Intertidal zones and human development
Posted: Fri May 11, 2018 1:24 pm
Well on many occasions on here I rant on about the reasons for less fish in the Lake System than there has been in the past. I often site loss of intertidal zones. An inter tidal zone is an area covered at high tide and exposed at low tide. In the Gippsland Lakes tides are somewhat less than 1mtr when the system is open to the sea. It has never closed since 1888 when the entrance rock wall were constructed.
So here is a series of pictures mostly less than 100 years old.
Take a good look at Bullock island and the shallows that are now all rock walled and back filled.
This one is where the skate park ramp and fishing club is situated.
Take a look at Rigby island, a low swamp now some 2-3 meters with dredge spoil. Note the little island in the north arm. This sank mid 1900s.
This is club spit directly in front of what is now number 1 the Esplanade. It is now a tree covered pile of dredge spoil.
Another angle on bullock island.
this beach is now a rock wall and walking track track. It is a town beach
First thing I must say is this is not the fault of current management or Governments it is a history of poor environmental management through ignorance.
These areas provided zones for sandworm, pipis and soldier crabs all food of bream. This scenario is repeated throughout the lake system. Add the that the damming and diversion to Melbourne or irrigation of the Thomson and McAlister rivers. The complete deforestation of lowland areas of the catchment for farms and houses. All reducing the amount of fresh water and the quality of what does go in.
There are many other issues such as no predators for the cormorants, swans etc. Eggs and young bird would have been part of the original inhabitants diet. We now have very little sea grass even compared to when I was a kid in the 60s. This is destroyed by swans and boats.
So if you are inclined to want to change it, then start talking to people that have some say in it.
Intertidal zones can be built no problem. Couple of years ago there was some dredging done to rebuilt a couple of islands. There are many areas that have shallows that could be filled to be just covered at high tide. Creation of buffer zones along rivers and creeks in the catchment and creation of new swamp lands would also be a good thing.
The real problem is no one wants to do anything because it is a RAMSAR site. So instead of moving to improve it we will mostly likely see it slowly die.
So that is my Friday rant... :cheers:
So here is a series of pictures mostly less than 100 years old.
First thing I must say is this is not the fault of current management or Governments it is a history of poor environmental management through ignorance.
These areas provided zones for sandworm, pipis and soldier crabs all food of bream. This scenario is repeated throughout the lake system. Add the that the damming and diversion to Melbourne or irrigation of the Thomson and McAlister rivers. The complete deforestation of lowland areas of the catchment for farms and houses. All reducing the amount of fresh water and the quality of what does go in.
There are many other issues such as no predators for the cormorants, swans etc. Eggs and young bird would have been part of the original inhabitants diet. We now have very little sea grass even compared to when I was a kid in the 60s. This is destroyed by swans and boats.
So if you are inclined to want to change it, then start talking to people that have some say in it.
Intertidal zones can be built no problem. Couple of years ago there was some dredging done to rebuilt a couple of islands. There are many areas that have shallows that could be filled to be just covered at high tide. Creation of buffer zones along rivers and creeks in the catchment and creation of new swamp lands would also be a good thing.
The real problem is no one wants to do anything because it is a RAMSAR site. So instead of moving to improve it we will mostly likely see it slowly die.
So that is my Friday rant... :cheers: