Impacts of different land uses on local catchments

Welcome to a virtual site that focuses on the impact that land uses have on the local catchments of Lismore, Northern NSW

Specifically focusing on the local catchment and Water Management .

Aims to gather data on water quality using samples from a number of sites in the catchment areas to enable assessment of the impacts of different land uses (forests, agriculture, urbanisation) on water quality. Students would have learned about catchment processes and other background knowledge in preparation for these activities.

Acknowledgement of Country

Jingela (Hello), Jingi Walla (Welcome) Jarjums (Children)

We would like to acknowledge the Bundjalung Nation, part of the First Peoples of this land, who looked after this beautiful country in a sustainable way for at least 65000-80000 years. They kept the waters and air pristine, they didn’t chop down trees or drag tonnes of minerals from the land. They demonstrated a custodial role towards all the flora and fauna species around them and that in itself deserves our respect.

I acknowledge that the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were the first Australian Scientists, Engineers, Mathematicians, Educators, Bakers, Agriculturalists, Chemists and Doctors. They were Australia’s first Fathers, Mothers, Sisters and Brothers.

I acknowledge Elders past, present and future and emerging.

NB: There is only coastal evidence of occupation for 6,000 years in this area due to the rise in sea level. Earlier evidence of Aboriginal settlement is now under the ocean near the edge of the current continental shelf.

The Lismore Catchment.

Aquatic Ecology Assessment, Proposed Dunoon Dam, Prepared for Rous Water, 9 November 2012

Rocky Creek drains the Nightcap Range and is a sub-catchment of the Wilsons River, one of the main arms of the Richmond River. Rocky Creek forms part of the Terania Creek sub-catchment that drains to Leycester Creek, Wilsons River and the Richmond River, entering the Pacific Ocean at Ballina. The system is influenced by tidal movements (but not the salt wedge) up to a point 20 km downstream of the Rocky Creek and Terania Creek confluence (DIPNR 2004) although the water in Terania Creek is entirely fresh.

Flows in Rocky Creek have been altered due to the construction of Rocky Creek Dam in the 1940s. The section of creek downstream of Rocky Creek Dam to the confluence with Terania Creek (approximately 17.5 km) has formed a naturalised environment and ecology downstream.

The Terania Creek sub-catchment (which includes Rocky Creek) was identified as being of high conservation value by NPWS and NSW Fisheries due to the presence of significant aquatic fauna and/or flora, and significant native fish species or habitat (NSW DLWC 1998).

Catchment Map

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