autumn are great times to conduct waterbug surveys - for assistance contact Amy on (02) 4780 5553.

The 2007 Blue Mountains Catchment Snapshot was held on Sunday, 14 October in Wentworth Falls. The morning session saw Streamwatch volunteers come together to report the results of their Snapshot testing day and to discuss trends and issues at their sites. In the afternoon three guest speakers presented on topics related to stream restoration - Peter Johnston (Fluvial Geomorphologist) talked about stream processes and geomorphic problems, Scott Nichols (NSW DPI Fisheries Aquatic Habitat Reinstatement Unit) spoke about fish in Blue Mountains waterways - their habitat requirements, impacts of changed water quality and barriers to fish passage, and Kathryn Duchatel (Senior Ecologist at Earth Tech) gave a presentation on different types of algae, macrophytes, slimes, sludges and scums that occur in local waterways.

Some of the concerns raised by volunteers at the event included the impacts of stocking Wentworth Falls Lake (and subsequently Jamison Creek) with trout, the impacts of highway widening, sewage leaks, groundwater extraction, sedimentation from various sources and seepage from the old Lawson Tip. Some volunteers pointed out that the Streamwatch tests do not always detect the problems that are visually obvious, such as erosion or sedimentation. BMCC is looking at developing a rapid riparian/geomorphic assessment tool that will assist Streamwatch volunteers in monitoring this type of degradation at appropriate sites. This could form the basis of assessment and prioritisation for on-ground Streamcare activities.

Another concern raised by some volunteers was that BMCC does not make full use of Streamwatch data. Ideally Council staff would like to incorporate Streamwatch data into the annual Aquatic Systems report (along with results from Council's macroinvertebrate surveys and recreational water quality monitoring). The limitation to date has been the difficulties associated with downloading and compiling data from the Streamwatch website - Council staff have been in discussion with SWC and SCA Streamwatch coordinators to try to find an efficient means of collating Streamwatch data for inclusion in the Council report.

The 2007 Catchment Snapshot Results Summary may be downloaded, at right.