¶ COLLIE River health remains a key concern despite the recent rainfall, according to Friends of the River co-ordinator Donna Davies.
Mrs Davies said while the rainfall has been encouraging a lot more is needed over the longer term to compensate for extended periods of dry weather.
“We had nine months without much rain, it was quite a drought period,” Mrs Davies said.
“As a result, I think a lot of this winter’s rain is going into the ground. I don’t think it’s reflected in the stream and river flow.
“The river through town has water in it, but a lot of the other streams feeding into it may still be dry.”
Mrs Davies said the dry weather had far-ranging impacts, especially for jarrah forests, with many vulnerable trees perishing. She said while rainfall cannot be controlled, residents and river users can take steps to assist with river management.
This includes using low-phosphate fertilisers to help manage nutrients being discharged into the river, mitigating issues such as algae and weed growth.
“River users should also try to minimise the amount of access points used,” Mrs Davies said.
“At Minningup Pool we’re trying to revegetate areas so that people only have access to the river in a few managed locations.”