WARNING! Tuggerah Lake Anglers

[eastwood1980]

ahhh so many posts to reply to

What can the council practically do? Not alot im afraid, This stuff sinks unlike your typical algal bloom (see: blue green) that would mean the only fesible method of mass removing it would be dredging... Now take into account the huge areas were talking about that cost would be huge - and where do you put the contaminated sand? ALSO if they were to emegency dredge it would literally destroy all the natural weedbeds undeneath the algae. Some say open the channel, whilst this would be the best *LONG TERM* option, I've overheard conversations last winter blackfishing with the locals down on the entrance wall about the bridges ability to withstand full tidal flow without 'river footings' underneath each pylon. (they were never installed when the bridge was constructed to save money or something like that) , so that too is out of the question.

I have been praised & verbally abused for hailing boats over to advise them, unfortunatley the abusive ones were cleaning the algae off their crab pots and throwing them into ourimbah creek on their way presumably back to the boat ramp. Which boils my blood as ive been telling the local yakking fraternity just how far down the creek they need to be 'safe' from the bloom whilst ididots are just chucking it over the side speeding up its progress further & further down ourimbah creek.

I checked wyong river mouth and its the same story - red washups along the weed banks.

Went out this morning for a flick and film so I can throw together a boring video for you guys.

EDIT:  No Bream  Updated map to for Wyong & This mornings Trip

*SO FAR: couple mates have prawned under and east of the bridge for decent hauls and no ill effects from consuming or any algae running out withe the tide*

<Reserved For Video>

Video uploading now

Wow your map indicates that the algae has covered more grounds....... Scary......

[qnut]

Wow your map indicates that the algae has covered more grounds....... Scary.....

thank god you quoted my post... I accidentally deleted it :\ Here is promised crappy thrown together video...

Yes it has grown or atleast shifted with the winds... I went to the mouth of wyong river on sat and encountered it there... also another raider said he has seen it SPing around tuggerahwong... so I have updated the map to represent.

Edited November 18, 2014 by Qnut

[eastwood1980]

thank god you quoted my post... I accidentally deleted it :\ Here is promised crappy thrown together video...

Yes it has grown or atleast shifted with the winds... I went to the mouth of wyong river on sat and encountered it there... also another raider said he has seen it SPing around tuggerahwong... so I have updated the map to represent.

Great vid, hmmm doesn't seem that bad or is it?

[qnut]

As I mentioned in the video, thats whats been blown across the flats or lake... pitty it was so cloudy underwater footage was so murky you couldnt see the big plumes of it at the end of the point but its around.

On the map, chittaway point is like a giant arrow pointing almost at the entrance... if it blows across the lake from anywhere but westerly its usually going to get caught on the flats at the point. Also my pictures with my weedless rigged sp's bringing up that much weed cast after cast.

Its just a quickly thrown together video at 6:30 so people can at least identify the stuff , wasnt going to go snorkeling or waist deep looking for the big blankets of red haha..

Edited November 18, 2014 by Qnut

[eastwood1980]

As I mentioned in the video, thats whats been blown across the flats or lake... pitty it was so cloudy underwater footage was so murky you couldnt see the big plumes of it at the end of the point but its around.

On the map, chittaway point is like a giant arrow pointing almost at the entrance... if it blows across the lake from anywhere but westerly its usually going to get caught on the flats at the point. Also my pictures with my weedless rigged sp's bringing up that much weed cast after cast.

Its just a quickly thrown together video at 6:30 so people can at least identify the stuff , wasnt going to go snorkeling or waist deep looking for the big blankets of red haha..

Sorry Qnut if I sounded really rude.....

You went through a lot of trouble getting that footage. Thank heaps for putting the video up for us to see, specially me

[qnut]

GOOD NEWS!


went for a 5am flick at chittaway point - the huge piles of red weed must have been blown away. not much left around there at all!!!

Will wait till I hear from mates fishing out on boats this weekend and update the map/ask admin to unsticky thread if the reports are good!

[qnut]

Red weed still about this morning... I wont bother posting the videos but yeah, its just being blown around the place - council wont do shit about it esp. now its tourist time better keep it hush hush. The merger has been on the cards for years & they will not open the entrance channel anytime soon if at all. The bridge is not built for it.




IF ANYBODY IS FISHING THE LAKE THIS WEEKEND:

Please report any findings of red weed. I can only get to so many locations with other life commitments. Please report your location and whether you were encountering alot of weed or minor amount in this thread.

Fellow anglers and myself are depending on fishos to be vigilant and kind enough to report it as it will be a benefit to us all.

Edited November 21, 2014 by Qnut

[qnut]

Update, Im going to ask the mods to unsticky this thread for now, A few mates had fished the entrance channel due east of pelican island and reported no red algae (YES it is still around but doesn't seem to be blooming into large tufts)

I myself has seen some yesterday but nothing being dragged up on blades or jigheads.


I can only guess that the conditions have changed and the algae cannot sustain its bloom? I dont know. But as things SEEM to be clearing up. Prawn runs were alright and no ill effects reported either.

thanks to all that contributed to this thread.

Also noticed some wicked phosfluroesence in ourimbah creek last night - boat motor wash that was bright green and 12ft long & spooked mullet leaving green trails on the surface & green explosions when they jump - havent seen that in a few years pitty the camera has such a hard time picking it up

Tight Lines.

Edited November 23, 2014 by Qnut

[piratesgold]

how WOULD a council get rid of it? dredge it? poison it?

