A Catchment Journey1995 – 2005
to Integrated Natural Resources Management
Contents
Our Catchment Journey – a message from the Presiding Member
Integrated Natural Resources Management – a message from the Minister
History of the Catchment
Torrens Catchment Fact File
State of the Catchment
1995
1998
The Catchment Levy – a decade of environmental investment
2002
2005
Physical Works
Stormwater Management and Flood Mitigation
Torrens Catchment – Completed on-ground works and community programs 1995-2005
Working with the Community
Water Quality Improvement
Sustainable Water Resources and Riverine Health
Going Forward – a message from the Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges NRM Board
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Throughout the catchment achieve sustainable water resources and healthy ecosystems through integrated catchment management and a committed community.
Vision
The Torrens Catchment Water Management Board(the Board) is a statutory authority of the South Australian Government proclaimed by theGovernor of South Australia on 4 May 1995.
It’s appropriate that as the Board – alongwith 13 other boards and agencies in theregion – transitions to form the Adelaideand Mt Lofty Ranges Natural ResourcesManagement (NRM) Board, we pause toreflect on the myriad great achievements ofthe Board, its partners and its communityand contemplate the challenges ahead.
In the transition period, staff and Boardmembers will work closely with the new NRM Board to ensure current andcommitted programs are delivered and thegoals of our current Catchment Plan 2002-2007 are met. I thank all those who havecome with us on the catchment journey todate, a journey we know is far from over.
Jay HoganPresiding MemberTorrens Catchment Water Management Board
Care was the catchword back then. Indeed,care has been the central thread runningthrough a decade of Board achievementsduring which significant strides have beenmade towards an overall improvement ofenvironmental management in the Torrenscatchment.
Care lay at the core of the Board’s efforts to take the concept of a catchment to thecommunity and encourage them to join the journey from severely degradedwaterways to effective, integrated naturalresources management.
It featured, too, in the design andimplementation of major projects tocleanse and re-use stormwater and remove pollutants from our waterways.
The results have been spectacular: there is a marked increase in communityknowledge; changes in public attitudeshave prompted a swing to responsiblebehaviour; our waterways are considerablyhealthier; and all levels of government,industry and business are committed toimprove and sustain catchment health.
Through this State Government initiative,the collective efforts of urban and ruralcommunities, farmers and other primaryproducers, conservationists, landownersand Aboriginal communities are beingmarshalled to help create a singleintegrated system for natural resourcesmanagement in our State.
The establishment of the new Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges Natural ResourcesManagement (NRM) Board has effectivelyamalgamated the programs of 14 boardsand groups – the Torrens, Patawalonga,Northern Adelaide & Barossa andOnkaparinga Catchment WaterManagement Boards, regional Soil Boards,Animal & Plant Control Boards, and theMount Lofty Ranges and Greater AdelaideInterim Integrated NRM Group.
These organisations have come togetherunder one umbrella to achieve a moreefficient, effective, accountable andfocussed means of delivering long-termbenefits for the region’s extensive water,land and biodiversity assets.
Integrated NaturalResources Management
A message from the Minister
Our CatchmentJourney
A message from the Presiding Member
So much good work has already been done or is underway through thecoordinated and strategic catchment boardapproach to resolving long-standing anddifficult rural and urban water resourcesissues. None of that will be lost as the faceof catchment management in the regionchanges to a new and better way of takingcare of our State’s water, soil, ecosystems,marine environments, native vegetationand animals.
The cleanup of the Torrens catchmentunder a decade of Torrens CatchmentWater Management Board stewardship has been incredibly successful. The Board has pioneered innovativecatchment management practices and itsachievements over the past 10 years havelaid an impressive and solid foundation for the State Government’s new naturalresources management initiative.
Hon John Hill MPMinister for Environment and Conservation
The establishment of the Torrens Catchment Water Management Board in 1995 signalled a new era in thinking and action, an era characterised by coordinated and catchment-widemanagement of and care for our precious water resources.
On 1 July 2005, the Natural Resources Management Act 2004 replaced the Animal and Plant Control Act 1986, the Soil Conservation and Land Care Act 1989 and theWater Resources Act 1997.
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The River was a major factor inColonel Light’s selection of the site for Adelaide and was the onlysource of surface water for the city until the late 19th Century. Most of the city’s effluent wasdischarged into the Torrens andwater quality soon became a problem for the early settlers withreports of sickness as a result ofdrinking water drawn from it.
A quality water supply for Adelaide
was obtained by collecting water
from the upper catchment at the
Gorge Weir, storing it in the now
decommissioned Thorndon Park
reservoir and piping it to Adelaide.
This allowed development to
continue on the Adelaide Plains,
which contributed to the
continuing decline in water quality.
History of the Catchment
Floodgates were installed at theTorrens Weir in 1928 in an attemptto overcome flooding and siltationproblems in the Torrens Lake
To understand the state of the waters of the Torrens catchment as they were when the Board was established, it is necessary to go back to the pre-European era and early days of settlement.
Indigenous people owned and
occupied the whole of the
Australian continent prior to the
arrival of Europeans. The Kaurna
people lived in a narrow corridor
along the eastern shore of the
Gulf St Vincent from Cape Jervis
to Port Wakefield. Inland the
stringy bark forests of the
Mount Lofty Ranges marked
their boundary.
The lower Torrens catchment
area was originally swampland
called “The Reedbeds” which
extended from Glenelg to Grange
and as far inland as Torrensville.
The Kaurna people visited
The Reedbeds and coastal areas
of Adelaide during the spring and
summer months.
The dunes and beaches provided
food and shelter, and reeds from
the wetlands were used to make
baskets and mats. The inland
areas had better shelter and
firewood in the cooler weather,
more mammals to hunt, and
creeks and swamps contained
fish and other water life.
For early European settlers the
River Torrens was at first a narrow
stream, prone to flooding in winter
and drying up to a series of
waterholes in summer. For more
than 160 years since, the waters
of the Torrens catchment have
been used for water supply,
horticulture, recreation and
commerce – and as a drainage
system.
Construction of the Seaview Road Bridge over the Torrens outlet at Breakout Creek
Top left: 1935 E&WS plan showingscheme for enlargement of River Torrens with concrete sea outlet
Top right: Early artist’s impression of Adelaide Plains wetlands – copy of original 1890 painting by JamesAshton from the White collection
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River Torre
ns
Riv
er
Torrens
Gulf St Vincent
Cudlee Creek
KersbrookForreston
Gumeracha
Mount Torrens
Birdwood
Mount Pleasant
Ashton Basket Range
Norton SummitHenleyBeach
LargsBay
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• River Torrens named in 1836 by Colonel Light after Robert Torrens, Chairman of the ColonisationCommission which promoted settlement of South Australia
• The River Torrens has its source in the Mount Lofty Ranges, is Adelaide’s largest metropolitan waterway, and flows across the Adelaide plains and through the City of Adelaide to Gulf St Vincent
• Catchment includes the River Torrens and First to Sixth Creeks, the West Lakes/Port Adelaide River catchments and the northerly drainage systems flowing to Barker Inlet
• Catchment covers more than 620 square kilometres
• 54% of catchment is in Mt Lofty Ranges Watershed
• Catchment is underlain by various groundwater systems: fractured rock aquifers in the hills areas and sedimentary aquifers on the plains – both systems provide a variety of private water supplies
• 500,000 people living in 156,000 residences
• 18,000 commercial and industrial properties, including most of Adelaide’s CBD
• Around 1,350 rural properties supporting vital agricultural production and rural towns
Torrens Catchment Fact File
Since the early days of European settlement, the Port Adelaide River hasprovided major port facilities
Northern Adelaide & Barossa Board Catchment area
City of Port Adelaide Enfield
City of Charles Sturt
City of West Torrens
City of Prospect
City of Adelaide
Town of Walkerville
City of Norwood Payneham & St Peters
City of Campbelltown
City of Tea Tree Gully
City of Burnside
Adelaide Hills Council
The Barossa Council
The catchment is contained within12 local government areas includingall or parts of the following
Local government areas within the Torrens catchment
Patawalonga andOnkaparinga BoardCatchment areas
Today the Milbrook, Hope Valley
and Kangaroo Creek Reservoirs
are within the catchment.
The current Torrens Weir was built
in 1881 to create an ornamental
lake for public recreation in the
City of Adelaide. This replaced an
earlier timber weir built in 1862
that had washed away.
The Port Adelaide River estuary
has provided Adelaide and South
Australia with major port facilities
since the early days of settlement.
