| Glenbrook Lagoon | |
|---|---|
 Glenbrook Lagoon | |
  Glenbrook Lagoon | |
| Coordinates | 33°45′27″S150°36′59″E / 33.7574°S 150.6164°E |
| Type | reservoir |
| Primary outflows | Brookside Creek |
| Built | 1867 |
| Surface area | 7 ha (17 acres) |
Glenbrook Lagoon is a fresh water lagoon located in Glenbrook, New South Wales at the foot of the Blue Mountains. It is heritage-listed. [1] [2]
Glenbrook Lagoon is a heritage-listed site located in the suburb of Glenbrook in the Blue mountains 10 kilometres west of Penrith and 3.8 km from Nepean river. [3] The lagoon is a natural flat-bottom freshwater lagoon with an average depth of 2.7 metres and a maximum depth of 4.05 metres. [4] The lagoon covers an area of 7 hectares. It relies on waterflow from the surrounding area. [3] The lagoon is also fed by natural springs. Glenbrook Lagoon is one of only three lagoons of this kind in the Hawkesbury area water catchment. [5] Over the past centuries, the lagoon has had several uses. The lagoon and its surrounding area provide an important natural sanctuary for native flora and fauna. Currently the lagoon is used as a nature reserve and tourist attraction. Glenbrook lagoon is of great cultural and historical significance to the people of the Blue Mountains.
Bordered by residential areas on four sides, Glenbrook Lagoon serves as a reminder of the area's historic bush past. Best known for being found by William Lawson, William Wentworth and Gregory Blaxland on their crossing of the Blue Mountains in 1813; [6] Blaxland, In his journal, described the way he "fell into a large lagoon of good water of very coarse rushes". [1] In 1814 the lagoon and its surrounding areas were used as a camp by a group of convicts led by Cox as they built the first road over the Blue Mountains. [1] At the instruction of Governor Macquarie the camp was later used as a Military depot at the start of the mountains checking travellers permits to travel over the Blue Mountains. [1] After a depot at Springwood was opened the depot at Glenbrook lagoon was no longer of use, however the lagoon was still used as an essential and welcomed source of water for those who travelled over the mountains by horse. [1] The waterhole was later used to cool the engines of the early trains. [1] The lagoon is now home to several wetland birds.
In 2006, the Blue Mountains City Council commenced a lagoon restoration project, removing weed infestations. [7]
The Ellis family lived in the area in the 1940s, running an orchard and garden, in spite of the poor-quality soil. The land was clear at the time, but has now returned to nature after work carried out by the Glenbrook Lagoon Society Bushcare group, Blue Mountains City Council and the Urban Runoff Control Program. The remains of the Ellis family cottage are located a hundred metres north of the lagoon. [8]
The lagoon was first used as a military depot. The depot was used to check the permits of travellers who were planning on traveling over the Blue mountains. [5] The lagoon was then used throughout 1867 to 1913 as an essential part of the Zig Zag railway system which took passengers through the Blue mountains. Pipes took lagoon water to Glenbrook railway station providing the railway system with an important source of water. As a result, the left side (Eastern side) of the lagoon was dammed in order to make the lagoon bigger and a larger source of water for the railway. [1] The dam wall is currently used a road that allows residents to pass the lagoon. [1] This road is currently known as Glenbrook road but was previously named Railway street. [1]
In the 1860s the lagoon was also used as a dam to provide drinking water for the people living in the small town of Glenbrook
The lagoon is currently used as a historical tourist attraction and bush walking site. The lagoon and its surrounding area also provide an important natural sanctuary for native flora and fauna which is quite unique in the urbanised township of Glenbrook. Glenbrook lagoon also plays an important role in fighting bushfires. Helicopters use large buckets to collect the lagoon water and dump it over out of control bushfires. The lagoon water has been used in this way for several bush fires in 2001, 2013 and 2017. [5]
