State department and local school kids work together to keep watch over Moggill Creek

Increased urban development in the Western Suburbs of Brisbane is threatening the quality of the local environment. In particular, runoff is impacting on water quality and visible signs such as rising salinity and blue-green algal blooms are becoming more prevalent.

Since 1995, scientists from the Queensland Environmental Protection agency (EPA) and Brisbane City Council (BCC) have monitored the water quality in many creeks in South East Queensland.

In 2004 Year 5 students from Indooroopilly State School (ISS) assisted these authorities to collect important data about Moggill Creek. The Creek flows into the Brisbane River in the Western Suburbs. The members of the class collected water samples from the creek to test for chemicals. Jack Simpson, a student from ISS said, “The class also took samples of different species of fish and macro-invertebrates. I loved looking at the macro-invertebrates the best, they are great water bugs.”