However, its banks have also
accommodated a variety of often
noxious industries ranging from
acid production, coal handling,
electricity generation, cement
works and boat building facilities
to fuel storage, a major sewage
treatment plant and the rubbish
dumps of Garden Island and
Wingfield.
In 1934 the State Government
constructed a flood channel on
the River Torrens at Henley Beach
South to take flows through the
sand-hills to the sea. Breakout
Creek – as it became known –
was designed to cope with very
high flows.
Before the construction of
Breakout Creek the Torrens had
a less direct outlet to the sea,
with water gathering in
The Reedbeds area and high
flows finding their way south to
the Patawalonga or north to the
Port Adelaide River.
The joining of the Port Adelaide
River catchment with the Torrens
catchment zone in 1998
symbolically reunited the
Torrens and the Port.
Work on the River Torrens Linear
Park and Flood Mitigation Scheme
was carried out during the 1980s
and 1990s. The first linear park
developed in Australia, it
integrates a diverse range of
functions including stormwater
management, recreation, flood
mitigation and transportation
corridors.
Over the years the Torrenscatchment has been highly modified,yet it is still vital to the human andcommercial existence of much ofAdelaide. The catchment providesraw water for SA Water’s water supply for Adelaide, sustains anenormous population and supportssignificant commercial andindustrial enterprises, both rural and urban.
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State of the Catchment
The major problems identifiedduring research to develop the firstTorrens Catchment Plan were:
• water quality levels below standards acceptable for recreational use in the urban catchment and water supply in the rural catchment
• inappropriate rural land management practices and degradation of waterways contributed to poor water quality and environmental decline in the rural parts of the catchment, and
• stormwater runoff as a major contributor to low water quality in urban areas, particularly evident in ‘first flush’ stormwater events.
1995In 1995 the Board immediately
implemented its Initial Plan while
developing the first five-year
Comprehensive Catchment Water
Management Plan 1997-2001. This
Plan set out important catchment
works, planning initiatives and
community education and
involvement programs, with
a priority on water quality
improvements and watercourse
health.
Importantly, this initiative also
created a designated funding
source – the Catchment
Environment Levy – to ensure
results and to resolve long
standing and difficult urban
catchment issues with both Local
and State Government support.
The Board has always operated
according to catchment plans
developed in consultation with
businesses, State and local
government agencies and the
community.
An eroded waterway in the upper catchment
Gutter borne leaf litter,a major stormwaterpollutant
The establishment of the Board by the State Government on 4 May 1995brought together for the first time a sense of community ownership,accountability, technical expertise and inter-agency coordination of water resources management on a catchment-wide basis.
Top left: Torrens Lake, view from the weir
Top right: Prof Bill Williams, water sampling
1998The Catchment Levy: A Decade of EnvironmentalInvestment 1995 – 2005
The work of the Board over the past decade has been made possible through the Catchment Environment Levy, a SouthAustralian Government initiative to providevital funding for the management andprotection of our precious water resources.Local councils have collected the levy fromratepayers and paid it direct to the Board.Since 1995 the levy collected within theTorrens catchment has amounted to $33.6m,all of which has been invested in the Board’sfull range of projects and used to leveragesupport from other Government agencies and private organisations. This has resulted in an environmental investment of more than $38.5m in the catchment over the past 10 years.
Open drain in the Port AdelaideRiver and Environs catchment
Goal 1 $18.7m
Goal 2 $0.8m
Goal 3 $1.1m
Goal 4 $0.5m
Goal 5 $9.9m
Goal 6 $1m
Goal 7 $6.5mTotal $38.5m
Investment 1995 – 2005
Refer Catchment Plan Goalson page 6
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Before the construction of Breakout Creek in 1934, the RiverTorrens had a less direct outlet to the sea
While some stormwater drains
had silt traps and screens to
trap large debris, the only drains
intercepted by wetlands were
those constructed during the
1990s at The Range, Magazine
Creek and Barker Inlet.
Of particular concern was the
“red tide” of sub-surface algae
caused by high nutrient levels
and high fresh water inputs to
the estuary from the Port Adelaide
Wastewater Treatment Plant,
other industry sources and
stormwater. Widespread pollution
of groundwater was another worry.
An immediate goal was to reduce the pollution entering thePort Adelaide River and improve its water quality, thereby enhancingits recreational standing andboosting the fish nursery areaamong the mangroves.
Poor housekeeping at industrial sites was leading to contamination of rainfall runoff
View of Port Adelaidefrom Barker Inlet
In 1998, the Port Adelaide
River and Environs catchment
joined the Torrens Catchment
Board area.
The extended catchment covered
the Cities of Port Adelaide Enfield,
Charles Sturt and Prospect.
It included, too, the historical
industrial areas of Gepps Cross,
Kilburn, Wingfield, Port Adelaide,
Birkenhead, Taperoo and Outer
Harbour and their collection of
foundries, gas works, refineries
and abattoirs that combined to
leave a legacy of contaminated
land and polluted water.
The catchment also contained
extensive residential areas
stretching in an arc from North
Haven and Taperoo, south through
West Lakes and Grange and east
to Woodville, Kilkenny, Prospect,
Broadview and Northfield.
Stormwater runoff from
residential and industrial sites
discharged directly into the Barker
Inlet, West Lakes, Port Adelaide
River and Gulf St Vincent.
2002Following the successful
completion of its first five-year
Plan, in consultation with the
community and the various State
and Local Government agencies,
the Board developed its current
Catchment Water Management
Plan 2002-2007. The goals of
the Plan are:
Goal 1Improve and maintain water qualityin the catchment to a standardsuitable for community use(including public water supply), for sustaining natural ecosystemsand to reduce impacts on receiving waters.
Goal 2Ensure sufficient water ismaintained in creeks, rivers andaquifers to be available forequitable and economic communityuse (both private and public) and to maintain ecosystems.
Goal 3Protect and enhance water-dependent ecosystems throughintegrated natural resourcemanagement.
Goal 4Coordinate floodplain managementat the catchment scale.
Goal 5Foster an informed, committed and involved community that takesresponsibility for, and activelysupports its role in, catchment water management.
Goal 6Establish monitoring and evaluation systems that enable theBoard to assess the effectiveness of its programs and the health of the catchment.
Goal 7Deliver the Board’s programs in an integrated manner in partnershipwith all other stakeholders, takinginto account environmental,economic and social considerations.
EDS staff help clean up the Torrens in 2000
The Board has been a principal funding partner of KESAB’s Patawalonga and Torrens Waterwatchprogram since 1995
GPT installation on Portscorp land at Port Adelaide
In 2002, the major environmentalchallenges facing the Torrenscatchment were:
• to use treated stormwater and wastewater for irrigation and industry
• the management of groundwater
• the setting of realistic water quality targets
• the provision of adequate water for environmental purposes, and
• the sustainable uptake of good practice in both urban and rural settings.
The development of strong partnerships with the various councils in the (Torrens) Board area has
enabled the Board to address the myriad of issues faced by such a diverse catchment area. A leader in
innovation the Board has pursued wetland management, riparian restoration, and reversed the image of
stormwater to promote it as a resource, an asset with significant value. The Torrens (Board) has particularly
been successful in engaging urban communities and enabling finances raised in urban areas to be spent
higher up in the catchment at the ‘source’ of the problem.
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�R E V I E W O F T H E I M P L E M E N T A T I O N O F
C A T C H M E N T W A T E R M A N A G E M E N T P L A N S
S A W A T E R R E S O U R C E S C O U N C I L J U L Y 2 0 0 2
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2005Ten years on from the Board’s
establishment the health and
aesthetics of the Torrens
catchment are vastly improved.
In the last decade the Board
has been committed to a
comprehensive water resources
program that integrates existing
efforts of Federal, State and
local government agencies. It has
facilitated partnerships and new
approaches to catchment
management, increased
community understanding and
ownership of issues, and
facilitated works such as wetlands
and gross pollutant traps to
restore water quality.
The cleanup of the poorlymaintained and degraded Torrensand Port Adelaide Rivers has been a big success with thousands oftonnes of rubbish, silt and debrisintercepted and removed.
Large areas of woody weeds,
including ash trees, willows and
other introduced species, have
been removed from watercourses,
with hundreds of thousands
of indigenous species planted
in their place.
Fourth Creek outlet GPT
More than 100km of fencing has been installed to stoplivestock wandering into creeks, polluting the water anderoding banks
You’re never too young to learn about your localwatery environment
Community awareness and
behaviour change programs
have delivered significant results,
with the majority of the population
aware of their impact on the
environment and the changes they
must adopt to limit that impact.
