2002

1. Is the Ardel water quality control pond actually trapping and causing death to fauna?
2. Is the Ardel water quality control pond effective in trapping sediments compared to other control ponds?
3. What is the rate of sedimentation of Manly Dam or Manly Lagoon?
4. What are the ages of sediment profiles of Manly Dam or Manly Lagoon?
5. What are the heavy metal concentrations of the sediments of Manly Dam or Manly Lagoon?
6. What is the difference between water quality above and below the Brookvale Creek GPT? How does the GPT affect water quality?
7. At Brookvale Creek, have fauna levels returned or improved since pre rehabilitation days? (compare with existing baseline data)
8. How do macroinvertebrate levels compare along Brookvale Creek compared to other healthier creeks in the catchment?
9. Has the fox-baiting program at Manly Dam had an impact on fauna levels especially bandicoots and other small mammals? (Compare with existing base line data)
10. Are bandicoots repopulating Manly Dam Park as is reported by residents?
11. What is the rate of weed invasion in Manly Dam? (eg in additional bushland area m/2 per year invaded) What level of resources would Council have to invest to halt the rate of weed invasion?
12. Level of resources would Council have to invest to reverse the rate of weed invasion ie have a net bushland recovery verses bushland weed invasion situation?"
13. What flora/fauna is present along Manly Creek from Condamine St up to the Mermaid pool? - degraded stretch of creek that Council is hoping to rehabilitate in the future.
14. What are characteristics of the side bay along Brookvale Creek? Sediment characteristics, benthic fauna.
15. Determine the Environmental Flows in the 3 tributary Creeks leading into the Manly Lagoon Catchment, in particular Manly Creek and or Burn’t Bridge Creek? – models available
16. Review and assess the ATRI turf grass water quality monitoring on NSW Golf Courses, especially the Manly-Warringah Courses.
17. Assess and review the Wakehurst Golf Club Licensing Proposal.
18. Assess the creek water usage by Warringah Golf Course and analyse the effects on the bottom of the catchment?
19. Carry out a cumulative impact study on Warringah, Wakehurst and Manly Golf Courses and their pumping regime from the 3 Catchment Creeks, and the end impacts on Manly Lagoon?
20. Analyse the Burnt Bridge Creek flow impacts that occur as a result of Balgowlah Golf Course?
21. Assess how the new plan of Management has addressed the recommendations of Dominic Cheng’s 1993 report on Water Quality Regime/management for Manly Dam, and assess what other issues does and does not address (e.g. Aboriginal issues)?
22. Analyse the relationship between Dissolved Oxygen and rainfall using data from Manly Hydraulics Laboratory, Streamwatch and Consultant reports.
23. Compare Consultant reports, Streamwatch and Manly Hydraulics Laboratory Water Quality Data to the latest ANZECC guidelines.
24. Assess the Healthy Rivers Commission, National Land and Water Audit – in relation to the State of Manly Lagoon.
25. Asses the EPA Eco-management manual for the Golf Course Federation and how the recommendations have been met from the turf program, e.g.) nutrients?
26. Assess the need for buffer zones edging Golf Courses around waterways, (Peter Denis and Nick Skelton’s Report, guideline) and how the issue is being dealt within the Manly Lagoon catchment, particularly around the lagoon body. Are recommendations being met from management plan reports?
27. Vegatation study analysis – What has been done since previous reports and management plans and assess how issues being managed.
28. Carry out a comprehensive flora species list for the Manly Lagoon Catchment?
29. Carry out a catchment audit in the form of a State Of Environment report for Manly Lagoon.
30. Analyse the litter sources from the 3 creeks and from around the Lagoon and discuss preventative measures as well as the effect on water quality. – Involve annual costs of litter collection.
31. Carry out an economic analysis of litter in the catchment.
32. Determine the cost of Landfill, environmentally and economically.
33. Assess herbicide usage on playing fields and the effects on soil, vegetation and water quality.
34. Map the contaminated sites and remediated sites - land fill sites in the catchment and assess the multitude of possible effects.
35. Assess the application if fertilisers to local gardens and roadsides in the catchment and the consequential runoff effects for the waterway.
36. Estimate the number of concrete slabs poured each year and thus termiticite chlorpeyrphos residue and the consequential effects on the catchment?
37. Assess the effects of animal faeces and the effect on the greater catchment environment?
38. Carry out an economic appraisal of the changes that are being brought about through the “Corso Sea Change” Stormwater Environmental Education Program (SEEP)”? (Beginning in June 2002)
39. Undertake toxicological testing of leachate and surface run-off from Wakehurst Golf Course fairway batters and actual and potential impacts on aquatic ecology, especially macroinvertebrates and the Climbing Galaxias.
