4 January 2007

Lake Tuggeranong, what is it good for?

| johnboy
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In the wake of the storms the Canberra Times has a piece on the closure of Lake Tuggeranong while the crap is fished out of it.

Which begs the question, what is that teeny lake used for that anyone would care if it was closed?

It’s also worth noting that, for locals upset by urban neglect, a picture published on RiotACT has done the business in the past.

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What is it good for?
All the lakes in the urban areas except LBG are ‘water quality control ponds’. They capture the crap that people wash down their stormwater drains thinking that it somehow all goes to the sewage treatment plant so doesn’t matter. But it goes to the local creek/pond/lake instead. And that’s a good thing because a) it gives the govmint a chance to capture and clean up any drastic spills before it gets to the river, and b) it helps get the message home to cretins that what they put down the drain ends up in the lake where their kids play – keeping cause and effect close together rather than far enough away for it to be dilute/someone else’s problem.
The other day I chipped a couple of arsehole commercial painters in Gungahlin town centre washing all their stuff out down a drain and they claimed that “Dulux told us it is biodegradable so can go down the drain”. Tried to explain the difference between sink drains and stormwater drains and the difference between biodegradable and pollution anyway but they didn’t want to hear. One said “just walk away now.” So I did and called the rangers…

Why didn’t they open the flood gates and give the Murrumbidgee a good flush

Tuggeranong Dam has no flood gates. It is a giant wier. A lot of the water did end up going down Tuggeranong Creek, and into the ‘Bidgee.

Any waterway that has no flow, and is subjected to the right conditions (heat, drought etc) is a candidate for blue green algae. It’s no Tuggeranong special!

Ahh captain america.. you could back up your Tuggeranong bashing instead of just doing it..

like, at least Lake ginninderra isn’t being clsoed to be cleaned up. and doesnt LT historically have repetitive blue green algae problems ?

It’s fulfilling its primary purpose right now.
Water treatment.
That its a nice place most of the time is just a bonus.

Captain America10:11 pm 04 Jan 07

I think there’s an unnecessary word in the title of this article. “Lake”.

Why didn’t they open the flood gates and give the Murrumbidgee a good flush? That’s what water does, it flows to the path of least resistance.

We have built all these beautiful (straight) concrete stormwater drains that speed the stormwater on its way. These used to be creeks that had twists and turn which took the energy out of the water and diverted it to the surrounding land. Now we have made giant water slides that (in Tuggeranong’s case) end up in the lake. Make more wetlands, or let some of this overflow do what it was meant to, and feed into, and flush the Murrumbidgee.

I’ve seen people playing with their model boats on it, which is sort of sweet.

Vic Bitterman5:18 pm 04 Jan 07

Lake Tuggers is a good breeding ground for Murray Cod, a fish that was once rare and endangered.

CT article itself mentions rowing, swimming – and it is usually lovely, a cool, scenic ‘green space’ amenity to bike/walk/jog round. Couldn’t do without it.
I would like to see it maintained properly but (like everything in the ACT at the moment, it seems) these things only seem to get done AFTER some kind of disaster happens. Anyone else noticed that the disasters usually happen in January when all the “ministers” are conveniently on leave???
Thank God for the Emergency Services and all the other coalface services, and a big thumbs down to the policy end, who feel entitled to so much yet responsible for so little.

i enjoy a good row once in a while

The way I read it – the lake was closed until the cleand out all teh GPT’s (gross pollutant traps) around all the inlets of the lake.

Not like the lake was awash with refuse.

As far as I can see its just sensationalism when the CT reports on things doing their job adequately and not allowing crap into the lake.

In saying so – Im probably right off the mark.

I suspect that the asthetic value of said little lake may be the issue here, as opposed to the running of the next Canberra Airport Group regatta mate.

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