Water Catchments

evaporationprecipitation

(rain, snow)

condensation

transpiration from plants

surface runoff

energy from the sun drives

the water cycle

groundwater movement

Absorption into the ground

What’s a catchment?

Melbourne’s water catchments

Image copyright Melbourne Water

Melbourne’s Yarra

• Pristine mountain beginnings of the Upper

Yarra

• Final journey to the sea

• Unfortunately our rivers pay the price when we don’t take

care in the catchment.

River health in Melbourne’s water catchment

Image copyright Melbourne Water

Sources of water pollution

Litter from households, shopping centres, etc.

Toxic waste from industrial sites

Paint and detergent from houses Animal

droppingsRoad runoff oil & petrol

Research a River Catchment

River Research

Melbourne• Melbourne and the surrounding region are part of the Port

Phillip and Western Port catchment management area. Melbourne Water has an interactive website where you can investigate the health of your own river system. An interactive map of river conditions can be found at:

www.melbournewater.com.au/content/rivers_and_creeks/river_health/index_of_river_condition.asp

• To find details of local Friends, Landcare or other community groups, contact the Port Philip and Western Port Catchment Management Authorities, www.ppwcma.vic.gov.au, the local council or Melbourne Water.

River Research

Regional Victoria• Each of the ten regional Victorian catchment areas have a

website where students can begin to investigate some of the activities of their local catchment management authorities (CMA).

– Corangamite CMA - ccma.vic.gov.au – East Gippsland CMA www.egcma.com.au – Glenelg Hopkins www.glenelg-hopkins.vic.gov.au – Golbourn Broken CMA www.gbcma.vic.gov.au – Mallee CMA www.malleecma.vic.gov.au – North Central CMA www.nccma.vic.gov.au – North East CMA necma.vic.gov.au – Port Phillip and Western Port CMA ppwcma.vic.gov.au – West Gippsland CMA www.wgcma.vic.gov.au – Wimmera CMA www.wcma.vic.gov.au