Creeks, rivers, beaches and bays play a fundamental role in the lives of South East Queensland (SEQ) residents. Healthy Land and Water is committed to understanding the pressures facing our waterways so we can better protect them for future generations.
Since 2000, we have conducted a comprehensive and scientifically robust waterway monitoring program known as the Ecosystem Health Monitoring Program which provides a regional assessment of SEQ's major catchments, river estuaries and Moreton Bay zones.
VIEW THE REPORT CARD ...
Lower Brisbane results
The Lower Brisbane River is a highly modified urbanised catchment with some grazing lands and natural bush/forested areas remaining in the upper parts of the catchment. Riparian vegetation has been cleared from most waterways. Large volumes of stormwater runoff enter the waterways during/after storm events. Population growth is a major pressure on the catchment.
VIEW THE LOWER BRISBANE REPORT ...
The Three Mile Scrub section of Enoggera Creek is considered as part of the Lower Brisbane region. Overall the waterway health of this region is rated as a poor D+.
The key challenges facing the waterways in this regions include:
Clogging of waterways due to sediments flowing from surrounding urban areas
Pollution from urban run off increases nitrogen levels in the waterways coicniding with reduced dissolved oxygen levels in the water.
Overall the extent of freshwater wetlands in the catchment remains poor. The mangroves and saltmarshes which are critical for productive recreational and commercial fisheries remain in fair condition.
Understanding the problems
The challenges our creeks face today are as a result of urban development changing the natural water cycles. Appreciating what these changes involved is the first step in fixing them.
Prior to urban development of the Enoggera Creek catchments, the bulk of the rainfall was returned to the atmosphere by evaporation and transpiration from plants.
By clearing the native vegetation and sealing over the ground surface stromwater runoff was massively increased.
Today water sensitive community action is needed in order to return the water flow cycles to more environmentally friendly patterns and reduce the destructive impacts on our waterways.