Despite these major changes in the health of our waterways andimprovements in the awareness and behaviour of industry, business,governments and individuals, thereis still a long way to go.
Two years remain of the Board’scurrent Catchment Plan, and by its conclusion in June 2007 thetransitional journey to integratednatural resources managementshould be complete.
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The health of the River Torrens impacts on its status as a tourismand recreational focal point for the CBD of Adelaide
About 160km of catchment
streams are being rehabilitated
through exotic tree removal, weed
control and revegetation works.
Failing septic systems in the
Mount Lofty Ranges Watershed
have been upgraded. Nutrient
runoff from farms has been
reduced thanks to improved
farming practices, bank erosion
control and revegetation.
Where there was virtually no riverrestoration work in this section ofthe catchment before the Board’sestablishment, today, many reacheshave been remediated and much of the main tributaries are underlandowner care and control.
Before 1995, industrial workers
and small business operators
didn’t know or didn’t care about
their impact on the health of
our urban waterways through
diffuse pollution. After 10 years
of persistent site visits and advice
from Stormwater Pollution
Project Officers to more than
5,000 small-to-medium-sized
industrial businesses in the
Torrens catchment, the majority
now acknowledge their
responsibility for stormwater
pollution activities and the
necessity for them to adopt
prevention measures.
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Physical Works
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The most productive site in the catchment is at Drage Reserve on the Third Creek outlet to theRiver Torrens at Felixstow (average150 tonnes of material collected per year).
During 1996 and 1997 some trash
rack installations were delayed
while the Board negotiated with
local councils for an agreement
for handover and maintenance
of the GPTs. Today councils
share with the Board installation
costs, as well as cleaning and
maintenance activities.
Each year the Board disposes
of about 900 tonnes of material
caught in its trash racks,
currently to landfill. The Board
is keenly awaiting the outcome
of trials being undertaken by
the Patawalonga Board to find
Breakout Creek wetland
North Haven Marina GPT delivery
Top left: Construction of the Breakout Creek GPT and floating boom structure
Top right: Eroded watercourse
In 1995 watercourses across the Torrens catchment were badlydegraded and on-ground physical works to prevent pollution and sustain our water resources were few and far between.
The Board, together with partner
organisations, has invested ten
years and $18.7m in the planning
and implementation of physical
works to address these issues.
Significant inroads have been
made to the restoration of
damaged watercourses, the
prevention of waterway pollution
and the development of
innovative projects to capture,
cleanse and even reuse
stormwater.
Gross Pollutant Traps and Silt TrapsThe Board and Torrens catchment
councils have installed a series
of more than 70 trash racks
(also known as gross pollutant
traps or GPTs) and silt traps at
strategic locations throughout
the catchment.
Together they have prevented morethan 6,000 tonnes of trash, organicmatter and sediment from pollutingGulf St Vincent, West Lakes, Barker Inlet and the Torrens and Port Adelaide Rivers.
Estimated waste breakdown is
5% man-made litter, 60% organic
(leaf litter etc) and 35% silt.
Third Creek RehabilitationThe Third Creek rehabilitation project – designed and constructed in 2001 in a joint partnership betweenthe Board and the University of SA at Magill – is a great example of what can be achieved with urban watercourses. The project provides an example of how an urban waterway can look and behave when good land management practices are adopted. While the project doesn’t necessarily satisfy all biodiversity and water quality outcomes, it is a good compromise taking into account the need for open space, amenity and safety, and is a marked improvement over the original deeply incised, weed-infested drain that previously ran through the site. The project won a Merit Award in theenvironment category of the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects 2003 State Awards. Here’s what the judges had to say…
This project is important in that it sets an
example of what can be done to rehabilitate an
important natural feature. Added significance
of this particular project comes from its location
within the Magill Campus. The project readily
demonstrates to the students how effective creek
rehabilitation can be and how good a healthy
creek looks. The project had clearly enhanced
the quality of the environment.
A watercourse restorationproject before (inset top)and after (above)
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Watercourse restoration on the River Torrens near Birdwood
In the past year there has been
a substantial increase in the area
of riparian zones fenced with
the introduction of a program
that allows for crash grazing of
the buffer zone. As a consequence,
buffer widths have increased
to up to 30 metres. In this way
the buffer zone can remain as
a paddock available for limited
grazing in the summer period.
This is targeted to achieve water
quality benefits in particular.
An in-depth audit in 2001/2002
confirmed the program is
delivering on its community
involvement and environmental
outcome objectives.
To date, the WMAP program has seen more than 220 landholdersinvolved in the rehabilitation of about 160km of stream through exotic tree removal, weed control and revegetation works.
More than 100 kilometres of fencinghas been installed to stop livestockwandering into creeks, polluting the water and eroding banks –representing 17% of the almost600km that needs to be fenced.
In the upper rural catchment about 10% and in the lower ruralcatchment about 25-30% of theWMAP is dedicated to weed controlin native vegetation.
an environmentally viable zero
waste solution for catchment
waste. After pilot-scale trials,
scientists from the Flinders
University-based company
Flinders Bioremediation are
currently conducting full-scale
trials to confirm the economic
and technical feasibility of
composting catchment waste.
Watercourse RestorationThe single most important
investment for the Board has
been watercourse restoration
works from the Mount Lofty
Ranges, across urban Adelaide
and down to the coast.
The Board has successfully
influenced community interest
and commitment to riparian
restoration and improved land
management programs in the rural
catchment through the support
of key sub-catchment groups –
the Sixth Creek, Upper Torrens,
Mid Torrens and Fourth Creek
groups.
The Board’s Watercourse
Management Assistance Program
(WMAP) was established in
1996 to work with private and
public landholders in undertaking
watercourse rehabilitation that
improves water quality and
aquatic and riparian biodiversity.
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Apex Park Wetland was built in 1993 and in 2000 the Boardwas a partner in a KESAB Patawalonga and Torrens Waterwatchcoordinated cleanup program at the site
Catchment area that would feed The Grange Golf Club’s potential ASR scheme
Mosquito Management inConstructed Urban WetlandsThe Board retained theUniversity of SA MosquitoResearch Laboratory toundertake an extensive studyover the past five years ofmosquitoes in the St PetersBillabong, monitoringpopulations in and around thesite as well as several otherconstructed urban wetlands.
The results consistently show that mosquitoes are not a problem in well designed,well maintained wetlands. Adult mosquitoes found werepredominantly opportunisticbackyard breeding species thatutilise small isolated waterssuch as pot plant saucers andold tyres.
The results of the monitoringprogram have been provided to local councils, and the Board is confident that thedevelopment of wetlands does not increase mosquitopopulations because of thelarge variety of predatory fish and macroinvertebrates which inhabit them.
The Royal Adelaide Golf Course at Seatonis a potential wetland/ASR site
Wetlands and Aquifer Storage& Recovery (ASR)The Board has investigated,
planned and constructed a
network of wetlands to improve
water quality, remove harmful
nutrients from the water stream
and trap pollutants.
Working with local councils,
community groups, private
business, Government agencies
and other catchment boards,
the Board has constructed and
restored wetlands at Breakout
Creek, St Peters Billabong and
along the River Torrens near Reids
Road at Highbury. The Board has
also enhanced the Barker Inlet,
Apex Park, Magazine Creek and
Range Wetlands, as well as the
Torrens Lake.
The Board has significantly
progressed major wetland
and ASR schemes which when
combined will harvest 500
megalitres of urban stormwater
for the irrigation of two of
Adelaide’s premier sporting
venues, the internationally rated
Grange and Royal Adelaide
Golf Clubs.
In addition, the Board has
instigated drilling investigations
for ASR opportunities at the
Botanic Gardens of Adelaide
and adjacent Torrens Lake.
These projects represent significant investments by the Board and not-for-profit partnerorganisations to help maintain the surface and groundwater health of the catchment.
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Staged Wetlands ExtensionThe Board plans to further developthe wetlands at Breakout Creek.The next stage would extenddownstream from Henley BeachRoad to Tapleys Hill Road. Before detailed planning andconstruction, in 2005 the Boardcommissioned a Social ImpactAssessment (SIA). The SIAinvolved a range of consultationactivities to ensure that the socialimpact issues and ideas of thecommunity were identified,explored and documented, inparticular the impact on horseagistment in this area.
Breakout Creek today – an in-streamwetland demonstrating riparian
improvements and improved amenity for the community
During construction, the area was drained and a temporary weir constructed upstream to preventflows through the site during excavation of the deep pools
Acacia pycnantha (Golden Wattle)
Breakout Creek WetlandsIn 1996 the Board identified the
Breakout Creek section of the
River Torrens as having potential
for riparian and water quality
improvements. A concept plan,
which involved on-ground
works for the complete length
of Breakout Creek from Henley
Beach Road at Lockleys to
the sea outlet, was released
for community comment in
April 1997.
