North East
Waterwatch Newsletter
July 2013
Inside this issue
Introduction
Welcome to the 2013 Winter Edition of the Waterwatch newsletter
Despite all the changes thus far for 2013 we are travelling really well with over 50
sites being monitored regularly and over 60 active volunteers. In May we
celebrated National Volunteer Week—a celebration of our volunteers that make a
valuable contribution by offering their time, skills and passion. So thank you to all
our dedicated volunteers who give up their time to participate in the Waterwatch
program. The Waterwatch program is a highly recognised and appreciated
program within the CMA and contributes more broadly to a national program. The
data you are collecting is really valuable and is helping to build a picture of
waterway health in our region. Despite our limited resources we will endeavour to
support the monitoring program over the next 12 months in the best way possible.
Should you have any issues with your monitoring please do not hesitate to contact
me and I will do my best to help you out.
QA/QC week will take place again in September this year. Given our current
staffing situation for the program this year I feel it might work best if I send the
samples out to you in the post rather than hold a training day. That way you can
conduct the testing in your own home and send the results back when you have
completed them. Just a reminder that QA/QC week is an important annual event
as it not only ensures your equipment is up to date and but gives you a chance to
brush up on your monitoring skills.
Finally, we will be celebrating 20 years of Waterwatch this year. This is a
wonderful milestone for the program and as part of the celebrations we will be
holding events in our region. So ‘watch this space’ for your invitation to help us
celebrate.
In the meantime, keep up the great work !
Big THANK YOU to our equipment sponsors
The NECMA Waterwatch program would like to thank the following organisations
for their generous sponsorship of Waterwatch equipment for our volunteers:
……………..1
Regional Catchment Strategy……………2
Farewells /Welcomes
……………2
QA/QC Announcement
…………...3
Contact Information
……….…...4
Important Dates
1st—14th of September - QA/QC testing
period
15th of September— QA/QC data sheets to
be returned
26th October - My Backyard Rules,
Wangaratta
2oth —26th October - National Water Week
Waterwatch Farewells/Welcomes
Did you know?
1. Over 1.5 billion people do not have access to
clean safe water. Almost 4 million
people die a year from water related diseases.
2. The ocean plays a huge role in regulating the temperature and climate of our planet. Even slight
changes in temperature and currents of the sea can
have drastic impacts on our water, as can be seen by
the effect of El Nino.
This month we say goodbye to one of our dedicated volunteers
Robin Mc Donald. Robin is part of the Mudgegonga Landcare
group and has been monitoring 2 sites along the Happy Valley
Creek for over 5 years now. We would like to thank Robin for all
her hard work and dedication to monitoring—the data collected
will be used in assessing the health of our waterways in this
region.
In Robin’s replacement we welcome Leisa Morrison from
Rosewhite. We were very fortunate to have Leisa ‘hit the ground
running’ and continue monitoring those sites. We welcome Leisa
to the team of Waterwatch volunteers.
Annual Water Quality Site Data Reports
For those volunteers monitoring regularly you have the
opportunity to receive your latest 2013 water quality data report
for your site. So can I please ask if are interested in a report
please contact me and I will create a report for your site.
Alternatively you can access the database at anytime and see
how your data compares to that of other regions. For those
who don’t regularly monitor and would like further information
on a site all reports can be downloaded on the North East CMA
website at: www.necma.vic.gov.au
A Regional Catchment Strategy is the primary integrated planning framework for land, water and biodiversity
management in each of the 10 catchment regions of Victoria. The North East Regional Catchment Strategy provides a
vision for the future landscapes of the North East region and the management of its natural resources. The Strategy is
designed to encourage and support the participation of landholders, resource managers and other members of the
community. It includes processes that can be used to assess the coordination of land, water and biodiversity and
recognises that the use and protection of these natural resources provides multiple benefits for the community.
As part of the public consultation process the North East CMA will be holding ‘Catchment Conversations’ in our region.
This is an opportunity for local people and/or partner organisations to provide the North East CMA with their
perspective on the North East Catchment. I encourage all of you to join us for one of these sessions—so please look out
for your invitation arriving soon. The Catchment Conversations will take place within the next month and details will be
sent out when finalised. In the meantime refer to the website for more information at NECMA - Have your say
QA/QC (Quality Assurance/Quality Control) Announcement
Yes its that time again…...QA/QC (Quality Assurance/Quality Control) will be facilitated differently this year. In
replacement to our normal training sessions held in regional areas volunteers will be individually provided with their
QA/QC samples to conduct tests in the convenience of their home during September. Only phys/chemical testing will be
conducted this year, no macros. QA/QC week will be held from the 1st - 14th of September 2013. All samples will be sent
out to monitors in the post at the start of September and all testing needs to take place that week. The data sheets will
then need to be sent back to me at the North East CMA.
Result sheets are required by COB Wednesday 18th of September. Please send/email to:
carolyn.humby@necma.vic.gov.au or PO Box 616 Wodonga VIC 3689
What is QA/QC?
QA/QC has been held annually since Waterwatch was first
established in the North East in 1999. It is an opportunity for
monitors and Waterwatch staff to assess solutions with
un-known concentrations in order to test their skills and
equipment accuracy. QA/QC is crucial to the Waterwatch
monitoring program as data quality and confidence is vital if
Waterwatch data is to be used for reporting, decision making or
action. QA/QC is a Waterwatch state requirement to
ensure data accuracy.
Further information and instructions will be made available
closer to the date.
Waterwatch Data Management System
It is great to see so many people using the
database now to enter all that important
water quality information. The following
points will ensure that the data is lodged
successfully and available for all:
•
Once you have finished entering your data
and clicked the Lodge All button you
should see this screen. (right) → If you are
unsure if your data has gone through to
the Waterwatch coordinator click on your
MY SITES tab and check the status of
your data entry. It should be listed as
“Pending Approval”. If the status is listed
as “New” you will need to go back in to
the entry and lodge it again.
“ Close to 600 volunteers collect monthly
water quality data from across 1500
monitoring sites throughout Victoria.”
North East Waterwatch Sites for 2012-2013
To access Waterwatch data for any of the sites below please visit www.vic.waterwatch.org.au
If you would like to unsubscribe from this newsletter please contact Carolyn Humby on the details below.
The North East Catchment Management Authorities Waterwatch Program is funded by:
Australian and Victorian Governments.
Staffing arrangements for the North East Waterwatch Team
Contact: Carolyn Humby
North East Catchment Management Authority
PO Box 616 Wodonga 3690
Carolyn.humby@necma.vic.gov.au
Ph: 0260 437636 M; 0417655064