Waterway care

Healthy catchments are the first step in ensuring a high quality water supply for our region. We all need to do our part to ensure we keep our waterways healthy. Be respectful of the natural areas you are visiting, considerate of other visitors and remember you may be recreating in a lake that supplies our drinking water. 

How you can help protect our drinking water supply

  • Leave the facilities as you found them. Do not cause damage to any property, wildlife or plants
  • Place litter in the bins provided
  • Leave your pets at home or if permitted, keep them within the designated areas - dogs and other domestic animals can disturb the wildlife that live in our natural areas. 

Aquatic weeds

Serious aquatic weeds like Water Hyacinth, Salvinia and Cabomba are very invasive and able to reproduce from even the smallest of fragments or seeds. Weeds affect the local ecology and water quality and adversely affect bushland, wetlands, waterways and lakes. We can all help to protect our waterways from these damaging weeds.

What can you do to help?

  • Remove all visible mud and plants from your equipment, boats, trailers, boots, crab pots etc before leaving our lakes
  • Eliminate water from all equipment before transporting it anywhere, as the water may contain plant fragments or seeds
  • Clean and dry anything that came into contact with the water
  • Clean boats, motors, trailers, floats, anchors etc before leaving. If possible allow the equipment to dry for about five days before entering new waters
  • Don't release or put plants, fish or other animals into a body of water they did not come from. This is an important step to prevent the spread of introduced species of plants and animals into our waterways.

Common weeds

Water Hyacynth

A floating, aquatic weed with attractive light purple flowers. Water hyacinth is capable of reproducing very rapidly through either runners or stolons and can form dense mats where these plants have been introduced.

Salvinia

Dense infestations restrict navigation and water access. Can deoxygenate water, resulting in the death of fish and other aquatic life. Light penetration and pH levels are reduced. Stranded animals may drown.

Cabomba

An aggressive invader of freshwater systems, particularly if they are nutrient rich. It is a fully submerged aquatic plant that competes with native freshwater plants. It can impede aquatic recreational activities and drowning is a risk for entangled swimmers.

Blue green algae and recreation

Play it safe when visiting any of our lakes. Be aware of blue-green algae levels at our lakes, and the health risks associated with swimming, boating or fishing when algae levels are high.

Blue-green algae poses health risks to people who swim, boat and fish at Seqwater storage lakes.

Cyanobacteria (commonly known as blue-green algae) are naturally occurring bacteria that live in lakes and waterways.

Most of the time algae exist in low numbers. Although under certain conditions algae can grow rapidly, called an algal bloom, and sometimes produce toxins that can harm your health if you swim, boat or fish in algae-affected lakes. Potential health hazards are related to the way people are exposed to blue-green algae toxins, including:

  • swallowing water when swimming, water-skiing or tubing
  • breathing in water droplets and spray during jet-skiing or power boating
  • water coming into contact with the skin, including sensitive areas such as the ears, eyes, mouth, and nose
  • eating fish and other food caught in algae-affected lakes.
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