Management Target:
Water quality and salinity levels meeting ANZECC* criteria for greater than 95% of the time at key town use sites by 2015

*Australian and New Zealand Environment and Conservation Council Guidelines for Fresh and Marine Water Quality - It provides a framework for water resource management, and states specific water quality guidelines for each environmental value and the context within which they should be applied.

Point Source and Diffuse Source Pollution (chemicals, nutrients, sediment, etc.)

This Management Target is designed to minimise pollution sources entering waterways. Projects designed to reduce sediment, nutrients and chemicals entering water bodies or drainage areas are desired.

Blue-Green Algae

Blue-green algae is recognised as naturally occurring in Western Catchment waters. Blue-green algae blooms impact on the aquatic environment and limit the human use of water. Managing weir pools to prevent stratification will help reduce the occurrence of algal blooms for significant lengths of river.

Activities that will help achieve this management target include:

• Native vegetation filter strips in high runoff or drainage zones, including rivers and wetlands
• Storm water management projects.
• Sewage management
• Farm Chemical Users Course
• Sediment control structures

Priority Areas (but not limited to):

• Identification and management of pollution sources (sediment, nutrients, fertiliser, rubbish etc)
• Weir pool management to reduce blue-green algae outbreaks
• Improved fertiliser and chemical management.
• Improved sewage management
• Saline wastewater discharge.