40. How do ground water, surface flows, and the irrigation system of Wakehurst Golf Club impact on nutrient & sediment transfer into Manly Dam? Could a full hydrological assessment of WGC be carried out, including water quality and sediment accumulation of contaminants in creeks beneath fairway batters.
41. Determine the accumulation levels of contaminants (nutrients, heavy metals, pesticides) within sediments adjacent to the southern, northern and western foreshores of Manly Dam, identify their likely sources, determine the distribution patterns of pollutants within sediments and identify the potential impacts if Manly Dam water levels drop below these sampling points exposing the sediments to air/aerobic conditions.
42. Identify management approaches, processes and mechanisms for preventing the decline of water and bushland quality in Manly Dam Reserve, particularly adjacent to the Wakehurst Golf Club.
43. Determine the effectiveness of the Ardel WQCP in relation to water quality and hydrological flows if the macrophyte zone is not implemented and maintained adequately. Also determine the WQCP effectiveness in relation to likely climate change over next 50 years.
44. Burnt Bridge Creek Environmental Flow Project: The flow of water is interrupted by the Balgowlah Golf Club Dam. Residents report that there was always a flow over the Witches' Glen waterfall even in January pre-Dam but now there is often no flow in dry periods throughout the year. The creek has officially been designated stressed by DLWC and a copy of that report would be available through MEC. Is it possible to determine what is the "environmental flow" for that creek and compare it to actual flows. I gather there are several programs available now that can estimate environmental flows for given areas, catchment sizes etc (eg "DRAINS"). It may be possible to facilitate access to such software if UTS don't have it.
45. Impact of Sewer Leaks on Burnt bridge Creek: Streamwatch data over the years has shown steadily worsening faecal counts as you move downstream. A useful project could be to make simultaneous measurements at a variety of sites (and in a variety of weather conditions) to see whether it is possible to identify where the main leak is occurring.
46. Does the pond work at the Ardel Site? What happens at first flush? Water quality above and below pond. What is happening to the wildlife around and in the pond?
47. Follow up to accumulation of heavy metals in the sediment.
48. Not as much bird life eg wadders & ducks as there used to be. How can they be attracted to the lagoon?
49. Creeks entering top of Manly Dam catchment: quality of water; aquatic life (if any); Gambusia fish (problem downstream); water flow – changes in flow depending on rainfall/storm event; hydrological changes to stream flow resulting from development/excavation/vegetation clearing.
50. Ardel pond – water temperature; algae? e.g. in hot weather; sediment; water quality flow downstream; problems resulting from stream barrier; impacts o of development on surface/sub-surface flows & riparian vegetation & creek flows (on site). Monitoring of function of wetland; problems re wildlife (ducks) getting out; maintenance.
51. I would like to know about the water quality in the lagoon after the big fish kill: Is it improving?; will we ever be able to swim in the lagoon again?
52. Number of fish species in the dam / lagoon & what breeds there & what is introduced?
53. Follow up on fish kill in central lagoon.
54. Algal Blooms in Manly Dam & Manly Lagoon: Frequency of them? Can I swim in these areas? Is it safe or toxic?
55. We have tested Burnt Bridge Creek over 12 years as it seems to be the worst in terms of sewage pollution. Where are the main leaks? We have had limited opportunity to test several sites at once.
56. Water Quality: Concurrent sampling at points along Burnt Bridge Creek in Balgowlah, with emphasis on faecal coliforms as a means of better identifying sewage overflow point sources in both wet and dry weather.
57. Incidence of blue-green algal blooms in the dams & how they can be prevented.
58. Follow up sites, tests of Zoe Commandeur Report (Water Quality Study of Manly Dam Catchment: Focusing on conditions required for survival of the Galaxias fish).
59. Water Flows: Including environmental flows above & below Balgowlah Golf Club dam on Burnt Bridge Creek; and relationship to stream water quality/stream health in Witches Glen pool below Kitchener St Balgowlah.
60. Loss of aquatic fauna (eg frogs) & weed problem where creeks enter reserve. Why do we have a problem? Water flow? Water quality? Nutrients? What life exists in creeks entering Manly Dam Reserve? How could improvements (to creeks/drainage lines) outside of reserve could address the problem of weeds and loss of fauna?
61. Vertebrate survey on frog, reptile or fish within the catchment or at specific sites such as Mermaid Pool, e.g Impact of Gambusia in the catchment, follow up Galaxias study, Red crowned toadlet study, fish relationship to water quality.
62. Sediment Project: core sediments sample & analyse contents at site proposed to be dredged at bridge near Pitwater Road. Possible toxicity tests after finding concentrations.