Due to its rich historical value the lagoon is holds great cultural significance to the local area. The lagoon was also previously used as a place to swim and fish by the local people. Therefore, it holds many fond memories for the people of Glenbrook. Due to the role in which the lagoon has played throughout the history of the Blue mountains especially in regards to its uses with the Zig Zag railway it has been deemed that Glenbrook Lagoon Carries a great historical significance [1] for the people of the Blue mountains. The lagoon also hosts a range of native species of flora and fauna. The lagoons surrounding area features large Euclaypt and Angophora Costa ( Eucalyptus piperita ) [1] trees, which are unique to the location of the lagoon. These trees provide a suitable habitat for the Peron's Tree Frog (L. peronii). [3] The dense rushes such as Grey rush ( Lepironia articulate), [9] Spike rush ( Eleocharis sphacelata) as well as fallen logs surrounding the edges of the lagoon, make good foraging habitat for native wetland birds such as the Swamp hen (Genus porphyria). These native plants also provide some protection from predators allowing for possible breeding spots. [4] The rushes also provide habitats for frogs including the Striped Marsh Frog [4] (Limnodynastes peroni) [2] and the Eastern Dwarf Tree Frog [4] (Vitoria fallax). [2] The lagoons surface is also populated with native Bladderwort (Utricularia australias) [9] .The Bladderwort also provides foraging habitat on the lagoons surface. [4] It is these native species which the surrounding area of the lagoon and its surrounding areas play host to that give the area its aesthetic significance. [1]
The damming of the left side (Eastern side) of the lagoon for the zig zag railway has caused issues for the lagoon mainly because it caused the lagoon to become a closed water system and any pollutants are unable to be flushed out of the lagoon naturally. In turn this has led to a significant buildup of pollutants carried by storm water into the lagoon. Without proper drainage of this water, significant environmental issues have risen including the growth of noxious weeds which have effectively choked out natural aquatic flora and fauna living in the lagoon. [5] The urbanisation of the area surrounding the lagoon has also contributed to the pollution of the lagoon. [5] The land which naturally drains to the lagoon is now built over with houses and shops this causes polluted storm water to run straight into the lagoon. [5] The polluted water can contain many chemicals and organic matter which are dangerous and may compromise the survival of the lagoon. These materials can include herbicides, fertilisers, Grey water use, oil and petrol, sediment, sewage, animal faeces, garden waste, litter and contaminants. [5] Without proper drainage surrounding the lagoon the run off of this polluted water into the lagoon encourages the growth of noxious weeds. The growth of these noxious weeds can also be attributed to the dumping of domestic aquarium plants in the lagoon. [5] The two noxious weeds which are of concern to the health of the lagoon are the Cabomba weed ( Cabomba caroliniana) [4] and Salvina weed (Salvinia Molesta). [4] Both of which have caused a variety of significant problems for the survival of the lagoon and its ecosystem. [10] Cabomba has been listed as a class 5 noxious weed and also as a weed of significance and had been notably difficult to remove in past situations. [9] Both of the noxious weeds (Cabomba and Salvina) cause severe oxygen depletion in the lagoon as they die and decompose using most of the dissolved oxygen available in the lagoon. [9] This makes survival difficult for other aquatic organisms including native water plants, native fish and turtles. [3]
The presence of The Cabomba and Salvina weeds in the lagoon posed a serious threat to native flora and fauna and also introduced the threat of the noxious weeds spreading into nearby waterways such as the Nepean river, Hawkesbury river and the many waterways within Blue Mountains National Park including catchments which lead to Warragamba Dam. The Dam is a major waterway which provides much of Western Sydneys drinking water. [9] In order to combat this threat during 2006 a $95 000 grant was given to the Blue mountains city council to commence work on re-generating the lagoon and removing the noxious weed Salvina. [7] Regeneration efforts involved the mechanical harvesting of 200 tonnes of Salvina [7] and also the use of herbicide spot treatment with some hand removal of the remaining weeds. [5] However up until 2012, 100 percent of the Lagoons water column was still