Our local waterways are highly valued for recreation, fishing and enjoying nature.
This December, MidCoast Council is celebrating the release of its annual Waterway and Catchment Report Card.
Water sampling is undertaken across our six major catchments to check in on their health and allow us to greater understand the patterns, trends and cycles of our waterways.
"Each year we work with the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water to compare the changes in algae growth and water clarity, and the results are presented as a Report Card with scores from A-F," said Water Quality and Estuary Management Program Coordinator, Prue Tucker.
The results of the Report Card are significantly influenced by what we do in our catchments, as land use, urbanisation, agriculture, and industrial practices all interact with natural water systems.
"As with previous years the Report Card grades continue to be influenced by the amount of runoff from the catchment. During the 2024 sampling season, rainfall was slightly below average over the sampling season, however, larger falls did occur in October and February which impacted results," said Dr Rebecca Swanson from the Department Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW).
In 2024, five sites including Coolongolook Estuary, Karuah Estuary, Bombah Broadwater and Charlotte Bay, had improved ecological health when compared to last year's results. These improvements were largely due to lower levels of algal growth.
Four sites received worse grades for water quality than last year. The decline in water quality for Mid Wallamba Estuary, Wallamba Cove and Farquhar Inlet was due to higher levels of algal growth. Khappinghat Estuary was affected by large rain events that temporarily impacted the water clarity.
This year, Council released the results at a special event on the banks of the Lansdowne River. Attendees got the opportunity to see science at work, undertaking water quality and eDNA sampling in the river.
Scientists from the University of New South Wales attended the event to talk about their cutting-edge research on the Manning River, exploring the intriguing world of mangrove ecosystems: where they thrive, and the unique environmental factors that make these coastal forests so important.
