Waterway and Catchment Health

Thousands of Waterwatch volunteers head out every year to sample and monitor their local waterways. Why? Here are some facts to consider:

  • Victoria has over 330,000 kms of creeks and rivers, over 17,000 wetlands greater than one hectare in size, and over 120 bays, inlets and estuaries.
  • Only 23% of Victoria’s rivers are considered in good or excellent condition. Download the latest Index of Stream condition report.
  • 606 dedicated volunteer Waterwatch monitors visited 835 sites in 2014 / 2015 - most members monitored seasonally or more frequently. This spatial coverage value-adds to other monitoring programs such as the Water Measurement Information System, and fills local monitoring gaps.

To view Waterwatch data on your local waterway, visit the Waterwatch Data Portal.