In May 1998 the Board approved
a shorter ‘demonstration project’
to try and secure community
support for a full-scale project.
This first stage, a 500-metre
stretch of the river upstream
of Henley Beach Road, was
completed in 1999. The project
involved the widening of the
existing waterway and deepening
of sections to form wetlands
with public access paths, viewing
areas and riparian vegetation.
Horses are no longer agisted
within this area.
To evaluate the performance
and effectiveness of the project,
in partnership with the Board,
the West Torrens Council is
monitoring water quality,
biodiversity, flood protection
performance, vegetation
establishment and management,
and mosquito populations.
The total cost of this Board-
funded project was approximately
$550,000.
The Breakout Creek Wetlandsproject was designed to recreate a viable ecosystem within theriparian zone that can be accessedand enjoyed by the local community.The project also maintained theexisting level of flood protectionafforded by the River Torrens Flood Mitigation Scheme.
Septic Tank RemediationParts of the Mount LoftyRanges, Gillman and Wingfieldhave no sewerage system.Homes and businesses rely on individual waste controlsystems – such as septic tanksor aerobic treatment systems –to dispose of waste water,including sewage. Many ofthese systems are poorlymaintained. This results inleakages and pollution ofunderground and surface water.
In 1997, the Board committedto help fund the Waterfall GullySewerage Scheme, which wascompleted in 2000.
St Peters BillabongRehabilitationThe St Peters Billabong is a
former oxbow bend of the River
Torrens isolated from the main
stream in the 1970s. Over time
it accumulated silt and became
reed-choked, providing limited
water quality improvement for
low volume inflows from Second
Creek and the River.
The 19km2 Second Creek
catchment comprises more than
10 percent of the total urban
catchment of the River Torrens.
Therefore provision of a wetland
near the outlet of the Creek at
St Peters offered excellent
potential to rehabilitate the site
and improve its performance
by treating stormwater from
this catchment before it enters
the River.
To ensure input from key
stakeholders, a reference group
was formed comprising
representatives from the Board,
the City of Norwood Payneham
& St Peters and the Friends
of St Peters Billabong.
The Billabong rehabilitation wascompleted in January 2002 andincluded:
• controlled aquatic reed growth, with additional reed species selected to improve diversity
• partial desilting and raising the water level to create deeper pools of open water and increase the storage volume
• top dressing the adjoining oval with dry silt removed from the Billabong
• filtering stormwater through a GPT, reedbeds and other aquatic vegetation to trap sediments
• shallow pools and habitat restoration for flora andfauna refuge, and
• stocking with native fish.
The total construction cost was
approximately $1million, funded
by the Board with a contribution
of $200,000 from the Natural
Heritage Trust Coasts and Clean
Seas program.
A separate five-year project to
rehabilitate the badly degraded
cliff face that provides a backdrop
to the rejuvenated Billabong
commenced in 2004 with joint
funding from the Board and the
City of Norwood Payneham
& St Peters.
In 1999/2000, about 1,500 septicsystems in the Hills reservoirwatershed were surveyed, ofwhich 356 were located in theTorrens catchment.
More than 40 percent of these systems were found to be failing.
A partnership project of the Adelaide Hills Council, the EPA,SA Water and the Torrens Board– the Mt Lofty Ranges WasteControl Project – has fixed morethan 60 percent of problemsystems.
12
The Adelaide Hills Council offered financial incentive
packages to encourage Hillsproperty owners to upgrade
their septic systems
After – local residents now have a beautiful community asset and rehabilitation works have substantiallyimproved water quality in the catchment
Before – the Billabong was silt and reed-choked
A failing septic system
In the Mount Lofty RangesWatershed the link betweenfailing septic systems and theoccurrence of pathogens suchas Giardia and Cryptosporidiumin surface waters is beingexplored. Human effluent is a known carrier of these andother pathogens and nutrients.
Council is very grateful for the intellectual leadership of the
Torrens Board. The innovative research and programs of the Board
to improve water quality in the Torrens Lake have delivered
impressive results. Indeed, the water quality improvement in the
Lake has been so great as to allow primary contact with the water
for the first time in 40 years.
�
�L O R D M A Y O R O F A D E L A I D E
M I C H A E L H A R B I S O N
J U L Y 2 0 0 4
Going Forward
.......
...........Major challenges for the Torrens Catchment still to be met include:
> counter the blue-green algal bloom in the Torrens Lake
> address the difficulties of ASR under the current EPA policy
> create a stormwater management system that allows for population growth and infill development
> deliver the next stage of the Breakout Creek Wetlands
> nearly 500km of stream fencing still required
> landholder compliance issues with watercourse restoration
> ongoing GPT maintenance costs
> find a “zero waste” solution for catchment waste
13
A set-back in the health of the
Lake occurred in February 2005.
Several of the mixers were not
working when, following summer
storms, there was a large inflow
of stormwater to the Lake.
A non-toxic blue-green algal bloom
occurred and the Lake was closed
for primary and secondary contact
for 12 weeks.
Investigations are underway tofurther improve water quality in theLake and minimise the occurrenceof blue-green algal blooms.
Mechanical mixers installed in the Lake in 2001 mix the water andincrease oxygen levels
Torrens LakeWhen the Board was established,
the Torrens Lake was badly silted
and had not been comprehensively
dredged since the City weir was
built in 1881. Mud banks inhibited
the navigation of the Popeye
and rowing activities on the Lake.
In 1997 the Lake was dredged
and cleared of 40,000 cubic
metres of accumulated silt.
Between 1998 and 2002 the
Torrens Lake was plagued by
blue-green algal blooms, so the
Board and the Adelaide City
Council joined forces to address
the issue and restore the Lake
water quality.
Fourteen mechanical mixers were
installed in and on the Lake in
December 2001 to gently move
the water and stop the warm top
layer, called stratification, from
developing.
Thanks to the major water quality
improvements achieved, there
were no algal blooms for two
consecutive summers and in 2004
primary contact with Torrens Lake
water was allowed for the first
time in 40 years.
Torrens Lake algalbloom 1999
A joint project of the Board and the Adelaide City Council saw40,000 cubic metres of silt dredged from the Lake in 1997
In October 2004 the Board and theAdelaide City Council were jointwinners of the infrastructure anddevelopment category of the 2004AWA South Australia Water Awards for the Torrens Lake aeration anddestratification strategy project.
Stormwater Management and Flood Mitigation
Effective stormwater management and flood mitigation are increasinglyimportant issues for metropolitan Adelaide.
14
� stormwater runoff does not
impact on receiving waters, and� suitable treated and/or stored
stormwater replaces or
enhances traditional sources
of water.
At a strategic level, USMPs willassist local government in focussingattention on stormwater issuesduring budgetary and businessplanning, and in the allocation of expenditure priorities.
A USMP will also be an important
ingredient in the review of local
government Development Plans,
and in the identification of
amendments to structure plans
and zones and other development
policies that are necessary to
achieve improved urban
stormwater management
outcomes.First Creek in flood at Tusmore Park
Top left: Flooding in Rundle Park, June 2001
Top right: Flood damage Sixth Creek
GPT on Second Creek outlet
Urban Stormwater Master PlansIn 2002, together with Planning
SA, the Torrens and Patawalonga
Boards developed guidelines for
urban stormwater management.
These guidelines help councils
develop USMPs that improve
amenity and function to deliver
wider urban environments
in which:� the risk of flooding is low� recreational waterways are
healthy
Floodplain mapping studies
have also been undertaken by
the Board in order to better
understand the flooding risks
in various parts of the catchment,
as well as to assist with planning
development decisions and flood
protection measures.
Councils face growing pressure
to allow infill development
throughout the metropolitan
area. Correspondingly, it is
important that planning measures
at the local level take into
account the future management
of the issues of stormwater
control and flood mitigation.
The Board has actively
encouraged and supported
councils to develop catchment-
based Urban Stormwater Master
Plans (USMPs) to ensure
effective stormwater
management.
15
> develop and implementUrban Stormwater Master Plans for all council areas
> minimise flood risk through mitigation and development controls
> complete foodplain mapping for First to Fifth Creeks and assist councils with any necessary mitigation measures
Over the past year, this process
has been embraced by several
catchment councils with a
50 percent cost contribution by
the Board, including the Cities
of Port Adelaide Enfield, Charles
Sturt, Prospect, Burnside,
Campbelltown and Norwood
Payneham & St Peters.
