Noosa River Report Card……..the best news this week
“We look forward to the Noosa River being upgraded again to its previous ‘A’ grade status later this year.”
NICA has continued its water testing program, testing at thirty river, lake, and creek sites along the Noosa River catchment from below Lake Weyba up to the Upper Noosa River, on a regular monthly basis. We measure water temperature, pH, conductivity, salinity, turbidity, and dissolved oxygen content, while general visual observations e.g. water appearance or floating matter are also noted.
In 2022 the Healthy Land & Water Report Card downgraded the Noosa River to a B grading following the heavy rains experienced early last year. We are pleased to report that our measurements during 2023 have shown a significant reduction in sedimentation in the river, measured as turbidity, which on average of all the river sites is now half that for last year. Indeed, some of the “dirtiest” test sites have shown even much greater improvement with turbidity down to just 20% of the previous average readings.
This is largely due to the onset of the coming El Nino weather pattern with its lower rainfall and milder weather events. All previous years’ testing has shown the importance of heavy rains and strong winds in stirring up the two shallow lakes Cootharaba and Coroibah, with resulting resuspension of sediments from the lake beds, which then eventually flows downstream. During 2023 the mild weather has not stirred the lakes to any great extent so the river has been exceptionally clear for many months. Continuing efforts to reduce erosion in tributary streams like Kin Kin Creek will also contribute to cleaning up the river.
Water samples collected by NICA are also routinely tested by Noosa Council to measure nitrogen and phosphorus pollutants in the water, in efforts to discover sources and causes of algal growths which, if left unchecked, can create serious contamination of the river and beaches. The results have been similar to the sedimentation tests, slightly higher values only being observed following heavier rains such as last occurred in March and April. For the rest of the year all such pollutants (mainly from fertiliser residues) have remained well below the official guidelines set for the river by the State Dept. of Environment and Science, DES.
We look forward to the Noosa River being upgraded again to its previous ‘A’ grade status later this year.
Bruce McConkey
October 2023
Isn’t it one of life’s great contradictions when Council’s heavily supported and promoted entities – NICA states on its own web page at the very beginning the following…….’The Noosa River is consistently rated amongst Queensland’s healthiest’
The blue link goes directly to the HLW Report Card | HLW Report Card
How do our Councilors like Stockwell, Wilkie and Wegenner and the fervent supporters of a Conservation Park and Rate Payer funded River Plan, continually get away with statements about how bad the river is and how it is in need of urgent protection…….The River Carers as they like to call themselves
This information is right under the communities nose and no one seems to notice nor care about the 180 degree opposed statements.
Can someone help me understand WHY??