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Upper Yarra River Catchment Maps March 2008

Drinking Water Supply for 1,200,000+ people.

9000+ hectares of Melbourne's Water Supply heavily sprayed with a range of pesticides. Most spraying occurs within 20km of Sugarloaf Reservoir.

What are the Chemical Loads and why does Melbourne Water only test for two currently used pesticides (2,4-D and Atrazine (since 2006))?

Main pesticides of concern to Melbournians would probably be; Parathion Methyl, Paraquat, Diquat, Simazine, Chlorpyrifos, Carbaryl, Methomyl.

Also a worry to people and health of Yarra River and tributaries would probably be; Mancozeb, Paraquat, Diquat, Maldison, Thiram, Metiram, Pirimicarb, Triclopyr, Methomyl, Ipriodione, Dimethoate, Captan, Endosulfan, Abamectin, Propargite, Azinphos Methyl & Esfenvalerate.

Breakdown of different pesticides according to Pesticide Action Network

Pesticide Name
Type
PAN BAD ACTOR
ACUTE TOXICITY
CARCINOGEN
CHOLINESTERASE INHIBITOR
GROUND WATER CONTAMINANT
DEVELOPMENTAL REPRODUCTIVE TOXIN
ENDOCRINE DISRUPTOR
Abamectin
Botanical
I
YES
YES
NOT LIKELY
NO
?
?
SUSPECTED
Azinphos Methyl
Organophosphorus
I
YES
YES
NOT LIKELY
YES
POTENTIAL
?
?
Captan
Thiophthalimide
F
YES
YES
YES
NO
?
?
?
Carbaryl
Methyl Carbamate
I
YES
MOD
YES
YES
POTENTIAL
?
SUSPECTED
Chlorpyrifos
Organophosphorus
I
YES
MOD
NOT LIKELY
YES
?
?
SUSPECTED
Dimethoate
Organophosphorus
I
YES
YES
POSSIBLE
YES
POTENTIAL
YES
?
Diquat
Bipyridylium
H
NOT LISTED
MODERATE
NOT LIKELY
NO
POTENTIAL
?
?
Endosulfan
Organochlorine
I
YES
YES
NOT LIKELY
NO
?
?
SUSPECTED
Esfenvalerate
Pyrethroid
I
NOT LISTED
MODERATE
NOT LIKELY
NO
?
?
SUSPECTED
Maldison
Organophosphorus
I
YES
MODERATE
POSSIBLE
YES
POTENTIAL
?
SUSPECTED
Mancozeb
Dithiocarbamate Inorganic Zinc
F
YES
NOT ACUTELY
CARCINOGEN
NO
?
YES
SUSPECTED
Methomyl
Methyl Carbamate
I
YES
YES
NOT LIKELY
YES
POTENTIAL
?
SUSPECTED
Metiram
Dithiocarbamate Inorganic Zinc
F
YES
NOT ACUTELY
YES
NO
POTENTIAL
YES
SUSPECTED
Paraquat
Bipyridylium
H
YES
YES
NOT LIKELY
NO
POTENTIAL
?
?
Parathion Methyl
Organophosphorus
I
YES
YES
UNCLASSIFIABLE
YES
POTENTIAL
?
SUSPECTED
Pirimicarb
N-Methyl Carbamate
I
YES
MODERATE
YES
YES
?
?
?
Propargite
Unclassified
I
YES
YES
YES
NO
?
YES
?
Simazine
Triazine
H
YES
SLIGHT
POSSIBLE
NO
YES
YES
SUSPECTED
Thiram
Dithiocarbamate
F
YES
MODERATE
UNCLASSIFIABLE
NO
?
YES
SUSPECTED
Triclopyr
Chloropyridinyl
H
Not Listed
SLIGHT
UNCLASSIFIABLE
NO
?
?
?

 

What about the hundreds of other pesticides used upstream of the offtake to Sugarloaf Reservoir?

Sugarloaf Reservoir provides drinking water to almost 700,000 people in the Melbourne suburbs of; Alphington, Arthurs Creek, Balwyn, Balwyn East, Balwyn North, Banyule, Box Hill North, Briar Hill, Brunswick, Brunswick East, Brunswick West, Bulleen, Bundoora, Burwood, Camberwell, Canterbury, Coburg, Croxton, Deepdene, Diamond Creek, Doncaster, Doreen, Eaglemont, Eltham, Epping, Fairfield, Glen Iris, Greensborough, Greythorn, Hawthorn, Hawthorn East, Heidelberg, Heidelberg Heights, Heidelberg West, Hurstbridge, Ivanhoe, Kangaroo Ground, Keon Park, Kew, Kingsbury, Lalor, Lower Plenty, Maclead, Malvern, Mernda, Mill Park, Mont Albert, Montmorency, Northcote, Northland Centre, Nutfield, Pascoe Vale, Plenty, Preston, Research, Reservoir, Rosanna, Smiths Gully, South Morang, Templestowe Lower, Thomastown, Thornbury, View Bank, Watsonia, Wattle Glen, Whittlesea, Yallambie, Yarrambat. (Orange shading represents communities sourcing almost exclusively from Sugarloaf).

