Residents of the Rockhampton Region may have noticed some aquatic weeds and debris being washed down the Fitzroy over the weekend as a result of recent heavy rainfall.
Water Committee Chair Councillor Neil Fisher said that while this may be creating an eyesore it’s nothing to be overly concerned about.
“It has been absolutely wonderful to see all of the rainfall we’ve been receiving recently, and just last week we celebrated our Fitzroy River Barrage hitting 100% capacity,” said Cr Fisher.
“One of the effects of all this rain, however, is that the flowing river is bringing debris and weeds from upstream.
“While this hasn’t caused any major issues and hasn’t affected water quality we are expecting these flows to continue over the next couple of weeks.
“Users of the Fitzroy River should be aware that as well as the weeds there could be some submerged debris, such as trees or branches, and act accordingly.”
Regulatory Committee Chair Councillor Ellen Smith said that while the hyacinth is more obvious at the moment, there is always a presence of aquatic weeds in the river system.
“We commit significant resources to the control of water weeds on the Fitzroy River,” said Cr Smith.
“Our pest management team are proactively spraying the weeds all year round in order to protect the health of our river system.
“While the weeds that we’re seeing at the moment certainly aren’t the most attractive, they are expected given the recent rainfall.
“Boat owners should be aware that the hyacinth that has been washed downstream may make it difficult to launch boats and may affect motors.
“We encourage boat owners to be cautious while launching, and to ensure any boats moored in the river are monitored closely by their owners for the possible build-up of weeds.
“We can see there is still more hyacinth upstream, so this is an issue that is likely to continue for the next little while.
“Hyacinth does not survive in salt water, so we can be confident the weeds aren’t going to continue to spread downstream of the Barrage.”
