A team of scientists from the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER) shared their knowledge and passion with interested locals at a recent Healthy Rivers workshop. The river science team were assessing a stream at Station Gully, their latest stop as they traveled around the South West sampling different sites.
DWER Environmental Officer, Gina Marino, says the Healthy Rivers assessments use the South West Index River Condition (SWIRC), a toolkit developed by the Department to provide data on river health for South West WA. They collect field data on aquatic biota, fringing vegetation, hydrology, aquatic habitat, land use, physical form and water quality.
“The long-term collection of data is important as it enables us to understand the ecology of the system, assess impacts from various land uses and or stream alterations as well as aid in making management decisions,” said Gina.
The event was delivered by GeoCatch and Sustainable Agriculture Coordinator, Jenelle Schult. The attendees had many questions for the scientists who showed them different aquatic species that call the waterway home. “Workshops like these are a great opportunity for farmers and those interested in our waterways to meet and hear directly from DWER scientists. It was fantastic to see local farmers in attendance showing their interest in how to improve waterways on their properties,” said Jenelle.
Gina said it was a highlight for the team to connect with those who came along to the workshop. “It was a great experience for us to be able to share what we do with the attendees, and to see them get excited about the fish and aquatic macroinvertebrates we caught,” she said.
“We found all species expected at this site, including three native freshwater fish (western minnow, western pygmy perch and nightfish), two native freshwater crayfish (gilgie and smooth marron) and one non-native freshwater species (eastern gambusia). Juvenile western pygmy perch and gilgie were observed suggesting successful recruitment for both species.”
This project is supported by the Australian Government through funding from the Climate-Smart Agriculture Program under the Natural Heritage Trust. To find out more about DWER’s Healthy Rivers program visit www.rivers.dwer.wa.gov.au or to get involved with GeoCatch on rivercare and farm nutrient management projects aimed at reducing nutrients leaching into waterways, go to geocatch.asn.au/farm-management/.
Photo 1: Healthy Rivers workshop attendees and DWER scientists getting a close look at South West river fauna. Image provided by DWER.
Photo 2/3/4: DWER scientists presenting findings on the ecology of the Station Gully assessment site as part of the Healthy Rivers Program. Images provided by GeoCatch.