Sugarloaf Reservoir also supplies almost 500,000 customers of City West Water in the following regions; Werribee, Little River, Altona, Werribee South, Footscray, Deer Park, East Keilor, Strathmore, Moonee Ponds, Parkville.

Sugarloaf Reservoir sometimes supplies South East Water Customers, particularly in drier times. Suburbs include; Albert Park, Balaclava, Gardenvale, Garden City, Fishermens Bend, Elwood, Elsternwick, Melbourne, Middle Park, Prahan, Ripponlea, South Melbourne, South Yarra, Southbank, St/Kilda/West, St.Kilda/East, Windsor.

Land Use (excluding grazing, urban and forestry)above Offtake to Sugarloaf
ha
Number of Agrochemicals Registered in Victoria by Crop Type
Vineyards
3904.3
~110+
Orchards (Apples, Citrus etc)
1549.2
~65-110
Cut Flowers/Nurseries etc
1225.9
?
Potatoes
989.22
~70+
Berries (Strawberries, Rasberries, etc)
936.52
25+
Vegetables
490.37
15-75
Tree Plantations
117.47
~35
Olives
32.94
~10
Total
9244.92

 

Other Yarra Catchment Maps Here

Streams in Yarra River Catchment upstream of Sugarloaf Reservoir

Map of the Yarra River Catchment upstream of Sugarloaf Reservoir. The dark blue areas are 'closed catchments', where activities are very limited.

Map of the Yarra River Catchment upstream of Sugarloaf Reservoir. The Yarra River catchment is the most intensively farmed water supply catchment in Victoria. Dark Green = Vineyards. Light Green = Orchards. Red = Berry farms. Pink = Cut Flowers/Nurseries. Orange = Potatoes. Tan = Vegetables. Purple = Tree Plantations.

Map of the Yarra River Catchment upstream of Sugarloaf Reservoir. The Yarra River catchment is the most intensively farmed water supply catchment in Victoria. Dark Green = Vineyards. Light Green = Orchards. Red = Berry farms. Pink = Cut Flowers/Nurseries. Orange = Potatoes. Tan = Vegetables. Purple = Tree Plantations.

1. = Olinda Creek. 2. = Stringybark Creek. 3 = Wandin Yallock Creek (part of Woori Yallock Creek). 4=Woori Yallock Creek. 5 = Hoddles Creek. 6 = remaining Yarra catchment. Dark Green = Vineyards. Light Green = Orchards. Red = Berry farms. Pink = Cut Flowers/Nurseries. Orange = Potatoes. Tan = Vegetables. Purple = Tree Plantations.

Urban landuse upstream of Melbourne's drinking water.

Urban land use within Yarra River sub-catchments in water supply. 1. = Olinda Creek. 2. = Stringybark Creek. 3 = Wandin Yallock Creek (part of Woori Yallock Creek). 4=Woori Yallock Creek. 5 = Hoddles Creek. 6 = remaining Yarra catchment.

Urban and Agricultural land use above Sugarloaf Reservoir (excluding dryland grazing). Dark Green = Vineyards. Light Green = Orchards. Red = Berry farms. Pink = Cut Flowers/Nurseries. Orange = Potatoes. Tan = Vegetables. Purple = Tree Plantations. Brown = Mining. Orange = Sewage Treatment Facilities

Dark Green = Vineyards. Light Green = Orchards. Red = Berry farms. Pink = Cut Flowers/Nurseries. Orange = Potatoes. Tan = Vegetables. Purple = Tree Plantations. 1. = Olinda Creek. 2. = Stringybark Creek. 3. = Woori Yallock Creek. 4. = remaining Yarra catchment.

Olinda Creek highlighted showing location of currently constructed Croydon Golf Course.

Olinda Creek highlighted. Black = Urban/Industrial. Grey = light Urban. Brown = Mining. Orange = Lilydale Sewage Treatment Plant. Dark Green = Vineyards. Light Green = Orchards. Red = Berry farms. Pink = Cut Flowers/Nurseries. Orange = Potatoes. Tan = Vegetables. Purple = Tree Plantations.

Location of Stringybark Creek

Agricultural Land Use within Stringybark Creek Catchment, excluding dry land farming.

Woori Yallock catchment highlighted.

Woori Yallock catchment agricultural land use. Dark Green = Vineyards. Light Green = Orchards. Red = Berry farms. Pink = Cut Flowers/Nurseries. Orange = Potatoes. Tan = Vegetables. Purple = Tree Plantations.

Wandin Yallock Creek highlighted

Wandin Yallock catchment agricultural land use. Dark Green = Vineyards. Light Green = Orchards. Red = Berry farms. Pink = Cut Flowers/Nurseries. Orange = Potatoes. Tan = Vegetables.

Wandin Yallock Water Supply Protection Area & agricultural land use. Dark Green = Vineyards. Light Green = Orchards. Red = Berry farms. Pink = Cut Flowers/Nurseries. Orange = Potatoes. Tan = Vegetables.

Other Yarra Catchment Maps Here