Merri Creek Management Committee

IMG 1022Celebrate World Habitat Day and improve local biodiversity by removing litter and doing some weeding along this section of the Edgars Creek in Thomastown. All clean-up gear provided, along with light refreshments. Children welcome (supervised by adult).

Saturday 29 September, 10 am to 11:30 am

Edgars Creek, Thomastown, behind Thomastown library. Meet at the playground – mel ref 8G6 see map

Registration essential - see under "Read more" 

Merri Creek turbidity Blyth St, 20 June 2018

In May we reported on a major turbidity event in Merri Creek in our Muddy Merri Troubles article. The  intense yellow colour of Merri Creek generated high levels of community concern. A month later, in mid-June, the same thing happened again. This time we decided to measure turbidity levels of the creek in Brunswick East.
In brief we found:
(1) The highest level of turbidity - 500 NTU - was exceptionally high, and higher than any other recorded level in the lower urban reaches of Merri Creek over the last 18 years.
(2) It took 15 days of steady decline for the turbidity to drop below 20 NTU.
(3) Merri Creek was perceived as 'very muddy' for 14 days; it was only when turbidity dropped to 22 NTU that it was seen as ‘improving and clearing’.
You can read the detailed results of our investigation by following the prompt below or download the full report as a pdf.

Australia’s gum trees can guide student inquiry, dialogue and critical thinking entry for STEAM (Science Technology Engineering Arts Mathematics) as well as Law and Language. This three minute video - Gum tree learning: Inspiring primary educators to teach with Australian eucalypts provides teacher support for the cross-cultural curriculum priority (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures). Use in the classroom and pause to focus on different elements.

Waterbug BlitzMacroinvertebrates (waterbugs) are key bioindcators for determining the health of waterways as they are a key part of the food chain and can tell us about the health of the ecosystem.
Join Merri Creek Management Committee for our spring Merri Creek  Waterbug sampling session Sunday 28 October as we collect data on waterbug diversity for Melbourne Water project priorities. The session will cover:

  • sampling and collecting of waterbugs
  • identifying live waterbugs to Family level and sometimes beyond!
  • Collecting information that will be part of the first ever National Waterbug Blitz!
  • lunch provided

Bookings essential- click on 'Read more' below.  Please include any dietary requirements.

Muddy Merri upstream from Blyth St bridgeA dramatic change in the colour of Merri Creek - from its usual darkish hue to a worrying, pale-yellow - had concerned locals contacting MCMC, posting on Facebook and reporting the issue to the EPA. The spate of yellow muddiness began after rain in mid-May and continued for more than three weeks, an unprecedented time. 'Old hands' said that the turbidity (sediment load) in Merri Creek was much worse than anything they'd seen in their decades of creek-watching. What caused this massive pollution event? Was it 'natural', or the result of disturbance from urban development activity? 

Photo above: Merri Creek at Blyth St, Brunswick East, 15 May 2018

WED Planting 2018A new group of volunteers will now be working on the last Wednesday morning of each month to help care for Merri Creek. You too can be part of it . No skills required, just a willingness to work!
The group will work with skilled Merri Creek Management Committee staff to undertake a range of tasks.
Depending on the time of year, activities could include:

  • planting;
  • handweeding;
  • jute mat installation;
  • erosion control coir log installation;
  • search and destroy missions for South African Weed Orchid;
  • weed mapping and vegetation assessment;
  • woody weed removal.

If you'd like to be part of this new  group, please email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and put 'Wednesday Group' in the subject line.

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