filled with the noxious Cabomba weed. In 2012 the Blue Mountains city council was given another grant to remove the Cabomba weed. Removal of the Cabomba weed in December 2012 included the use of the herbicide Carfentrazone-ethyl [9] which was intended only to kill off 50% of the Cabomba weed growth in the lagoon. [9] However the herbicide successfully killed off the Cabomba weed entirely from the water body. The removal was considered a success however during this treatment some native fish mortalities occurred due to oxygen depletion levels this caused levels of fish species living within the lagoon to diminish. [9] These declining oxygen levels where attributed to the large amounts of breakdown of the dead Cabomba weed matter caused by the use of the herbicide. [9] To combat these declining dissolved oxygen levels Generators and pumps were brought to the lagoon attempt to re-oxygenate the water. However these efforts produced limited results the task of re-oxygenating the lagoon proving to difficult with the little power supply to run the generators and pumps and noise complaints from local residents. [9] A water quality monitoring program was also set up at the time these attempts to kill off the weed were implemented. The hopes of this program were that it would be able to successfully monitor water quality, biodiversity and weed control outcomes of the lagoon. [5] This was the first removal of the Cabomba weed on a large scale area in New South Wales using the chemical Carfentrazone-ethyl. [11] Bush-care groups continue regeneration work on the lagoon and its surrounding areas in hopes of restoring the natural environment to provide habitats for the native fauna and flora. These Bush-care groups also encourage the use of native aquarium plants instead of exotic and noxious ones such as Cabomba, as it is believed that the dumping of these noxious weeds caused there significant growth and presence within the lagoon. [11]
Regeneration efforts at Glenbrook lagoon have resulted in a 99% decrease of the noxious weed Salvina. [5] A 2014 weed monitoring survey found there to be no trace of the Cabomba weed in Glenbrook lagoon. However, in January 2107 there was found to be some regrowth of the noxious weed. [11] Due to the dispersed nature of the regrowth of the Cabomba weed a large scale herbicide treatment would not have been effective. [11] In efforts to quickly remove the weed and stop its presence reaching high levels, scuba divers were sent into the lagoon to remove the regrowth of the noxious weed in areas which were deeper than one metre ensuring that the root and crown of the plant was removed. [11] The weed was again removed by hand and wading in shallower areas. [11] Regeneration efforts have also seen an increase in turtle and fish numbers in recent years, with many native species once again becoming self sustaining. Recent surveys by Biosis have determined a rise in species such as the Fresh water catfish (Tandnus tandanus) , [3] Australian Smelt (Retropinna semoni), [3] Flat-headed gudgeon ( Philypndon grandiceps) [3] and long-finned eel (Angulla reinhardtii) [3] The Blue mountains council has worked with local bush care groups to augment habitats to form a natural environment that promotes the self sustaining nature of native fish and deters the survival of some noxious fish which were reported by biosis to be inhabiting the lagoon. [3] There has also been increases in numbers of two species of turtles. The Eastern Long-necked turtle (Chelodina longicollis) [2] and Sydney basin turtles (Emydura macquarii) [2] A conscious effort is being made by these local bush regeneration groups to ensure the continued breeding success. [12] There has also been a continuous rise in numbers of aquatic insects which are sensitive to pollution. [12] These increases in aquatic species can be attributed to the removal of noxious weeds and upgrades to storm water treatment around the lagoon. However, in order to maintain the low levels of pollution and occurrence of noxious weeds a secondary Cabomba Weed Control Program has been implemented. The weed control program plans to continuously remove any regrowth of noxious weeds from the lagoon. [12] The program also plans to regularly monitor the water pollution levels in the lagoon. It is hoped that through these efforts the lagoon will remain as a healthy eco-system and will continue to be a sustainable habitat for native flora and fauna.