Groundbreaking StudyHighlights Flood RiskAs a result of the development
of its USMP, in May 2005 the
City of Charles Sturt released
floodplain maps of the
Henley-Fulham, Meakin Terrace
and Trimmer Parade urban
stormwater sub-catchments.
The floodplain mapping indicates
that 20 percent of properties
in these areas would be at risk
of flooding in a one-in-100 year
rainfall event.
The council has already begun
discussions with the State
Government about sharing the
cost of mitigation, which could
run to tens of millions of dollars.
A cost-benefit analysis is
underway to determine
infrastructure priorities and the
likely cost of the work required
to reduce the risk of major
flooding.
Going Forward
.......
...........Major challenges for the Torrens Catchment still to be met include:
�
�
This mapping is groundbreaking because the
technology is new and we are the first council in
Australia to use it on such a significant scale.
For the first time we have comprehensive information
about flood risk so we can implement strategies to deal
with the problem and plan for future development
over the next 50 years. H A R O L D A N D E R S O NM A Y O RC I T Y O F C H A R L E S S T U R TM A Y 2 0 0 5
Floodplain Mapping and Flood MitigationThe Board has long been
involved in flood risk planning in
the catchment and participated
in the Flood Warning Consultative
Committee from 1996.
That year it was also involved
in the remediation of the River
Torrens Linear Park flood damage
and participated in negotiations
surrounding the management
of Linear Park.
Furthermore, it provided technical
assistance and funding for the
preparation of flood maps for the
tributaries of the River Torrens.
In reviewing existing
reports and assessments,
the Board identified areas
of highest flood risk along
First to Fifth Creeks.
In collaboration with eastern suburbs councils and StateGovernment agency partners, in 2004 the Board embarked on a floodplain mapping study of the area. The mapping will aid in the review of development controls and to identify floodmitigation requirements. The study is due to be completed in late 2005/early 2006.
Breakout Creek flooding August 2004
Flooding – Port Road
Gilbert Weir
Third Creek
Fourth Creek
Fifth Creek SixthC
reek
Kenton
Creek
Mill
ers
Cree
k
RiverTorrens
First
Creek
A
Cudlee
Creek
Second Creek
Chai
nof
Pon
dsC
reek
River Torre ns
Gulf St Vincent
Barker Inlet
Hope Valley Reservoir
Kangaroo CreekReservoir
Milbrook Reservoir
Kersbrook
Forreston
Gumeracha
Cudlee Creek
AshtonBasket Range
Norton Summit
Adelaide
Largs Bay
Henley Beach
16
Physical Works – Wetlands
Working with its partners, the Board hasconstructed and restored wetlands atBreakout Creek and St Peters Billabongand along the River Torrens near ReidsRoad at Highbury. The Board has alsoenhanced the Barker Inlet, Apex Park,Magazine Creek and Range Wetlands, as well as the Torrens Lake.
Physical Works – Gross PollutantTraps and Silts Traps
The Board and Torrens catchment councils have installed a series of morethan 70 gross pollutant traps and silt traps at strategic locations throughout the catchment. They have prevented morethan 6,000 tonnes of trash, organic matterand sediment from polluting catchmentwaterways and the Gulf St Vincent.
Torrens Catchment Completed on-ground works and community programs 1995 – 2005
▲
▲
Rive
r Torr
ens
StonyC
reek
BlumbergCreek
Angas
Creek
Birdwood
Mount Pleasant
Mount Torrens
17
Partnerships with these organisations andindividuals has been vital to the success of the Board’s programs and activities:
Minister for Environment and Conservation and State Government Agencies within that Portfolio
� Department of Water, Land and Biodiversity Conservation� Department for Environment and Heritage� Environment Protection Authority
Other Government Agencies and Statutory Bodies
� SA Water Resources Council� Other catchment water management boards� Primary Industries and Resources SA� Soil Conservation Boards� Animal and Plant Control Boards� SA Water� Planning SA� Mount Lofty Ranges and Greater Adelaide Interim
Integrated Natural Resources Management Group
Local Government
� City of Port Adelaide Enfield*� City of Charles Sturt*� City of West Torrens*� City of Prospect� City of Adelaide� City of Norwood Payneham
& St Peters**and their antecedent councils prior to amalgamation
Community groups and organisations
Business
Industry groups
Educational institutions
Rural landholders
General public
Physical Works – WatercourseRestoration
The Board’s Watercourse ManagementAssistance Program works with private and public landholders in undertakingwatercourse rehabilitation that improveswater quality and aquatic and riparianbiodiversity. About 160km of stream has been rehabilitated, and more than 100 kilometres of creek fencing has been installed.
Stormwater Pollution Prevention Projects
Urban catchment councils in this area have been or are currently involved in theStormwater Pollution Prevention Projectswhich work with businesses to improve the quality of water entering local creeksand rivers via the stormwater system.Since 1995, the Board has audited 2,679businesses and industry premises andfound over 80 percent to be compliant.
Community Involvement – Our Patch
The Board’s Our Patch program facilitatescommunity involvement and ownership inthe care, protection and restoration of theTorrens catchment. Today there are around50 active groups involving nearly 2,000volunteers, including school children,businesses and individuals.
Partnerships
●
●
� Town of Walkerville� City of Campbelltown� City of Burnside� City of Tea Tree Gully� Adelaide Hills Council*� The Barossa Council*
Working with the Community
There was limited understanding
of the connection between street
gutters, stormwater drains, our
waterways and the ocean. Many
people were unaware of the
difference between stormwater
and sewerage systems.
Ten years later, the majority of
the population at the very least
are aware of the impacts these
activities have on our waterways
and the ocean, and most claim to
have changed the way they carry
out their daily activities to limit
their impact on the environment.
Much of the raised awareness and behaviour change can beattributed to the many and variededucation and communityinvolvement programs developedby the Board.
Board-sponsored bunting at the 2005 Come Out Festival River Walk
Top left: The Board supportsthe Upper Torrens LandManagement Program whichinvolves more than 100landholders in developingon-ground works thatprovide environmentalbenefits
Top right: Pultenaea species(Bush Pea)
18
Initially, people either didn’t know
or didn’t care about the impact
their behaviour had on the quality
of the environment. Common
practices included:
� littering and leaves being
allowed to collect on streets
and be washed down
stormwater drains � cars being washed on the
street � poor housekeeping at industrial
sites that contaminated rainfall
runoff � discharge of substances directly
into waterways � industrial and home spillages
allowed to flow into waterways
and stormwater drains� faecal pollution from dogs and
stock animals, and� poor land management
practices including grazing in
watercourses.
Unless the attitudes and
practices of the majority of the
population, including industry,
commerce, and local and State
government were changed, the
Board’s success in improving
water quality, protecting and
reversing degradation of
watercourses, and increasing
environmental flows would be
severely limited.
Stream name signage
From the outset, the Board knew that community education would be one of the keys to success in bringing about a major shift incommunity attitudes and actions.
KESAB Patawalonga andTorrens WaterwatchSince 1995, the Board has been
one of the principal funding
partners (with the Patawalonga
Catchment Board) of KESAB’s
Patawalonga and Torrens
Waterwatch (KPTW) program,
previously called the Clean Waters
Program. The KPTW program
helps schools, businesses and
community groups learn more
about caring for their catchment
by facilitating hands-on water
quality monitoring and
educational sessions.
As the Board’s major school
education program, over the past
decade the KPTW program has
left a lasting impression on a
generation of young people who
live or go to school within the
Torrens catchment.
In 2003/2004:• 712 school sessions delivered
involving 17,319 participants
• water quality monitoring involving 133 Waterwatch groups at 182 sites
• student research and educational website www.cwmb.sa.gov.au/kwc received 7,961 hits, and
• KPTW groups won 9 of the 18 metropolitan SA Waterwatch Awards.
Catchment Areas Tracking SurveyA Catchment Areas Tracking Survey conductedby the Torrens and Patawalonga CatchmentBoards in June 2004 showed that there is now far greater community awareness aboutstormwater pollution and its negative impact on water quality in our creeks, rivers and the sea. In the first benchmark survey in 1997,many people did not understand that stormwaterwas connected to our natural waterways and theocean. Subsequent surveys in 1998, 1999, 2002and 2004 have shown a progressive increase in community awareness of both water qualityand quantity issues. The Board has also seen a marked improvement in the number of peopleclaiming to have changed their practices toprotect our water resources, with 75% ofrespondents able to nominate something theyhad done in the past couple of years to protectlocal waterways from degradation and damage.
