Chemical Monitoring & Management Assignment
Liverpool’s Local Water Supply: Catchments
Figure 1 Georges River Catchment Diagram
Catchment areas are a structure in which water is collected, such as a natural drainage area, where the water may flow from a run-off surface or groundwater (the water underground found in between the soil and rock particles & is located below the earth’s surface). As Liverpool is an urban area, the water collected in our catchments is received through the gutters and pipes of our drainage system that are then channelled through to the drains and into our catchments.
Figure 2 Hawkesbury Nepean River Catchment Diagram
Liverpool’s water received from catchments comes from 2 main sources, the
Hawkesbury Nepean catchment & the Georges River Catchment which both have smaller sub-catchments such as rivers, lakes, creeks and wetlands. Both the Hawkesbury & the Georges River extend across the boundaries of the
Liverpool Council area and into other area, so collaboration between local council groups are established for the management of these catchments and the coordination of efforts of the government and community groups such as the
Hawkesbury Nepean Local Government Advisory Group (HNLGAG) and the
Georges River Combined Council’s Committee (GRCCC)
•THE HAWKESBURY NAPEAN CATCHMENT:
2
Covers 22’000 km including the majority of the western half of Liverpool, and is divided into two sub catchments, the
South Creek catchment and the
Upper Nepean Catchment
.
2
South Creek Catchment: covers only an area of 620 km that is also portioned into 3 smaller Creek:
The
South Creek, Kemps Creek and
Badgerys Creek
. The Southern creek catchment is greatly affected by poor water quality and high soil salinity levels which ultimately result in vegetation loss. This catchment area includes area of small residents as well as rural properties.
2
Upper Nepean Catchment: has an area of 1’750 km
, whose area is made up mainly of small residential areas as well as rural areas. This catchment suffers greatly from poo water quality and to vegetation for farming as bushland and soil is also lost. Collaborative management is needed within this area as it is majorly privately owned to ensure sustainability.
•THE GEORGES RIVER CATCHMENT:
2
Is a large catchment covering 1’000 km including 3 sub-catchments including:
2
Liverpool District Catchment: Covers 103 km of land with an urban population of approximately
120’000. With the rapid surrounding growth of industrial it makes it an area more prevalent to pollution and developing areas that have cleared had led to poor water quality. Most of the catchment is drained by smaller creeks such and the creeks that flow into those such as the Cabramatta creek and the Maxwells,
Hinchinbrook and the Brickmakers Creek.
2
Mid Georges River Catchment: Covers an area of 80 km and also has smaller creeks including the
Harris, Deadmans and Williams Creek. The transition of the upper freshwater to the lower salty water
(estuarine) is in this portion of the Georges River and is also where water-based recreational activities are held such as fishing, water skiing, and boating where importance is seen in the flora, fauna, scenic views and the safety and health of the public.
2
Prospect Creek: Covers 98 km which although only 2.4% of the Georges River and a very urbanised surrounding area, it still has social, environmental and economic values.
Possible Sources of Contamination in this Catchment
Without proper management many contaminants may affect the quality the water and cohere to safety laws, ultimately damaging the delicate balance in the rivers ecosystems, including:
of
Figure 3 Polluted Catchment
Agricultural Activities: The mineral rich low laying land surrounding the river is rich in minerals and which is the optimum conditions for germination of flora and other agricultural use. Fertilisers, insecticides and herbicides that are used to
