Contact: streamwatch@greatersydneylandcare.org .The program has been running at Lawson Creek since 2003 and at North Lawson since 2008, usually on the third Sunday of the month. The current convenor is Peter Ardill. Testing is conducted at Lawson Creek, usually during a bushcare session, and in an unnamed tributary in north Lawson.

New volunteers and visitors are welcome, but all participants must be aged 18 or over. Sorry, no children or young people may attend, due to insurance obligations.

Lawson StreamWatch undertakes two forms of aquatic testing.

1. Oxygen and phosphate levels, salt levels, acidity/alkalinity and turbidity (water clearness) are tested every month, as good quality stream water is essential, if aquatic life and diversity are to thrive. Generally the results for all sites are quite good but we have had problems with excessive sediment flows in Lawson Creek, leading to high turbidity. High concentrations of iron oxide in the tested stream at north Lawson, upstream of Fairy Falls, are also a concern, as the iron oxide reduces oxygen levels in the water.

2. Macroinvertebrates (bugs with no backbone, including aquatic insects, worms, snails and crustaceans) are sampled and counted once each year. The more the better. Our results usually fall into the “Fair-Very Good” range, but “Poor” has also been recorded.

As mentioned, Lawson Streamwatch is auspiced by Greater Sydney Landcare Network  and Blue Mountains City Council. They provide equipment, annual training, professional advice and general support. All data collection techniques are quality controlled and data is recorded on a central StreamWatch website.

In 2010 – 2011 Lawson Streamwatch participated in a stygofauna (groundwater dwelling crustaceans, worms, insects) monitoring program, in conjunction with BMCC and Macquarie University. Lawson swamp, a section of Lawson Creek, recorded good levels of stygofauna activity and taxa diversity (See Archives/Stygofauna Monitoring Project Report 2011, Extract).

Click on an image to view a range of our StreamWatch activities.

Bushcare and Streamwatch are highly complementary activities. Bushcare and its associated vegetation enhancement work improves water quality and bug life by stabilising the catchment and riparian corridor soils, and by helping to create stream habitat via the deposition of woody debris. The monthly Streamwatch results can indicate if there are major adverse issues in a catchment, such as excessive land clearing, gross pollution and stormwater flow treatment and management deficiencies.

To see Streamwatch in action, have a look at our film ‘Bushcare Blue Mountains: South Lawson Park’. Water quality testing and macroinvertebrate sampling are demonstrated. Go to https://vimeo.com/198653820