19
Our Patch community group removing boxthorn at Mutton Cove
0%
10%
1997
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
1998 1999 2002 2004
Done something to protect watercourses
% o
f res
pons
es
Patawalonga CatchmentTorrens Plains CatchmentTorrens Rural CatchmentPort Adelaide River Catchment
Waterwatch group undertakingmacroinvertebrate sampling
Our Patch school group removing aster
at Breakout Creek
Today there are around 50 active groups involving nearly 2,000 volunteers, including school children, businesses and individuals.
The program also provides
community members with
watercourse management,
biodiversity and practical
revegetation skills.
Our PatchThe Our Patch program aims to
facilitate community involvement
and ownership in the care,
protection and restoration of the
Torrens catchment. Our Patch
provides a practical support and
funding link for school, industry
and community involvement
in catchment management.
Business and IndustryEducating business and industry
about how to reduce their impact
on stormwater quality has led
to a culture change throughout
metropolitan Adelaide. The huge
increase in awareness and
behaviour change has been
brought about by the following
key projects of the Board.
20
If business performance meets specific criteria in regard to stormwater management, annual recognition status is granted and acknowledged by display of WaterCare BRS signage
WaterCare Business Recognition SchemeIn 2004, a pilot program was
launched in the North West
Adelaide region to trial a scheme
to recognise businesses and
industries that adopt improved
stormwater management
practices. The WaterCare Business
Recognition Scheme (BRS) is a
joint initiative of the metropolitan
catchment boards’ SPP Projects
with support from WaterCare.
The scheme also provides
customers with the ability to make
informed business choices based
on environmental best practice.
The six-month trial concluded in May 2005. It is likely that theScheme will be implementedthroughout all Board fundedmetropolitan SPP Projects.
SPP Project site audit
SPP Project site visit
Port Adelaide River
Stormwater Pollution Prevention ProjectsThe Stormwater Pollution
Prevention (SPP) Projects began
in 1995 and now operate in most
Council areas within the four
metropolitan Adelaide catchments.
The SPP Projects work with
businesses to improve the quality
of water entering local creeks and
rivers via the stormwater system.
Trained SPP project officers visit
business premises to help identify
practices with the potential to
cause pollution, before providing
advice and information to the
proprietor on how best to address
the situation.
Training workshops, information
sheets and newsletters help to
keep businesses updated on
developments in pollution
prevention.
Since 1995, the Board has audited2,679 businesses and industrypremises and found over 80 percentto be compliant. The SPP Projectslead the way with Natural ResourcesManagement (NRM) reform by usingan integrated catchment modelacross the four metropolitancatchment boards.
Educational Video for BusinessCreating business awarenessabout the need to preventstormwater pollution at itssource was the focus of a 20-minute educational andtraining video released in early2005 – Stormwater Pollution:It’s Your Business. The video,developed by the fourmetropolitan catchment boards, outlines why pollutedstormwater is damaging to the environment and givessmall and medium-sizedbusiness owners step-by-stepinformation on how to preventstormwater pollution occurringas a result of their operations.It was met with a greatresponse by local businessesand has been distributed invideo, CD and DVD formatsthroughout Australia.
Education ToolsSchool students have always been a major target for the Board’s education and awarenessprograms. From the early days of programs such as Kids Congressfor Catchment Care, the WaterCareWagon and the CatchmentMusical, through to developmentof resource materials specificallyfor schools, the Board has beencommitted to integratingcatchment messages into theformal education system.
In partnership with thePatawalonga, Northern Adelaide & Barossa, Onkaparinga and RiverMurray Catchment Boards, the EPA and Waterwatch, in 2003 theBoard released Water-Learningand Living, a CDROM-basedteaching resource and associatedwebsite. The website underwent a substantial upgrade in 2005.
www.watercare.net/wll
21
Clean SiteSince July 2002 the Torrens and
Patawalonga Boards have provided
major funding support for the
Clean Site environmental
education, awareness and
enforcement program which is
delivered throughout metropolitan
Adelaide in partnership with
KESAB. The program encourages
the South Australian building
industry and contractors to clean
up their worksite practices.
This is accomplished through free
information, training and practical
demonstrations of environmentally
responsible building site practices
that prevent stormwater pollution.
The program also lends support
to council officers to monitor
and enforce Clean Site practices,
and is supported by the MBA,
HIA and major Adelaide building
companies.
An awareness campaign targeting the adoption of similarpractices by the DIY homehandyperson was launched in June 2005 in collaboration withother metropolitan catchmentboards. A fact sheet is being issued to all visitors to the Home Ideas Centre at Ashford.
A KESAB Clean Site demonstration day in progress
The program continues to be
State Government-run and is
jointly funded by the State’s
catchment boards, the EPA,
SA Water, the Department for
Environment and Heritage, and
the Department for Water, Land
and Biodiversity Conservation.
Market research from the mostrecent WaterCare Tracking Reportshows that community recognition of the WaterCare brand hasincreased from 38% in September2004 to 56% in May 2005.
Catchment Tours The Board has been a greatsupporter of National Water Weekactivities, one of the most popularbeing free community tours of theTorrens catchment. These areconducted twice annually.
Having just completed a wonderful day of
enlightenment on your Urban Catchment Tour, I wish
to thank you very much for the opportunity to see
the wonderful work you are doing.
�
�H E L E NL O C A L R E S I D E N T O C T O B E R 2 0 0 3
WaterCareThe Torrens and Patawalonga
Boards launched the WaterCare
community education program
in 1998 to inform, educate and
motivate South Australians to
own and participate in a culture
of care for water (in general)
and catchments (in particular).
A whole-of-government trial
program followed in 1999 with
television advertising campaigns
and print advertisements and,
a year later, the Boards finally
secured the WaterCare program
as a whole-of-community, whole-
of-government program led by
the then Minister for Water
Resources and his department.
Grants and SponsorshipsThe Board strategically invests
thousands of dollars every year in
community education sponsorships
and grants. These have included:
• Oliphant Science Awards
• Water Trail at the SA Museum
• Education posters for Horse SA
• River Walk, the opening event for the Come Out Festival
• Port River Clean Project – a water-based cleanup of floating and river/inlet bank debris within the Port Adelaide River and environs, using volunteer crews on The School of Fish vessel
• Kaurna Nation capacity building around water and natural resources management and education
A revamped WaterCare awareness campaign was launched in September 2004 by Minister forEnvironment and Conservation John Hill (left) and Dr Paul Vogel, EPA Chief Executive
22
Chemical use demonstrations at hardware stores and garden centres target Adelaide Hills landholders
Chemical Users ProjectThe Chemical Users Project,
a rural community education
initiative, launched in 1999, has
been very successful in promoting
responsible use of chemicals
and pesticides, increasing
understanding of environmental
management issues and
preventing pollution of waterways
in the Mount Lofty Ranges
Watershed. So much so that there
has been a run of enquiries from
local and interstate organisations
keen to adopt the innovative
techniques.
Small landholders in the AdelaideHills apply up to nine times theamount of chemical necessary.
Saturday morning hardware storeand garden centre demonstrations,and nursery information sessions – advising pesticide purchasers oncorrect application techniques – arehelping to change this behaviour.
The Board has also progressed
the development of a Quality
Assurance Management System
for commercial spray contractors.
It has been adopted by the
SA Groundsprayers’ Association
as their business standard for
members across South Australia.
Marine Discovery CentreThe Marine Discovery Centre
(MDC), established by the Star
of the Sea School at Henley Beach
in 1997, receives thousands of
visitors each year.
Since 1998 the Board has fundedstudent visits to the MDC through an ongoing sponsorship.
In 2004/05 school groups from 45 schools in the Torrens catchmentbenefited from the educationalprograms delivered at the MDC.
All visiting classes are taken
onto the foreshore to learn
about aspects of the local coastal
environment. The Board has also
assisted with sponsorship funding
for a number of MDC-facilitated
interpretive signs along the
foreshore, including a recent
project at the Tennyson Dunes.
Board project signage atSt Peters Billabong
The connection between land management practicesand the health of the marine environment is reinforcedthrough the MDC’s education programs
Stream name signs, which are now a feature in 16 localgovernment areas in both the Torrens and Patawalongacatchments, have since been adopted in all other South Australian catchment areas
Going Forward
.......
...........
