30-Nov-2011

The 2011 Ecosystem Health Report Card was launched on Wednesday 19 October, providing insight into the health of South East Queensland’s waterways and Moreton Bay following the January 2011 flood. The Report Card, which presents ‘A to F’ waterway health grades, was released at four launch events across the region, following an intensive 12-month Ecosystem Health Monitoring Program (EHMP) coordinated by Healthy Waterways.

The Report Card revealed the overall health grade for Moreton Bay has declined from a C to C-. This is the third consecutive year that Moreton Bay has fallen below its long-term average of a B grade. Moreton Bay has been struggling to recover since the drought breaking rain in 2009 caused increased sediment and nutrients to enter the bay from already degraded catchments.

The millions of tonnes of sediment that entered Moreton Bay during the flood have now settled on the floor of the bay, causing the existing mud layer to almost double in size to more than 100 km². This mud may further impact the bay in summer when winds re-suspend the sediment, increasing turbidity and nutrients, and warmer weather stimulates algal blooms. A reduction in seagrass may result reducing an important food source for turtles and dugongs. The impact of major rainfall events on waterway health highlights the need to build the resilience of our catchments. We must prepare our catchments for rainfall events by managing erosion, stabilising creek channels, rehabilitating riparian (or riverbank) areas, investing in good agricultural practices and sustainably managing urban water.

On a positive note, considering the magnitude of the flood, the 2011 Report Card grades are more positive than expected, particularly in freshwater streams and estuaries. Some freshwater streams and estuaries improved in grade, reflecting the positive influence of high water flows. Maroochy and Pine are among 10 freshwater catchments that received the highest health score since monitoring began in 1999. In addition, high river flows enabled greater fish migration. As a result, a freshwater fish species called the Cox’s Gudgeon, which scientist believed to be locally extinct, has been found in the Brisbane River. However, it is important to note that the Report Card grades do not necessarily reflect the full impact of the flood on waterway health because half of the data was collected before the flood and the Program is designed to monitor long-term trends in ecosystem health.

For the first time, Healthy Waterways has released a Report Card iPhone App. The App provides a quick reference tool for accessing the 2011 Report Card results. Search for ‘2011 Report Card’ in the App Store and download it now for FREE. For more detailed information about the Report Card results, please visit our interactive website or download the Report Card document.