The State of Health of the 1. Ranges Catchments from a water quality perspective

Water in the

The water resources and and improving its water quality We will only achieve long term catchments of the Mount Lofty is fundamental to their welfare. water quality improvements Ranges are critical to the wellbeing The Government of South with a coordinated approach. of the people of and the is improving water Funds will be used to: future development of South quality in the Mount Lofty Australia. •accelerate sewering of major Ranges watershed. towns The ranges have higher Programmes worth over $28 • fence our rivers and streams rainfall and richer soils than million are already under way, other areas of , and more funds will be spent •conduct more comprehensive so are ideal for agriculture and over the next five years to and targeted water quality intensive horticulture. The improve and accelerate these monitoring programmes picturesque area has a mild programmes. •manage compliance with climate, and attracts visitors and legislation and codes of tourists as well as people to live The five-year programme aims practice and work in its towns. The to improve water quality and quality of the water resource is reduce the risk of contamination •make people more aware of also vitally important to the within a critical watershed area how their activities can impact complex variety of natural used for many purposes. on water quality. ecosystems that are found across First the landscape of the Mount Creek at Waterfall Lofty Ranges. Gully The catchments of the ranges (EPA). are also used for harvesting drinking water. The large storage reservoirs in the Mount Lofty Ranges collect the rainfall and supply Adelaide with drinking water. This drinking water must be safe. Most South Australians rely on water from the Mount Lofty Ranges watershed, so protecting Major catchments in the Major Mt Lofty Ranges Catchments Mount Lofty Ranges Mt Lofty Ranges Watershed

Wider Mt Lofty Ranges Catchments Area

Rivers and Streams

Light

Kapunda

Tanunda

Gawler Gawler Marne Williamstown Gulf St Vincent Mt Pleasant Torrens

Adelaide Stirling River Murray Mt Barker Onkaparinga Bremer-Barker Murray Bridge

Angas Finniss

Myponga Lake Alexandrina Hindmarsh Victor Harbor

Currency Creek D AN

The Mount Lofty Ranges Watershed, highlighted in green, spans from just below Williamstown in the north, down past Myponga in the south. The Challenges Major Programmes The State Water Monitoring Unfortunately, agriculture, tourism The five Catchment Water Coordinating Committee is and rural living demands on the Management Boards have a strong developing an integrated catchment can affect water quality. focus on on-ground works such as: approach to monitoring, and It is a difficult challenge to using landuse mapping, rainfall •fencing off streams, removing maintain a quality water supply. and topography data, and other woody weeds and revegetating information to identify risk Contamination from animal stream banks areas in the watershed, which wastes and leaking septic tanks • rehabilitating erosion sites are then targeted with can cause significant water monitoring programmes. quality problems. •establishing community-based ‘Our Patch’ sites as a focus for Soil Conservation Boards are The water-borne parasites education, clean-ups, presenting small farm Cryptosporidium and Giardia revegetation and waterway management training courses. (which can cause serious ‘gastro’ restoration. or gastrointestinal illness), and These, along with many mild pesticide contamination of The Mount Lofty Ranges other programmes already some water supplies, have been Catchment Programme and under way and to come, will all detected recently and show that Landcare groups, with funding benefit from the additional we need to be vigilant in from the Natural Heritage Trust funds the Government of protecting our water supply Fund, are revegetating and South Australia has committed catchments. fencing many areas throughout over the next five years. the ranges. The accumulation of pesticides and chemical pollutants within the water system are complex to monitor and trace, and can be very difficult and expensive to manage where they become a problem. Nutrients from urban storm water and rural industry sources can run off into rivers and streams and enter water supply reservoirs where they encourage algal blooms to develop.

Revegetation of a stream in the Piccadilly Valley (EPA).

AT CANONLY ME D TH AN IM PROV ED WATER QUALITY IN .. THE M ES. OUNT LOFTY RANG View of different landuse practices at Piccadilly.

The Mount Lofty The Office will be working in • local Government agencies, Ranges Watershed close collaboration with the other State Government Protection Office many groups involved in agencies, including the managing different aspects of Department for Environment The Government recognises that the Mount Lofty Ranges, and Heritage, SA Water, there are issues associated with including: Primary Industry and multi-use catchments upon which Resources SA, Planning SA, we depend for our water supply. • five catchment water Transport SA and the Having taken stock, the management boards (Torrens, Department for Water Government will implement a Patawalonga, Onkaparinga, Resources $40 million programme covering a River Murray, and Northern range of measures aimed at Adelaide and Barossa) • and, of course, thousands of improving water quality in the • Mount Lofty Ranges landholders. Mount Lofty Ranges. Catchment Programme Integrated catchment The Environment Protection • four soil boards (Central Hills, management schemes are Agency will have responsibility Northern Hills, Southern Hills making improvements on a for ensuring that the and Murray Plains) large scale through natural resource management support, programmes are delivered. • seven councils (Barossa, technical advice, education for Responsibility for water Playford, Tea Tree Gully, local action planning groups, quality matters in the watershed Onkaparinga, Mount Barker, and on-ground land and will be coordinated through the &Alexandrina) watercourse management Mount Lofty Ranges Watershed • approximately 67 Landcare projects. Protection Office. groups

Contact the Mount Lofty Ranges Watershed Protection Office at: Telephone 1300 134 810 Suite 2, 85 , Stirling, South Australia 5152 Check out the EPA website: www.environment.sa.gov.au/epa/water