Noosa Fish Health Investigation Taskforce interim report

source: Primary Industries and Fisheries (Qld)
"The Noosa Fish Health Investigation Taskforce was established by the Minister for Primary Industries and Fisheries in January 2009. The role of the taskforce was to further investigate fish health problems at the Sunland Fish Hatchery on the Sunshine Coast and broader fish health issues associated with the Noosa River catchment. This interim report provides a brief summary of the investigations to date, taskforce actions over the previous four months and reports on the initial findings from the taskforce scientific sub-committee."

Shellfish reefs at risk: a global analyis of problems and solutions

Source: Nature Conservancy
"Once dominant features in many temperate estuaries around the world, native oyster reefs are critically important ecologically and economically. Centuries of intensive fisheries extraction exacerbated by more recent coastal degradation have put oyster reefs near or past the point of functional extinction globally, but sensible solutions that could ensure conservation of remaining reefs and even reverse losses to restore ecosystem services are available. These solutions involve wider application of area-based conservation approaches, improvements in fisheries management, enhanced restoration for multiple ecosystem services (e.g., water filtration, nutrient removal, shoreline protection and fish habitat provision), and partnerships to improve water quality."

Bad water and the decline of blue crabs in the Chesapeake Bay

source: Chesapeake Bay Foundation
"Pollution has been a major factor in the decline of the Chesapeake Bay’s blue crab population, according to a new report from the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF). Key findings include that dead zones kill an estimated 75,000 tons of bottom-dwelling clams and worms each year, enough to feed 60 million crabs annually. In addition, algal blooms caused by nitrogen and phosphorus pollution have damaged underwater grass beds, key crab habitat. More than half the eelgrass beds in the lower Bay have died since the early 1970s."

Healthy Waterways report card 2008: South-east Queensland

Source: Ecosystem Health Monitoring Program
"The 2008 Report Card provides grades for 19 catchments and 18 estuaries in SEQ, as well as 9 zones within Moreton Bay, for the period of July 2007 to June 2008. It involves the analysis of data from 135 freshwater and 254 estuarine and marine sites (389 in total). Significant investments to reduce point source pollution in the last decade are now leading to measurable improvements in the ecosystem health of western Moreton Bay. However, any consequential improvement in the overall health of Moreton Bay was offset by the impacts of some major flood events which carried extremely high loads of sediments and nutrients from the catchments into rivers and out to the Bay. The increasing population of South East Queensland, exacerbated by climate variability, is a major challenge to maintaining good ecosystem health in our waterways. To ensure future development occurs without causing further declines, we must continue to identify and undertake actions to improve the health of degraded waterways and protect areas of high ecological value."

Fitzroy catchment fish sampling and health assessment 2008

Source: DPI&F
"Catfish were caught and reported to Biosecurity Queensland by a fisherman from Tartarus Weir on 3 September 2008 with symptoms of redness of all fins. Concerns about the water quality in the Fitzroy River Catchment were subsequently raised in conjunction with reports of release of waters from Ensham Coal Mine, Emerald. A initiative to investigate these concerns was commenced with a fish sampling, testing and assessment surveillance by the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries as part of wider monitoring activities by the Environmental Protection Agency, Queensland Health, Department of Natural Resources and Water; working together with Ensham Coal Mine."

Particles in water distribution systems

Source: CRC Water Quality and Treatment
"One of the key performance and compliance indicators for the water industry is customer complaints about discoloured or “dirty water”. Such discoloration is frequently caused by particulates from the reticulation system appearing at the customer tap. In Australia, little is understood of the origins of such material, yet it may cause between 60 and 80% of water quality related customer complaints. How these particles behave in distribution systems was not adequately understood. The aim of Research Project 1.0.2.4.3.6 “Particles in the Distribution System” was to determine the origins and characteristics of particulate material within a reticulated water system that generated dirty water complaints."

Investigation of stormwater particles generated from common urban surfaces

"Pollution due to urban stormwater runoff is a significant environmental issue. The emergence of Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) in Australia is changing the management focus from the reliance on a small number of large-scale devices to many smaller-scale source controls distributed throughout the catchment. This paradigm shift in stormwater management places greater emphasis on small-scale processes within urban areas. Subsequently there is a need for more knowledge about stormwater generated from specific urban surfaces (roads, roofs, grassed areas etc). The objective of this study was to demonstrate how urban stormwater quality can be managed on the basis of urban surfaces", Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Southern Queensland, 2007.

Endocrine disrupting chemicals in the Australian riverine environment

There is growing community concern about the trace levels of certain organic chemicals in the environment, especially in wastewater or reclaimed water. Compounds such as estradiols, nonylphenol, bisphenol A, PCBs and some pesticides can mimic natural hormones, potentially interfering with the normal functioning of endocrine systems.

Managing wet weather with green infrastructure

This Action Strategy details a wide variety of efforts that will be pursued over the years by the partner organizations to reduce stormwater runoff, combined sewer overflows, and nonpoint source pollution. The Action Strategy covers seven broad categories, including research, outreach, demonstration projects, and more.