The new reports about the Climbing Galaxias fish being potentially wiped out from its habitat in Sydney due to sediment runoff from a construction site highlights the importance of stormwater management. Stormwater is essentially rainwater runoff from a human-built environment, which is then channelled through a network of pipes to waterways or water bodies. This runoff also carries various pollutants ranging from litter and sediments to heavy metals to result in the deterioration of water quality downstream. The pollution from stormwater runoff also impacts humans. Earlier this summer, the EPA Victoria issued a warning about unsuitable swimming conditions in Port Phillip Bay following stormwater causing poor water quality at almost 40 beaches. As the volume of stormwater is predicted to increase by 110% in the Werribee catchment by 2050, a highly integrated and thorough strategy for management is crucial for our precious waterways.
Read on:
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/feb/11/sydney-climbing-galaxias-fish-extinction-fears
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-12-29/melbourne-bays-poor-water-quality-explainer/103269472