Herbicide | Bushcare Blue Mountains

This Paper was presented by Aquatic Systems Officer Christina Day at a National Conference

Christina Day 1, Ian A. Wright2, Amy St Lawrence1, Robert Setter1, Geoffrey Smith1

Environment Branch, Blue Mountains City Council, Locked Bag 1005, Katoomba, NSW, 2780. cday@bmcc.nsw.gov.au
School of Science and Health, University of Western Sydney, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW 2751. i.wright@uws.edu.au.

Key Points

The recently registered SharkTM Aquatic Herbicide (240g/L carfentrazone-ethyl) was used at Glenbrook Lagoon to treat an infestation of cabomba, one of the first applications of this scale in Australia.
Water quality and ecological effects were monitored to determine the impacts of the herbicide on a large natural water body.
One year later, monitoring programs show a return to healthy dissolved oxygen levels; a healthy population of native fish and turtles; and no evidence of cabomba or weed water lily.
This case study highlights the challenges involved with planning and implementing a large scale aquatic weed control program and the importance of understanding and careful consideration of the current physical, chemical and biological conditions of the individual water body being targeted.

Download the full Glenbrook Lagoon paper at:

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