Background

ACT Waterwatch and the Cooperative Research Centre for Freshwater Ecology (CRCFE) developed a community monitoring network to monitor the ecological affects of the January 18^th bushfires on our waterways. The network is affectionately known as C.A.M.P.F.I.R.E: Community Assessment Monitoring Program for Impacted River Ecology.

The Molonglo Catchment Group, whilst not directly affected by the January firestorm, is playing an important role in supporting groups within our catchment area (Royalla Landcare and the Friends of Googong Park Care Group) that are providing important 'control' data.

The program is attempting to discover:

• How urban and rural streams have been affected by fire in their catchments?

• How long it takes streams to recover from such impacts?

• What are the implications for stream ecology? and

• What are the implications for human uses?

Community teams monitor pH, EC, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, ortho-phosphate, and macro-invertebrates. Waterwatch ACT facilitates training and the Southern ACT Catchment Group (SACTCG) facilitates data collection through their website and all the necessary equipment through an EnviroFund grant. At present volunteers have devoted over 700 hours to the monitoring strategy, established 35 monitoring sites utilising components of the 10 Waterwatch kits provided by SACTCG.

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Last modified: 29/11/2008