The environmental health of the passage is monitored regularly, and a major report on how it is coping with human activity is published annually. The Ecosystem Health Monitoring Program uses the expertise of universities, the CSIRO, State Government departments, and the South East Queensland Healthy Waterways Partnership to evaluate each catchment and waterway.
Report Card: “B”, what does it mean?
The report cards for Pumicestone Passage have noted fluctuating conditions since they began in 2002: the passage scored a “B” in 2006, meaning the overall ecosystem is considered to be “good”, an improvement on the “C+” result of the previous year.
Jim Pulsford of the Pumicestone Region Catchment Coordination Association (PRCCA) cautions against using averages to describe the passage.
“It isn’t just one spot, it’s a series of areas. The water quality is poorer in Deception Bay to the south and there’s an overall northerly flow into and through the passage. The northern reaches also experiencea southerly tidal flow from Caloundra to the skids in the centre of the passage.”
Silt from soil erosion
“Silt from soil erosion is a problem: the southern end is stable but the northern end silts up,” Mr Pulsford said.
Its movement on tides damages mangroves, sandy beaches and seagrass beds. The build-up of silt has been considerable since white settlement. In the late 1800s a paddle steamer plied the passage, unimaginable in today’s shallow waters.
Oysters were so plentiful in the early 1900s they were dredged for their shells and used in cement making. Indeed Ningi Creek, flowing into the southern end of the passage, is named after the local Aboriginal word for oyster.
Oysters are now only farmed in small numbers in the southern passage. Concerns about water quality, especially elevated faecal coliform levels after rain, mean oyster farmers delay harvest after falls of 50 millimetres or more.
What changes have you seen?
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