Yarra Ranges National Park is located in the Central Highlands of Australia's southeastern state, Victoria, roughly 107 km northeast of Melbourne. Established in 1995, and managed by the statutory authority Parks Victoria, the park features a carbon-rich, temperate rainforest as well as a subalpine, eucalypt-dominant forest on its northern plateau. The park is home to large groves of mountain ash, the tallest species of tree in Australia, and among the tallest in the world, with specimens reaching 80 metres in height. A wide diversity of flora, fauna and fungi make their home across the park's 76,003 hectares, including iconic Australian species such as bandicoots, echidnas, kangaroos, koalas, platypuses, possums, sugar and greater gliders, wallabies and wombats. There are nearly 200 documented species of birds in the area, with at least 60 herpetofaunal species, thousands of invertebrates and worms, over 900 types of fungi and mushrooms, and over 1,000 plant species. Among the conservation challenges facing Yarra Ranges National Park are climate change and invasive species of weeds, as well as the interaction of native species with non-native, introduced invasive animals, such as European hares and rabbits, domestic sheep, feral cats and dogs, red foxes, South Asian sambar deer, and European red and fallow deer.
Weed control is a type of pest control, which attempts to stop or reduce growth of weeds, especially noxious weeds, with the aim of reducing their competition with desired flora and fauna including domesticated plants and livestock, and in natural settings preventing non native species competing with native species.
Onopordum acanthium is a flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It is native to Europe and Western Asia from the Iberian Peninsula east to Kazakhstan, and north to central Scandinavia, and widely naturalised elsewhere, with especially large populations present in the United States and Australia. It is a vigorous biennial plant with coarse, spiny leaves and conspicuous spiny-winged stems.
Bush regeneration, a form of natural area restoration, is the term used in Australia for the ecological restoration of remnant vegetation areas, such as through the minimisation of negative disturbances, both exogenous such as exotic weeds and endogenous such as erosion. It may also attempt to recreate conditions of pre-European arrival, for example by simulating endogenous disturbances such as fire. Bush regeneration attempts to protect and enhance the floral biodiversity in an area by providing conditions conducive to the recruitment and survival of native plants.
Elodea is a genus of eight species of aquatic plants often called the waterweeds described as a genus in 1803. Classified in the frog's-bit family (Hydrocharitaceae), Elodea is native to the Americas and is also widely used as aquarium vegetation and laboratory demonstrations of cellular activities. It lives in fresh water. An older name for this genus is Anacharis, which serves as a common name in North America.
The need for a clearly defined and consistent invasion biology terminology has been acknowledged by many sources. Invasive species, or invasive exotics, is a nomenclature term and categorization phrase used for flora and fauna, and for specific restoration-preservation processes in native habitats. Invasion biology is the study of these organisms and the processes of species invasion.
Cabomba is an aquatic plant genus, one of two belonging to the family Cabombaceae. It has divided submerged leaves in the shape of a fan and is much favoured by aquarists as an ornamental and oxygenating plant for fish tanks. One species, Cabomba caroliniana, is a nationally declared weed in Australia, where it has choked up waterways after escaping from aquaria.
A noxious weed, harmful weed or injurious weed is a weed that has been designated by an agricultural or other governing authority as a plant that is harmful to agricultural or horticultural crops, natural habitats or ecosystems, or humans or livestock. Most noxious weeds have been introduced into an ecosystem by ignorance, mismanagement, or accident. Some noxious weeds are native, though many localities define them as necessarily being non-native. Typically they are plants that grow aggressively, multiply quickly without natural controls, and display adverse effects through contact or ingestion. Noxious weeds are a large problem in many parts of the world, greatly affecting areas of agriculture, forest management, nature reserves, parks and other open space.
Mount Henry Peninsula is a land feature and reserve located 11 km (6.8 mi) south of Perth, Western Australia, on the north bank of the Canning River near the Mount Henry Bridge in Salter Point, Western Australia. It covers 11.9 hectares, and includes both Banksia attenuata and Banksia menziesii woodland, and a muddy and desert biome. The peninsula features limestone slopes, shoreline vegetation, wetlands, and contains the most inland vegetated knoll of the Spearwood dunes on the Swan-Canning estuary, as well as a significant variety of natural conditions for birds and other fauna. The Mount Henry Peninisula is a designated Bush Forever Site, number 227.
