Led by the University of Technology Sydney, this project looks at what causes algal blooms in the upper Murrumbidgee and how they can be managed. Blooms of blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) in Tantangara Dam can affect the quality of the water released for the environment and the health of the river downstream.
The work examines the drivers of blooms, including flow, nutrients and water quality; how the water in the dam and in the river’s deeper pools layers by temperature and oxygen; the sources and levels of bacteria in the river; and how nutrients travel from the catchment into the waterway. Together this builds a clearer picture of why blooms occur and what can be done to reduce their impact.