> measurement of actual behaviour change in urban and rural sectors
> manage the community’s expectations of what can realistically be achieved in terms of water quality improvements
> develop and implement innovative ways to encourage sustainable behaviour and resource conservation
> embed best water management/catchment management practice in everything we do
> include indigenous culture and heritage issues in catchment water management and planning
> implement the WaterCare Business Recognition Scheme across all SPP Project areas
Major challenges for the Torrens Catchment still to be met include:
Project SignageIndividual project signage has
been strategically placed at Board
installed and/or funded gross
pollutant traps and trash racks,
constructed wetlands and other
catchment improvement works.
Catchment SignageStream Name SignsNo other Board community
education project has provided
such a prominent, widespread and
long-term opportunity to raise
awareness of catchment issues as
the stream name signage program.
Stream name signs on major roads
provide a permanent, subtle and
repetitive reminder to anyone who
travels through the catchment of
the existence of local waterways,
the catchment and the link
between what flows down
stormwater drains and what ends
up in the sea. This simple but
innovative concept was initiated,
developed and coordinated jointly
by the Torrens and Patawalonga
Boards.
Water Quality SignsPermanent standardised beach
and lake signage has been erected
on and near metropolitan beaches
where there are major stormwater
discharges and recreational water
bodies such as West Lakes.
The signs have a consistent
message that advises people not
to swim or recreate in these areas
after rain events. The project
was delivered in collaboration
with all metropolitan coastal
councils, the State Government,
Adelaide Shores, the Patawalonga
and Onkaparinga Catchment
Boards, and Surf Life Saving SA. 23
Water Quality Improvement
24
Discharges into the RiverTorrens Treated wastewater from the
Gumeracha Wastewater
Treatment Plant was discharged
into the River Torrens until 1996.
All treated wastewater is now
diverted to local pine plantations.
The Board also supported the
removal of Birdwood Septic
Tank Effluent Disposal Scheme
(STEDS) discharges from the
River Torrens.
colour, turbidity, dissolved organic
carbon, and nutrients such as
nitrates and phosphorus.
The objectives have been adoptedby SA Water and the Board isworking to use them as broaderpublic water quality indicators for the catchment.
Rock riffle on the River Torrens
Pelicans (Pelecanusconspicillatus) on the Torrens Lake
It will take a long time to addressthe long-term damage that hasoccurred, but the work of the Boardwith the community is deliveringsignificant results in the reduction of pollutants entering ourwaterways.
Setting Water QualityObjectivesThe Board actively addresses
water quality risks in the Mount
Lofty Ranges Watershed. It has
recently compiled raw water
quality objectives for reservoirs
in the Torrens catchment to
help measure water quality
management outcomes in the
Watershed. Objectives have been
established for a range of
parameters including algae,
Cryptosporidium, cyanobacteria,
coliforms and E. coli, pesticides,
soluble iron and manganese,
Water quality in the Torrens has been severely compromised since the early days of European settlement.
In 1839, after an epidemic of
dysentery killed five children in
one day, Governor Gawler banned
people from bathing, washing
clothes and throwing dead
animals into the River Torrens
within one mile of the Adelaide
township. In the many decades
since, residential, industrial and
agricultural development of the
upper and lower catchments has
continued to negatively impact
on water quality.
Over the years, individual
projects have been implemented
in an attempt to improve water
quality in areas throughout
the catchment, but until the
establishment of the Board in
1995 there was no comprehensive
approach to water quality
monitoring or improvement
on a catchment-wide scale.
Top left: In 2003 a Caulerpataxifolia outbreak in thelake at West Lakes wastreated by pumping freshwater (winter stormwaterflows) from the RiverTorrens
Top right: Hardenbergiaviolacea (Native Lilac)
Pathogens and nutrients entering
the river have been reduced
through a progressive upgrade
to this facility over the last five
years. Improvement works are
continuing and options are being
investigated by the Adelaide Hills
Council for reuse of treated
effluent in on-site woodlots.
Coastal spinifex
The aim of the ACWS is toscientifically define acceptable and sustainable loads for the quality and quantity of industrial,stormwater and wastewaterdischarges from local catchmentsentering the marine environment.
It will develop knowledge,
options and tools for the future
management of Adelaide’s coastal
waters by identifying causes
of ecosystem modifications and
the actions required to halt or
reverse the degradation.
The study is being undertaken in
three stages. Stage 1, completed
early in 2002, included a literature
review, scoping exercises,
stakeholder consultation and
design of an integrated and
fully costed research program.
In October 2002 CSIRO’s
Environmental Projects Office
was commissioned to manage
the entire study.
Stage 2, comprising six inter-relatedresearch tasks and Stage 3,involving synthesis of the results,are being implemented concurrently.By June 2006, practical andscientifically sound water qualitytargets will be identified.
Adelaide Coastal Waters StudyTogether with other agencies and
catchment boards, the Board is
supporting a study to investigate
processes in Adelaide’s coastal
waters.
The Adelaide Coastal Waters
Study (ACWS) commenced
in 2001 in response to growing
concerns about the decline in
metropolitan coastal water
quality and the loss of large areas
of shallow sub-tidal seagrass.
The study focuses on the area of
Gulf St Vincent from Port Gawler
to Sellicks Beach and extends
approximately 20km offshore.
The Torrens and Patawalonga
Boards have jointly committed
$420,000 for the life of the
ACWS project.
New standardised beach waterquality signage (see page 13)
Student visitors to theMarine Discovery Centreparticipate in their owncoastal study
Discharges into the Port Adelaide RiverUntil recently the two major point discharges into the Port Adelaide River were the Port AdelaideWastewater Treatment Plant and Penrice SodaProducts. The Board has actively worked to supportmoves to halt these discharges. Following StateGovernment approval in April 2000 for SA Water toproceed with a $100m upgrade of the Port AdelaideWastewater Treatment Plant, which was completed by late 2004, all wastewater from the Port Adelaidecatchment is now diverted to Bolivar.
Combined with a reduction of ammonia in Penricedischarges, this has resulted in a 99 percent reduction of nitrogen discharged to the River. As the graph below shows, even with theseimprovements, the bulk of the nutrient discharges to the Barker Inlet and Port Adelaide River come from EPA-licensed premises. Stormwater contributesa very small amount.
25
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
Penri
ce So
da Pro
ducts
Boliva
r WWT
PNe
t from
Sedim
ents
West L
akes
Catch
ments
Atmosp
heric
Groun
dwate
rLo
cal St
ormwa
ter
Nutrient discharges to Port Waterways 2005
Tonn
es/Y
ear
Phosphorus
Nitrogen Note – Bolivar discharge travels north toGulf under some tide/wind conditions
Sour
ce: E
PA P
ort P
rojec
ts Gr
oup
Water Quality StudiesWater quality is strongly influenced by seasonal and inter-annual variability in rainfall. As a result,evaluation of change and improvements in waterquality over time is complex and requires thecomparison of data from long-term data sets.
Before the Board’s establishment there were a few programs monitoring the physical, chemical and microbiological aspects of waterquality. However these were set up for specificpurposes such as water supply operations and did not provide a coordinated or comprehensivedatabase.
The Board’s initial three-year study from February 1996 to February 1999 used a set of 15 sites throughout the catchment to obtain a first snapshot of water quality by monitoring more than 30 different physical, chemical,biological and microbiological parameters.
In its current water quality study (from October 2002 to July 2005) the Board has increased this to a network of more than 30 sites to obtain quarterly data snapshots of water quality and stream health. Never before has such acomprehensive monitoring system been in place in the catchment.
Comparison between the initial study and the first two years of the current study are presentedgraphically opposite for four key variables:
■ Mean macroinvertebrate diversity■ Median faecal coliforms■ Mean zinc concentration, and■ Mean suspended solids.
All show improvement in water quality at most sites.
Aesthetic Water QualityAesthetic quality of water is largely determined by the quantity of suspended solids in the water column. The average suspended solids concentration has decreased at all but three sites. Third and Fourth Creek both show a slight increase, but were still withinthe EPA’s Environment Protection (Water Quality) Policy 2003 requirement for suspendedsolids concentration of 20mg/L or less for protection of aquatic ecosystems.Improvements are a likely result of the Board’s programs of wetland construction, erosion remediation and limiting stock access to watercourses. The reading at GriggsRoad, near Mount Pleasant, was very high in the second study due to one samplecollected as a storm broke where the concentration was measured at 334mg/L.
