Classic conditions for water quality checks

Cool showers, mud baths and podcasts keep Cape York NRM project officer Ben Ansell company as he travels around Lakeland agricultural areas taking water quality samples during the wet season.

While most projects are on hold until the dry, Ben’s work relies on weather events to monitor the waterways for changes in nutrients, pesticides and sediments.   

“It’s a great day out, a bit of rain, a lot of mud, I listen to a few podcasts while I travel, and I am gathering up-to-date data which benefits the agricultural producers,” he said. 

The data collected is used to map the agricultural influence on nutrient levels and draw comparisons from previous years’ data to determine differences in concentrations both inside and outside of properties.

Supported by the Department of Environment and Science, the work provides participating landholders with information so they can be at the forefront of water quality management, and supports innovation in management practices. 

“Each time there is an event, I have been taking grab samples from the monitoring sites along the Bullhead creek and Laura River system as well as collecting samples from an auto sampling station set up in Turalba,” Ben explained. “What’s an event? It’s the moment there is enough rain to raise the rivers being monitored to a designated height. As can be guessed, this happens quite a bit during the wet season.”

Auto samplers collect water samples automatically when the rivers reach the height. The samples are then stored in a refrigerated unit until they are all collected and sent to Brisbane for analysis.

The grab samples are those collected by hand during the events, as shown in the image provided.

As long as the rain continues, Ben will be making almost daily field trips to Lakeland to collect the samples. 

This project is funded by the Queensland Government Department of Environment and Science