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| Sat 14 Jun 08 03:55pm |
| Water Testing Progress |
What’s In the Water? Members of Tamborine Mountain Landcare have been striving to answer this question since 2005. In 2005 four members of TM Landcare participated in a trial with SEQ Catchments and Healthy Waterways. This trial was to investigate the idea that community water quality monitoring data could be used along side scientific data for natural resource management purposes. The trial was so successful that community water quality monitoring is still being carried out on the mountain. 
Harry Briggs, So what is Community Water Quality Monitoring? The Tamborine Mountain Community Water Quality Monitoring Program is part of the SEQ Catchments regional Community Water Quality Monitoring Program. This program involves locals developing skills to test their waterways for basic qualities such as pH, oxygen levels, salt levels, clarity, nutrients and temperature. How does the program work? Interested members of local Landcare or Catchment groups team up with a SEQ Catchment Water Quality Monitoring Officer. They are then trained in a free Certificate III course to give them a basic background in water quality theory and then get familiar with the equipment used. The equipment is standardised through the SEQ region, ensuring high levels of data confidence. The SEQC officer is always on hand to help out with identifying suitable sites and interpreting the results. What is currently happening on the Mountain? Currently, five members of the Tamborine Mountain Landcare group have successfully undergone Certificate III training. They monitor 2 locations on Contour Creek and 3 locations on Cedar Creek. This monitoring has been in place since 2005 so a good level of background data is now being collected. Linking in with other TM LANDCARE Projects In the project description of the TM Corridor Regeneration Project it is stated that waterways form the basis for most of the corridors:- “Almost every location is located along creeks. This is not surprising, because the creeks form the skeleton of the ecosystems in the entire country, South East Queensland (SEQ) and TM”. This being the case it can also be said that water quality is unequivocally linked to the health of the riparian zone. Why Monitor Water Quality? Water quality can therefore be a strong evaluation tool for the success of regeneration works along waterways. Evaluation is a large component of most grant applications. Water quality can also be an indicator of other catchment woes, such as :- erosion, poorly maintained household sewerage systems, or over use of fertlisers. Hot spot identification tool. This may be of assistance in assigning work priorities to different areas in your larger project. (John Bestevaar.) Please contact Janine Sigley SEQ Catchments Community Water Quality Monitoring Officer – Gold Coast on 0400910678 or jsigley@seqcatchments.com.au or John Bestevaar on john_bestevaar@ |
Tamborine Mountain Landcare Incorporated. PO Box 161 North
Tamborine 4272
Office: The Piccabeen Bookshop - Shop 10/15 Main St North Tamborine Phone: (07) 5545 1847
Email: secretary@tamborinemtnlandcare.org.au
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