Rivers, creek, lakes & ponds 2015 Richard Sharp Presentation

www.ehpartners.com.au

11 August 2015

Forum hosted by the Environment Institute of Australia and New Zealand

Richard Sharp, FEIANZ, CEnvPSenior ConsultantEnvironment & Infrastructure

Issues concerning rivers, creeks, lakes and ponds in the ACT between 2000 to 2011

www.ehpartners.com.au

2

Overview• State of the Environment Report

• Canberra’s impact on the Murrumbidgee River

• Exceedance of water quality standards

• Lakes & ponds

• Rivers & creeks

www.ehpartners.com.au

3

State of the Environment Report• Commissioner for Sustainability and the

Environment Act 1993 – A state of the environment report must include:

• An assessment of the condition of ….. water ….. human made or modified structures or areas [dams & ponds] ….. ecosystems and their constituent parts [creeks & rivers]

http://www.legislation.act.gov.au/a/1993-37/current/pdf/1993-37.pdf

www.ehpartners.com.au

4

Impact on the Murrumbidgee River• The quality of water leaving the ACT (Halls

Crossing) is within acceptable limits and comparable to the quality entering the ACT (Angle Crossing)

• Urbanisation is having minimal impact on the riverhttp://www.environmentcommissioner.act.gov.au/publications/soe/2003actreport

www.ehpartners.com.au

5

Sites of Concern• Sites have exceeded water quality standards

on a significant number of occasions– Lake Tuggeranong (chlorophyll ‘a’,turbidity)– Point Hut Pond (turbidity)

– Lake Ginninderra (turbidity)– Lake Burley Griffin, East Basin (chlorophyll ‘a’)

http://www.environmentcommissioner.act.gov.au/publications/soe/2003actreport

www.ehpartners.com.au

6

Lake Burley Griffin• Lake receives poor quality water

– Molonglo River catchment– Sullivans Creek– Jerrabomberra Creek

• Bacterial levels intermittently exceed guideline values

• Algal alerts often issued for different parts of the lake

http://www.environmentcommissioner.act.gov.au/publications/soe/2007actreport

www.ehpartners.com.au

7

Lake Ginninderra• Water quality monitored at two sites– (1) inflow of Ginninderra Creek (2) dam wall– Water considered to be of high quality

http://www.environmentcommissioner.act.gov.au/publications/soe/2007actreport

www.ehpartners.com.au

8

Lake Tuggeranong• Water quality monitored at two sites– (1) Kambah wetland, near the northern inflow (2)

dam wall– Trends show water quality improving

http://www.environmentcommissioner.act.gov.au/publications/soe/2007actreport

www.ehpartners.com.au

9

Point Hut Pond• Poorest water quality site in the ACT

• Water quality improving as urbanisation concludeshttp://www.environmentcommissioner.act.gov.au/publications/soe/2007actreport

www.ehpartners.com.au

10

Gungahlin Pond• Water quality being

limited by urbanisation

http://www.environmentcommissioner.act.gov.au/publications/soe/2007actreport

www.ehpartners.com.au

11

Rivers & Creeks• Health of the rivers & creeks is improving• Rivers & creeks have been stressed by major

events

• Some rivers & creeks are showing strong resilience• Urbanisation expected to cause ongoing problems

http://reports.envcomm.act.gov.au/actsoe2011/

www.ehpartners.com.au

12

Any questions?

Ecology and Heritage PartnersNatural and Cultural Heritage Consultants

Melbourne Geelong Brisbane Adelaide Canberra Phone (03) 9377 0100

Visit our website for further information www.ehpartners.com.au

Pictures and logos used in this presentation were sourced from https://www.google.com.au/imghp