Field day at Patonga Creek

The Community Environment Network held a field day assessing water quality at Patonga Creek on May 2.

The field day was part of the network's Waterwatch Project and Community Seagrass Monitoring Project.

The day provided participants with the opportunity to become familiar with their local waterway and the methods involved in assessing water quality

Project officer Ms Debbi Venter said water quality tests gave information about the health of a waterway and through consistent water quality testing, changes over time could be monitored at a specific site.

"Good water quality is essential for the survival of fauna and flora species as declining water quality is one of our major threats affecting ecosystem health and loss of significant species," Ms Venter said.

"Continuous monitoring of our water quality will ensure that we maintain long-term sustainability of our catchment areas.

"Ecological significances of seagrasses include their ability to trap and stabilise sediments; provide nursery areas for juvenile fish.

"They play an essential role in healthy fish stock.

Seagrass also encourage larvae settlement, provide protection from predation, assist in nutrient cycling and transfer energy into the food web.

"A variety of water quality parameters also regulate seagrass distribution and growth."

Ms Venter said the field day was a great opportunity for community members to discover which species of seagrass occur in Patonga Creek and why their presence is important in maintaining and creating a healthy ecosystem.

The Seagrass Monitoring project is funded by the Federal Government's Envirofund and Waterwatch by the Gosford-Wyong Council's Joint Water Authority.

Press release, 14 Apr 2009, Debbi Venter, Community Environment Network