Plains Producer, Wednesday February 18, 2009
www.plainsproducer.com.au
NEWS v Balaklava
Wakefield river slowly chokes to death Fish dying as Rocks water quality sours Visitors to the Rocks Reserve east of Balaklava have been shocked to find a stinking pool of dead fish at what was once a popular swimming hole. When farmers Kirsty and Peter McPharlin visited last week, they found the swimming hole had turned to an ugly, discoloured, smelly water hole filled with dead fish. Yet other pools of water, including Dead Mans Hole just metres away, don’t appear to have any problems. Balaklava’s Jeff Sutton, who has been monitoring water quality along the Wakefield River for several years, conducted tests but could find nothing abnormal in the PH, phosphate or nitrate levels. “The other pools look good,” Jeff said. “I’m not an expert, but I’d say it’s probably blue green algae. “It’s definitely a different colour to the other water.” When he visited the swimming hole last week, there were plenty of dead catfish and carp. “It takes a lot to kill carp,” Jeff said.
He even spied a large goldfish regularly coming to the surface, gasping for oxygen. And while locals should avoid coming in contact with the water for health reasons, Jeff believes the problem will clear with rain, or when the springs again begin to flow. For Jeff, the problems with the swimming hole will also impact his record taking. Another of his testing sites at Mengeson’s Crossing has been completely dry since April 2006, and now testing at The Rocks Reserve is also being impacted. However, the drying up of the Undalya site implies there is no spring above that particular site to refresh the river. While some other testing sites have dried up periodically, water has always returned, refreshed by spring activity. Jeff was saddened to see the state of the swimming hole. “I think it’s just a seasonal event, but it’s disappointing to see the river like it is,” he said. “More and more we’re seeing the river dry up.”
JEFF Sutton tests water at The Rocks swimming hole. He found nothing abnormal with the water, but believes algae may be responsible for the poor quality of the pools.
PICTURES: Lisa Redpath
A deeper, clear pool
Murky swimming hole water
Dead carp on the bank of the river. Catfish also were present.
Model wears SKU 24860482 & SKU 24861618
rs ave ists s c r Speomet t Op
W O N EN
OP
lare in C
2 PAIRS GLASSES FROM $199.
PRICE INCLUDES FRAMES AND PENTAX SINGLE VISION LENSES WITH SCRATCH RESISTANT COATING.
IF YOU PAID MORE FOR YOUR LAST PAIR OF GLASSES, YOU SHOULD’VE GONE TO SPECSAVERS. HBT/S453_SV_CLR
Specsavers Clare: (Formerly known as Carpenter & Brown Optometrists) 274 Main North Road 08 8842 2336 www.specsavers.com.au/clare
Second pair must be from the same price range of frames and lens range or below. Must be same prescription. Extra options not included - see Clear Price leaflet in your local Specsavers store for details.
9