Participants in GeoCatch’s Revitalising Geographe Waterways program update have expressed confidence in the organisations bid to improve water quality.
GeoCatch held an event last week to update the community on their work to improve the health of the region’s waterways and wetlands.
GeoCatch chair Chris Adams said the community consultation showed community confidence in their efforts was high.
“We were really happy with the turnout on the night, with nearly 50 people attending,” he said.
“It was also really pleasing to hear that we are actually seeing water quality improvements both visually and in the monitoring data.
“Feedback on the night was really positive with most people being very happy with the progress to date.”
A presentation from the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation included an update on actions being carried out in the Revitalising Geographe Waterways program and the results of water quality monitoring across the catchment.
Actions designed to improve water quality including opening the Toby Inlet sand bar and manipulating seawater inflows into the Vasse Estuary were shown to be highly effective in reducing algal blooms over the last summer.
A presentation on water quality monitoring results also showed a reduction in nutrients in many Geographe waterways.
Mr Adams said this was a great result.
“The results demonstrated that the work GeoCatch has been doing in the catchment with our farmers over the last five to optimise fertiliser use, improve dairy effluent and protect waterways through fencing is finally paying off,” he said.
“We are finally seeing water quality improvements, which is very heartening.”
Updates were also provided on the night by the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions and City of Busselton on the progress of developing water management plans for the Toby Inlet, Lower Vasse River and Vasse Wonnerup wetlands.
