Citizen scientists return to Nambucca catchment for Macro Muster

FOR the third year running, Nambucca Valley Council has participated in the Macro Muster – the longest running citizen scientist project.

On Friday 22 May, Council staff joined North Coast Local Land Services and OzGreen representatives in pulling on their waders and taking up nets to hunt for macroinvertebrates (water bugs).

They collected samples from sites across the Nambucca, Taylors Arm, Bellingen, and Kalang River catchments.

Nambucca Valley Council General Manager Bede Spannagle said initial results are positive.

“While scientists from the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water are still analysing the water bugs found, and their numbers, Council’s Environmental Project Officer said he believes the local catch shows sites in the upper Nambucca River catchment are in good health,” Mr Spannagle said.

“As sample sites got lower down in the catchment, near Bowraville, sensitive bugs were caught, which is great, however they were not found to be in high numbers.

“This suggests the lower catchment areas still have good water quality, however its habitat for water bugs could be improved by having additional edge vegetation and more woody debris.”

Rain over the past fortnight has caused water levels to rise in the Bellinger, Kalang and Nambucca River catchments, so school students and volunteers who had registered were unable to participate in Macro Muster 10 on 21-22 May.

However, many local children and volunteers still joined the macroinvertebrate count held at Bellingen Showground on Friday night.

“Children helped to find macroinvertebrates inside the sample buckets and then placed them in ice-cube trays for identification and counting,” Council’s Environmental Project Officer Keegan Noble said.

“For me, it was excellent to see that a lot of the upper catchment area in the Nambucca River had a vast array of macroinvertebrates and other creatures.

“In these areas, the creek banks have quality riparian zones, which creates good stabilisation and minimal erosion, keeping the water quality and bug habitat in excellent health.”

Council’s sponsorship of OzGreen’s Macro Muster 10 was funded from the Environmental Levy and helped to achieve goals in the Nambucca Coastline and Estuaries Coastal Management Program, which can be found on Council’s website.

Local volunteer organisation Nambucca Riverwatch, has participated in Macro Musters over many years but also missed out this time due to the rain.

The organisation continues to regularly test water quality at specific sample sites across the Nambucca River catchment.