Friends of Wooditjup Bilya: Streamflow and Ecology in the Margaret River

Despite a rather wet Makuru season this year, stream flow in the Wooditjup Bilya has been declining for decades. But what does declining flow mean for water quality, river health and river dependent ecology?  Join Ash Ramsay, senior hydrographer from Department of Water and Environmental Regulation as he shares his observations from decades of monitoring streamflow in the Margaret River.  

The guided walk is the latest event in Nature Conservation’s Friends of Wooditjup Bilya (Margaret River) program, which features a packed 12-month calendar of events to inspire and educate locals about our iconic waterway. 

After the walk, join us for the work. The Friends of Wooditjup Bilya volunteers will have a unique opportunity to get their hands dirty and contribute to rehabilitating the banks of the Wooditjup Bilya. 

Want to join us? 

Registrations are essential, please ensure you secure a ticket. Specific location will be sent to all participants prior to the event. Please note that children must be accompanied by a parent and participants must have sturdy shoes, hat and water bottle. Tickets are free, and donations are most welcome. Every donation dollar goes back into restoring the Margaret River.

For more information contact: Lauren Scanlon, Friends of Wooditjup Bilya coordinator, at lauren.scanlon@natureconservation.org.au 

Please note: Tickets are limited and there is a waiting list so please let us know if you can't make it!

This program is funded by the Shire of Augusta-Margaret River through the Environmental Management Fund. 

About Ash:

Ash joined DWER (water and Rivers Commission) in 1997 as a trainee hydrographer and joined the SW region water measurement team in 1998. As a junior hydrographer he spent years visiting and maintaining our regions network of gauging stations throughout the capes area.

In 2005 he was the supervising hydrographer for the department’s Environmental Water program determining Environmental Water Requirements for capes waterways. His primary role was overseeing the collection of strategic water measurements for calibration of our eco-hydraulic models, including the Margaret River, and working in with the universities and our River Science branch in ecological sampling. The program also included surface water/groundwater interactions investigations on the Margaret River pools.

In 2011, as the senior hydrographer in the region, he managed the adaptive management network of gauging stations that supported the calibration and validation of the rainfall/runoff models that underpin the department’s Planning and Allocation Tool (PAT). This is the primary surface water licensing decision support tool for many of the sub-area within the capes area.

He currently manages the water measurement program in the region.