Lachenalia reflexa is species of the genus Lachenalia endemic to lowland areas near Cape Town, South Africa.
Asparagus aethiopicus, Sprenger's asparagus, is a plant native to the Cape Provinces and the Northern Provinces of South Africa. Often used as an ornamental plant, it is considered an invasive weed in many locations. Asparagus fern, asparagus grass and foxtail fern are common names; however, it is unrelated to true ferns. A. aethiopicus has been confused with A. densiflorus, now regarded as a separate species, so that information about A. aethiopicus will often be found under the name A. densiflorus.
Cabomba caroliniana, commonly known as Carolina fanwort and various other names, is an aquatic perennial herbaceous plant native to North and South America. Having been a popular aquarium plant, it has been exported around the world, and has become an invasive species in Europe and Australia.
A weed is a plant considered undesirable in a particular situation, growing where it conflicts with human preferences, needs, or goals. Plants with characteristics that make them hazardous, aesthetically unappealing, difficult to control in managed environments, or otherwise unwanted in farm land, orchards, gardens, lawns, parks, recreational spaces, residential and industrial areas, may all be considered weeds. The concept of weeds is particularly significant in agriculture, where the presence of weeds in fields used to grow crops may cause major losses in yields. Invasive species, plants introduced to an environment where their presence negatively impacts the overall functioning and biodiversity of the ecosystem, may also sometimes be considered weeds.
Invasive species are a crucial threat to many native habitats and species of the United States and a significant cost to agriculture, forestry, and recreation. An invasive species refers to an organism that is not native to a specific region and poses significant economic and environmental threats to its new habitat. The term "invasive species" can also refer to feral species or introduced diseases. Some introduced species, such as the dandelion, do not cause significant economic or ecologic damage and are not widely considered as invasive. Economic damages associated with invasive species' effects and control costs are estimated at $120 billion per year.
In Australia, Mimosa pigra has been declared a noxious weed or given similar status under various weed or quarantine Acts. It has been ranked as the tenth most problematic weed and is listed on the Weeds of National Significance. It is currently restricted to the Northern Territory where it infests approximately 80,000 hectares of coastal floodplain.
An aquatic weed harvester, also known as a water mower, mowing boat and weed cutting boat, is an aquatic machine specifically designed for inland watercourse management to cut and harvest underwater weeds, reeds and other aquatic plant life. The action of removing aquatic plant life in such a manner has been referred to as "aquatic harvesting".
Aquatic plant management involves the science and methodologies used to control invasive and non-invasive aquatic plant species in waterways. Methods used include spraying herbicide, biological controls, mechanical removal as well as habitat modification. Preventing the introduction of invasive species is ideal.
Tambourine Bay is a bay located in between the suburbs of Riverview and Longueville in the Lower North Shore of Sydney, NSW, Australia. The bay and its adjoining creek is a northern tributary of the Lane Cove River, a ria that joins Sydney harbour to Greenwich and Woolwich. The bay's foreshore and surrounding park areas are managed by the municipality of Lane Cove.
Limeburners Creek National Park is a protected national park on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, Australia. The 91.2 km national park is located 5 km (3.1 mi) to the north of Port Macquarie and exists across both the Kempsey Shire and Port Macquarie-Hastings Council local government areas, but is chiefly managed by National Parks and Wildlife Service. The area was originally erected as a nature reserve but this reservation was revoked when it became formally recognised as a national park in 2010 under the National Parks and Wildlife Act (1974). Many threatened ecological habitats and species of fauna and flora are found within this park, alongside several heritage sites of cultural significance, particularly to the local Birpai and Dunghutti people upon whose land the park exists. The protected status of this national park is largely owing to the ecological and cultural value of the area, in addition to the value of the ecosystems to further scientific research.
Lakes and other natural bodies of water in New South Wales, Australia | |
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| Coastal lagoons and lakes | |
| Freshwater | |
| Glacial | |
| Saline | |
