More than 1,500 seagrass observations have been taken across five estuaries since November 2020 to map seagrass distribution. This was the biggest monitoring season ever for the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation’s seagrass team, with three times more than the approximately 500 observations usually made in a year. Dr … Read More
Upcoming estuary forums
Find out about the latest science from four of our South West and south coast estuaries at community forums in November and December. Hosted by local catchment groups in partnership with the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation’s (DWER) Regional Estuaries Initiative, the forums include updates on the science of … Read More
Calculating the impact of best management practices on farms
Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER) modellers are using OVERSEER, a New Zealand-based software, to examine the impact of different farm management practices on nutrient levels flowing into our waterways. Catchment models calculate the nutrients entering waterways based on an understanding of drainage in the catchment and how different … Read More
From muddy mess to crystal clear
More than 40 people came together in mid-July to plant 5500-plus seedlings on a cattle farm in the Denmark area. Farmer Marino Bocuzzi has been working with Shaun Ossinger, from the Wilson Inlet Catchment Committee, since mid-2019 to revitalise a stretch of perennial creek on his property that flows into … Read More
Fertiliser trials protecting waterways and farmers
Increased confidence in the use of recommended fertiliser application rates across a range of agricultural areas is one of the early benefits to emerge from the State Government’s uPtake program (the program). Results from last year’s trials were consistent with data from the national Better Fertiliser Decisions for Pastures project … Read More
Scientist for a day: Councillor Steve Jones
Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER) scientist, Elke Reichwaldt, was recently joined by Shire of Denmark Councillor Steve Jones for one of the regular water quality monitoring runs on Wilson Inlet. Water quality indicators, including oxygen level, salinity, nutrient levels and algae, are measured once a fortnight by department … Read More
Community feedback welcomed to protect the Wilson Inlet
Denmark community members are being encouraged to have their say, in a new online survey, about what environmental, recreational and economic estuary values matter most to them as part of a new plan to protect the Wilson Inlet. Led by the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER) and Wilson … Read More
Fertilise your mind to fertilise your farm
Workshops will be held across the South West and South Coast this February to provide farmers with the tools and knowledge to optimise their production through tailored fertiliser management. Interactive sessions will focus on the science behind soil testing, constraints to production including the role of pH in nutrient availability, … Read More
The latest in our estuaries
Estuary forums were held across four of the Regional Estuaries Initiative catchments in October with over 205 people attending events in Albany, Denmark, Augusta and Bunbury. Hosted by local catchment groups in partnership with the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation’s (DWER) Regional Estuaries Initiative, the forums included updates on … Read More
Fertiliser in focus on the south coast
Best practice fertiliser use was top of the agenda at a recent agronomist workshop in Albany on Western Australia’s south coast. The successful workshop focused on providing attendees with the best available fertiliser advice, enabling them to then feed this information back to farmers in an effort to help them … Read More