Orga
nism
s/10
0ml
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
Tapley
s Hill
Road
South
Road
Wind
sor Ga
rdens
Silkes
Road
Popla
r Grov
e
Carne
ll Bou
ndary
Road
Grigg
s Road
First C
reek (
Zoo)
Secon
d Cree
kTh
ird Cr
eekFo
urth C
reek
Fifth
Creek
Water
fall Gu
llySix
th Cre
ek
Kersb
rook C
reek
Median faecal coliforms2002 – 2004
1996 – 1999
mg/
L
0
0.05
0.1
0.15
Tapley
s Hill
Road
South
Road
Wind
sor Ga
rdens
Silkes
Road
Popla
r Grov
e
Carne
ll Bou
ndary
Road
Grigg
s Road
First C
reek (
Zoo)
Secon
d Cree
kTh
ird Cr
eekFo
urth C
reek
Fifth
Creek
Water
fall Gu
llySix
th Cre
ek
Kersb
rook C
reek
Mean zinc concentration2002 – 2004
1996 – 1999
0
15
30
45
Tapley
s Hill
Road
South
Road
Wind
sor Ga
rdens
Silkes
Road
Popla
r Grov
e
Carne
ll Bou
ndary
Road
Grigg
s Road
First C
reek (
Zoo)
Water
fall Gu
llySix
th Cre
ek
Kersb
rook C
reek
Mean macroinvertebrate diversity
Taxa
nom
ic ric
hnes
s
2002 – 2004
1996 – 1999
0
20
40
60
Tapley
s Hill
Road
South
Road
Wind
sor Ga
rdens
Silkes
Road
Popla
r Grov
e
Carne
ll Bou
ndary
Road
Grigg
s Road
First C
reek (
Zoo)
Secon
d Cree
kTh
ird Cr
eekFo
urth C
reek
Fifth
Creek
Water
fall Gu
llySix
th Cre
ek
Kersb
rook C
reek
Mean suspended solids
mg/
L
2002 – 2004
1996 – 1999
MacroinvertebratesAquatic macroinvertebrates are an excellent measure of water quality because they processwater continuously as they obtain their food and shelter from the aquatic habitat. Hencethey are a measure of water quality over the preceding weeks as well as on the day ofsampling. Average (mean) macroinvertebrate diversity (taxonomic richness) has increasedat all but one site using the Australia-wide standard AusRivAS sampling protocol.
Microbiological HealthMicrobiological health is assessed by measuring the number of faecal coliform bacteria in a 100mL sample. Faecal coliforms are an indicator of contamination from the faeces of warm-blooded animals including dogs, sheep, cattle and water birds. While thesecoliforms are not themselves a threat to human health they indicate the potential forparasites harmful to humans. The data indicates improvement (i.e. a decrease in coliforms) in all rural sites and some urban sites. Only two sites, First Creek and Fourth Creek, have median values that exceed the standard for secondary recreational activity (1,000organisms/100mL). These higher readings can likely be traced to fouling by water birds,runoff from a local golf course and/or indiscriminate disposal of dog faeces.
ZincZinc is the most common heavy metal pollutant in urban systems in Australia. Within the Torrens catchment zinc concentrations have fallen markedly at 14 out of the 15 sites.The EPA’s Environment Protection (Water Quality) Policy 2003 states that the maximumzinc concentration for protection of aquatic ecosystems should be less than 0.05mg/L. All but one site, Fourth Creek, fell well below this standard in the second study period.
26
Going Forward
.......
...........Major challenges for the Torrens Catchment still to be met include:
27
> develop efficient and effective monitoring systems to allow water quality improvements to be assessed against a huge range of seasonal variations
> set agreed water quality targets that are realistic and consider impacts on aquatic ecology rather than pure water quality tests
> use the Adelaide Coastal Waters Study water quality guidelines to help ensure sound investment in catchment management
> monitor groundwater quality and extraction, and improve groundwater management across the catchment
> further reduction of nutrient discharges to the Port Adelaide River from EPA licensed premises
Groundwater QualityGroundwater quality varies across
the catchment dependent on the
underlying geology.
Salinity is the limiting factor
for domestic (backyard bores),
industrial and commercial use
across the urban and rural Torrens
catchment. High extraction is
generally concentrated in areas
where groundwater salinity is low
(below 1500 mg/L).
In 2004 the Board, in collaborationwith the Department of Water, Land and Biodiversity Conservation(DWLBC), undertook a groundwaterquality survey in a number ofaquifers across the urban catchment.
The survey indicated that whilegroundwater quality is stableoverall, salinity increases areoccurring in areas of concentrated use.
The Board has been addressing
both groundwater quality and
quantity issues by progressing
ASR investigations in partnership
with catchment councils and
private industry.
Water quality monitoring by the AWQC on Torrens Lake
Holbrooks Weir
Data logging and water samplingequipment at the flow and waterquality station at Holbrooks Weir on the River Torrens at Underdale
Monitoring StationsThe Board operates and maintains
eight flow and water quality
monitoring sites throughout the
catchment. These permanent sites
provide a long-term record of the
quantity and quality of water
flowing throughout the catchment.
Each station takes samples of
water automatically and after
laboratory analysis this allows
the total load of pollutants to be
calculated. Undertaken in the
10 years from 1993 to 2004, this
composite monitoring program
has shown improvements in
water quality primarily in terms
of reduction in the concentration
and load of suspended solids and
heavy metals. The most consistent
change was a reduction in
lead levels.
The injection of relatively fresh
stormwater into aquifers in high
extraction areas will improve
groundwater quality in areas at
highest risk of increasing salinity.
The Board is working
collaboratively with DWLBC
and the EPA to progress the
uptake of ASR across the
Torrens catchment.
Research and DevelopmentThe Board has funded a strong
research and development
program with local universities
focussing on areas such as
innovative stormwater
management, ecotoxicological
assessment, sources of pathogens,
best practice in the automotive
sector, irrigation and turf
management. Two examples
include:� Faecal sterol work with
Flinders University has allowed
pollutant impacts to be
identified by source (e.g.
human, dog, bird and stock
animals). This has greatly
assisted source pollution
control.� Sediment analysis through
the University of Adelaide has
provided invaluable data to
allow watercourse erosion and
land management measures
to be targeted to effectively
reduce nutrient sources within
the rural catchment.
Sustainable Water Resources and Riverine Health
28
Water ConservationWater conservation is promoted
through community water audits
and guidelines for schools and
businesses. For example, the
Board supported a water audit
of the Adelaide Zoo, which led to
the adoption of water conservation
measures throughout day-to-day
operations and incorporation of
water-sensitive designs for major
developments at the Zoo.
Watercourse Priority SettingThe Watercourse Priority Setting
project has delivered innovative
risk assessment procedures
to help ensure community and
agency resources are invested
in works that yield the greatest
sustainable on-ground outcomes.
Barriers to fish movement and
loss of seasonal flows and refuge
pondage are prolific. Historically,
little field data have been available
to determine which species are
most affected.
The Board has worked tirelesslyover the past ten years to raiseawareness of the importance ofsustainable water resources andriverine health, and to implementprojects for their protection.
Black Swans (Cygnus atratus) at St Peters Billabong
Top left: Kangaroo Creek Reservoir
Top right: Eucalyptus porosa (Mallee Box)
Vineyard and dam, Adelaide Hills
Never before has the focus been
so strong on the need to protect
our precious water supplies for
the future. Until now, most people
have taken water for granted.
Groundwater has been pumped
out of wells throughout the rural
and urban parts of the Torrens
catchment without control and
often at unsustainable rates.
Development of public water
supply and associated river
regulation has impacted on the
aquatic ecosystem of our
waterways.
The sustainable future of South Australia is dependent on a sustainablesupply of water – for drinking, irrigation and the environment.
29
Graph 1 shows the natural flow in the River Torrens upstream of Gorge Weir, while graph 2 shows the very reduced volume that flows through the weir to the city and the sea. Water released from Kangaroo Creek Reservoir for diversion to Hope Valley Reservoir is not included.
Only species which can survive
on minimal water flows, or have
a very short life cycle, can survive.
Water quality downstream is also
impacted.
For the first time since the Gorge and Gumeracha Weirs were built, something is being done to addressthe problem. The Board has investigated the impacts ofallowing limited flows over the weirs and is negotiatingwith SA Water to provide ‘water for the environment’.The plan is to allow small amounts of water to flow pastthe weirs year-round, supplemented by two large flowsannually, to allow the re-establishment of the diverseriverine environment that is crucial to the health of our waterways.
Graph 1: Flow upstream of Gorge WeirJuly 2001 – July 2002
Graph 2: Flow downstream of Gorge WeirJuly 2001 – July 2002
Water for the EnvironmentWhen the Gorge Weir was
constructed in 1860 and
the Gumeracha Weir in 1918,
aquatic ecosystems in the Torrens
catchment changed forever.
The weirs stop the vital year-
round natural flow from upper
reache
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