Study Guide Loders Creek and Biggera Creek Catchments MAY 2011 Creek Catchment Study Guide 1 Eastern sedgefrog, Litoria fallax Photo by Narelle Power Loders Creek and Biggera Creek Catchments Study Guide CONTENTS PART A Contents............................................................................................................................................. i Loders Creek and Biggera Creek Catchments ................................................................................. 1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................................... 2 What Is a Catchment? ...................................................................................................................... 3 Gold Coast Catchments.................................................................................................................... 4 The Loders and Biggera Creeks Catchments................................................................................... 6 Catchment History ...................................................................................................................................... 7 Loders Creek Catchment......................................................................................................................... 11 loders creek catchment association................................................................................................ 13 Restoring the Catchment......................................................................................................................... 13 Nature Trail ................................................................................................................................................ 13 Catchment overview ....................................................................................................................... 14 Biggera Creek............................................................................................................................................ 14 Loders Creek ............................................................................................................................................. 16 Broadwater................................................................................................................................................. 18 Additional fact sheet and information also available from the Griffith Centre for Coastal Management: http://www.griffith.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/322871/Dunes-of-the-Gold- Coast.pdf......................................................................................................................................... 18 Local Flora and Fauna .................................................................................................................... 19 Flora............................................................................................................................................................ 19 Fauna.......................................................................................................................................................... 28 Wetlands .................................................................................................................................................... 29 Wetlands .................................................................................................................................................... 30 Impacts on Catchment Health and Water Quality........................................................................... 31 Urbanisation and Waterway Modification.............................................................................................. 31 Catchment Management ......................................................................................................................... 32 catchment monitoringcatchment monitoring ................................................................................... 33 catchment monitoring...................................................................................................................... 34 Water Quality Monitoring ......................................................................................................................... 34 Water Quality Parameters ....................................................................................................................... 37 Macroinvertebrates................................................................................................................................... 40 Riparian Condition and Habitat............................................................................................................... 43 Riparian Vegetation.................................................................................................................................. 44 Field Survey sites...................................................................................................................................... 45 Data Collection Sheets ................................................................................................................... 47 Habitat Assessment Sheet* .................................................................................................................... 48 Loders Creek and Biggera Creek Catchments Study Guide i Circle your stream’s rating for each factor in the table below. ........................................................ 49 Add up all the numbers you circled for a total score ........................................................................... 49 *This data collection sheet has been adapted from the AUSRIVAS ‘Habitat Assessment Field Sheet’ (AUSRIVAS, 2004)....................................................................................................................... 49 Water Quality Data Sheet........................................................................................................................ 50 Water Sample Collection Spot Overview .............................................................................................. 51 Further resources............................................................................................................................ 59 Books.......................................................................................................................................................... 59 Information and Fact Sheets................................................................................................................... 59 Maps Detailing Land Use within Loders and Biggera Creeks Catchments ..................................... 60 Useful Websites ........................................................................................................................................ 63 Gold Coast City Council Website: www.goldcoast.qld.gov.au ..................................................... 63 Gold Coast Waterwatch Website: www.goldcoastwaterwatch.org .............................................. 63 Australian Water Education Toolkit Website: www.environment.gov.au/water/education/index.html.................................................................... 63 Waterwatch Queensland Website: www.qld.waterwatch.org.au .................................................. 63 Queensland Water Quality Guidelines 2009 Website: www.epa.qld.gov.au/publications?id=1414 ........................................................................................................................................................ 63 Murray Darling Freshwater Research Centre Website: www.mdfrc.org.au/bugguide/display.asp?type=1&class=19........................................................... 63 Lesson Plans .................................................................................................................................. 64 Introduction to Activities .................................................................................................................. 65 The Early Years .............................................................................................................................. 66 Early Years Activities ...................................................................................................................... 66 Early Years Activities ...................................................................................................................... 67 Activity 1 - Catchment Play ..................................................................................................................... 67 Activity 2 - Cotton Ball Clouds ................................................................................................................ 69 Activity 3 - As Time Goes By .................................................................................................................. 71 As Time Goes By Worksheet.................................................................................................................. 74 Activity 4 - Catchment Inhabitants.......................................................................................................... 75 Catchment Inhabitants Worksheet......................................................................................................... 77 Catchment Inhabitants - Teachers Cheat Sheet.................................................................................