Council regularly monitors our local waterways throughout the Blue Mountains to determine the ecological health and recreational quality of our water. The annual Waterways Health Snapshot reveals the results of this monitoring.
This year, the Snapshot focuses on frogs to convey the importance of our waterways and how their health impacts the delicate biodiversity of our World Heritage area.
Sensitive to their environment, these wonderful creatures are a great indicator of waterway health, helping us to ascertain water quality and what we can do better.
Frogs are often heard more than they seen - the distinctive call of the male frog during the breeding season, particularly after rain, is a memorable sound and the Blue Mountains is home to the unique call of many frog species.
But sadly, frogs are in decline worldwide due to habitat loss, pollution and an amphibian fungus that causes a potentially fatal disease.
"The quality of our water is intrinsic to the overall health of our environment and in ensuring continued biodiversity," Mayor Cr Mark Greenhill said. "That's why it's crucial that we regularly monitor our water keep striving to improve water health for the sake of our frogs and each and every species.
"Our annual Waterways Health Snapshot helps us track our progress and offers ways all our residents can take small but significant steps that can really make a difference to water health."
Steps residents can take to improve water quality:
- Wash your car on the lawn so detergent filters into the ground instead of into the street drain.
- When building, keep soil and sediment bound on site and out of street gutters.
- Capture rain via rainwater tanks to protect frog habitat from stormwater surges in creeks.
- Keep cats indoors - day and night.
- To avoid spreading fungal infection: never move frogs and tadpoles, never touch frogs and disinfect boots before going from one creek/bushwalk to another.
The latest Waterways Health Snapshot reveals that 66% of our waterways are in good to excellent health and 34% are in poor to fair health.
Download a copy of the Waterways Health Snapshot here: bmcc.nsw.gov.au/documents/2023-blue-mountains-waterways-health-snapshot
For more information go to: bmcc.nsw.gov.au/environment/waterways
Photo: Green stream frog.
