Communities caring for catchments
Module 2 - getting started: the team, monitoring plan and site
Waterwatch Australia Steering Committee
Environment Australia, December 2002
ISBN 0 6425 4856 0
To get useful information, it is very important to choose your sites well. The choice of sites will depend on whether you are sampling lakes, rivers or estuaries, what you want to know and what indicators you're measuring. For example, if you want to establish baseline information on the waterbody's overall health, sampling stations should be located at sites that represent the variety of conditions in the catchment. On the other hand, if you want to measure the effect of discharge from a drain, sites should be chosen upstream and downstream of the drain to isolate its effect.
Ideally, you should do an on-ground survey of your catchment at this stage in your project, to cross-check the accuracy of any information already gathered by your group and to get an overall picture of the land that is drained by your stream or waterbody.
When conducting an on-ground survey, Waterwatch participants regularly walk, drive and/or canoe along a chosen part of the catchment, observing the condition of the water and land and how it is changing over time. These observations are recorded on maps and on On-ground catchment survey sheets.
For your group's own survey, first choose the largest areas you feel comfortable assessing and make sure they have easy, safe and legal access. The areas should have clear boundaries that can be marked or found on road maps or topographic maps. This will help future Waterwatch members continue the survey in later years and help the Waterwatch coordinator easily locate any problems you identify.
Describe or draw the significant features of each area and waterbody and its surroundings.
Aim to survey the areas at least twice a year, preferably when water levels are generally high (early spring) and when water levels are generally low (late summer). Always have at least two people on each on-ground survey, for safety and efficiency.
When surveying, it is helpful to have a large-scale map of the area, a spare map you can make notes on, information about potential problem spots, and copies of the On-ground catchment survey sheets.
Become aware of the hills, valleys and flat terrain. Does any of this area periodically flood?
Notice how heavy rainfall is controlled. Are portions of the stream running through concrete channels? Is it dammed, diverted or straightened? Where the road crosses the stream, is there evidence of erosion and contamination beneath bridges? Does road runoff directly enter the stream?
Notice the various land uses, and consider how they may affect the health of the waterways and waterbodies:
Fill in your field survey sheets.
Later, describe your survey to your group. If several areas have been surveyed, you will be able to build up quite a large picture of your catchment. Record your findings, both positive and negative, on a catchment base map; label and date any photos so they can be used for comparison on the next survey; and file the completed field survey sheets for future reference.
Finally, select the site(s) you will monitor.
General guidelines for selecting a site are:
So that all the data collected from waterwatchers around the State and Territory can be available to other waterwatchers, you are invited to fill-in a Site Registration Form and return it to your Waterwatch Coordinator. This form is a summary of all site details for the catchment and should be kept up-to-date. Include all the sites for the catchment or sub-catchment. This data will be added to State and national databases for Waterwatch Australia and it is hoped that it will assist in decision making at all levels within our society.