Saltwater Creek, Gold Coast
OzFish is working with the local Gold Coast community to improve the water quality, fish habitat, overall health and amenity of Saltwater Creek.
2 tonnes of waste
to be removed
3ha of streambank
to be restored
1 barrier to fish passage
to be removed
This project is funded by the Australian Government’s Urban Rivers and Catchments Program, which aims to improve the health of urban waterways for native plants, animals and local communities.
An urban catchment under pressure from the effects of development
Saltwater Creek is an urban catchment in the Gold Coast region that is suffering from decreased water quality, degraded riparian vegetation and barriers to fish movement and decreased habitat.
Alongside our partners at Gold Coast City Council, this project will address waste issues in the creek through community clean-ups and improvements to stormwater systems, help restore riparian zones through weed control and revegetation and improve a significant barrier to fish passage.
Urban rivers and catchments are a vital part of Australia’s ecosystem, serving as habitat to almost half of our nationally listed threatened animals and a quarter of our threatened plants. They function as important green and blue spaces in urbanised areas, having high community, social and first nations values. With the support of recreational fishers and local communities, these waterways can be revitalised and protected against the impacts of urbanisation, and we can secure a future for the aquatic environments that we love. Healthy environments result in healthy fish stocks which result in better fishing
Restoring urban waterways like Saltwater Creek on the Gold Coast is crucial for rebuilding fish productivity. It also supports aquatic biodiversity, flood mitigation, climate resilience, and community well-being, fostering a harmonious relationship between city life and nature.
Waste Removal
Being surrounded by residential and industrial development, urban catchments often collect large amounts of inorganic waste. Saltwater Creek is no exception, which is why we are calling on volunteers from our local chapters and the wider community to help us clean it up. Litter present within Saltwater Creek eventually washes downstream into the Gold Coast Broadwater and greater Moreton Bay catchment, which is an internationally recognised Ramsar Wetland.
Alongside a number of community clean-up events, OzFish Gold Coast Chapter is working closely with the City of Gold Coast to develop improvements to the stormwater infrastructure draining into the creek. Through this trail we are aiming to prevent litter in Saltwater Creek from travelling further into the system and doing more damage to water quality and harming fish and other aquatic life.
Revegetation and Weed Control
Urban development has resulted in the clearance and fragmentation of riparian vegetation along Saltwater Creek’s banks, reducing water quality and bank stabilisation. Recognising this opportunity to restore these critical areas, OzFish plans to eradicate weeds and facilitate community planting days. During these events, local volunteers will don gloves and contribute to the restoration of native vegetation, vital for filtering pollutants and excess nutrients, stabilising riverbanks, providing shade and supporting the aquatic food chain.
Barriers to fish passage
Fish barriers are structures like causeways, weirs and pipes that can prevent fish from migrating to other environments. Barriers can cause interruptions to seasonal migrations and spawning, make fish more vulnerable to predation, reduce recruitment and restrict their access to more suitable habitat and food resources. Saltwater Creek has a number of significant barriers to fish passage. Our initiative aims to remove or modify at least one of these major barriers, enhancing fish migration throughout the creek. This project promises not only happier and more abundant fish populations but also improved fishing prospects across the broader Moreton Bay region.
LATEST NEWS ON SALTWATER CREEK
AUGUST 15 2024 | Gold Coast Fishos Shape Up Saltwater Creek with over 1853 kg of litter removed
As the urban areas around our local waterways continue to grow, so does the amount of litter produced. Every plastic bottle, takeaway container, and food wrapper cast out onto the street, ends up in our creeks, rivers, oceans – and your local fishing spots. There’s nothing worse than getting out on the water for some fresh air and a fish only to find our waterways overrun by rubbish. Not only does that collection of litter detract from the in
JUNE 18 2024 | Relieving urban pressures at Saltwater Creek, Gold Coast
OzFish Unlimited is commencing work on a restoration project with the assistance of the Council of the City of Gold Coast, to improve fish habitat and overall health of Saltwater Creek. Funded by the Australian Government’s Urban Rivers and Catchments program, OzFish will be working alongside local volunteers and community groups to relieve the increasing pressures of urban development. The project will see OzFish tackle the impact of litter through community clean-ups and improvements to stormwater