[Guest no one]

To get rid of it isn't realistic - howeve to make people aware of it by using signs at boat ramps and popular land based sports can help people from getting ill. More publicity less cases of people being ill

[qnut]

To get rid of it isn't realistic - howeve to make people aware of it by using signs at boat ramps and popular land based sports can help people from getting ill. More publicity less cases of people being ill

Tuggerah lake is a slack-water estuary, From beach to bridge (300m?) the tide takes 3 hours to cover that 300m... Anything further out than say 'the wall' or entrance boatramp tide levels are negligable. Where I am located the biggest difference in tide was recorded by old mate with a house on the creek and measuring sticks (22mm) in a 24hr cycle... This could also be explained by wind (pushing surface levels around).

In regards to the weed - its not going to go anywhere in slack water, at best we can hope conditions become unsuitable for the massive & rapid growth we had seen last month atleast keeping a lid on what remains in the system. There IS still some of this stuff about, I see it alot on the flats but I have asked tef1on to unpin as these growths are smaller at the moment and recent winds have swept alot of it around to different parts of the lake i'd imagine. And Crab pots around Ourimbah Creek Mouth are still getting algae on them- Whether thats making the locals crook or not I don't know, I refuse to throw my pots out at the current time (also due to stealing etc.)

I went out in the flats with a fair size cut to the foot a week ago and apon reterning to the car to remove my wading boots had some wrapped up on my foot. It may be conincidense but I had the runs the very next day but no nausia.

If you do see a large clump of it on your lure or line, Please bag it up and send it directly to:

Mr Darren Webber MP (Lib) Member for Wyong - With a note saying merry christmas from tuggerah lake.

'If its red 'n brown, Motor around'

[qnut]

Sorry for the double post BUT:

What really makes my blood boil about this situation is the MAJORITY of current water front residents in my street using the creek (constant outflow into lake) as their personal green bin!!!!!!

Ive seen full palms, Lantana, Lawn clippings (seen being emptied from catcher into water) , Cactus, Shrub prunings, pot plants, whole boganvillias and various greenery floating out into the lake or being caught up on the snags. These people who obviously dont care/dont know that the green waste their throwing directly into the water has such a high fertiliser/nutrient content that when it breaks down in large quanitites it gives pests like these algae and black ooze (microbacterial breakdown) the chance to thrive (& stink) due to the over abundance of nutrients.

From My street ALONE: I have removed: 2x Computer screen - a radial heater -old CRT tv screen, countless plastic bags, a large aloe vera plant, a large lantana, Two potplants, some weird vine someobdy didnt want caught on a snag, computer tower, dozens of old car motor oil /weed n feed , various chemical bottles in various states of decay. This is in ONE location.

out of sight out of mind. Enjoy the lake now - because at this rate im almost postitive your children or childrens children will not have the opportunity to do so.

Anywonder a algal growth can take off in a matter of weeks.

[mrsswordfisherman]

Raiders I received some emails from Wyong Council Communications Officer requesting permission to respond to this thread on fishraider. This is the information below.

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Clarification regarding algae found in lakes

Wyong Shire Council became aware of the red algae - that has recently presented in various locations of Tuggerah Lake - on 30 October 2014 and notes the concerns raised on this forum since that time.

Council has taken a number of samples of the algae from 31 October 2014 and spoken to key staff within the NSW Office of Water, NSW Office of Environment and Heritage, NSW Fisheries, the University of Newcastle, Hunter Water and Professor Alan Millar of the Royal Botanic Gardens in Sydney, who has been studying algae for more than 30 years.

Council is waiting for Professor Millar to return from a research expedition to formally identify the exact species of algae and provide us with his findings.

In the interim, both Professor Millar and the University of Newcastle have confirmed from photographs the algae is a species of macroalgae and, like all other known macroalgae that bloom from time to time in our estuary, has no known adverse health effects or toxic characteristics. This means it does not make fish in Tuggerah Lake toxic to eat - a statement we acknowledge is contrary to the advice given by Bob Staines in his column in the Express Advocate, 7 November 2014.

Council contacted The Express Advocate and the sources used to provide the information to the column. None of the sources had actually stated the fish are toxic to eat and none of them were in fact industry experts like Professor Millar.

Council has been advised by other members of the community that some people have been experiencing ‘stinging’ eyes when hauling in nets full of the algae whilst others have had no such effects.

If this is occurring it may be due to increased concentrations of chemical compounds generated in the decomposition process or increased concentrations of other microorganisms the algae may be harbouring. These increased concentrations are believed to be merely a side effect of the increased volumes of algae that were noted as being present rather than toxins associated with the particular species.

Council encourages members of the forum to read the following article by Professor Millar titled ‘Bloomin Algae’. It’s a general write up on what algae is and how it works, and may help dispel some unwarranted fears.

As a final note for the benefit and information of readers, the ‘ownership’ and regulation of the lake and activities undertaken within it does not actually fall to Wyong Shire Council. These functions sit with various departments of State Government. Despite this, Council continues to take an active interest in the health and wellbeing of Tuggerah Lakes in recognition of the value Wyong Shire community holds for the estuary.

Part of Council’s efforts have included the removal of more than 12,000 cubic metres of wrack and algae from the estuary in 2013/14- something we are on track to replicate again in 2014/15. Numerous other works continue to be delivered such as:

• The installation of new and additional gross pollutant traps
• Constructed wetlands to improve stormwater quality
• Foreshore upgrades to enhance mixing of waters near the shoreline to minimise the spread of wrack and algae on our foreshores.

Council also continues to undertake regular water quality monitoring in Tuggerah Lakes to measure and track estuarine health. Regular updates can be found on our website at www.wyong.nsw.gov.au

If you would like more information, please contact Council’s Waterways and Asset Management team on 4350 5555 or email wsc@wyong.nsw.gov.au

Bloomin Algae2.pdf

[Guest no one]

Good on them for putting out a reply with so much detail.

[golf_fish]

I like the part where it said:

"some people have been experiencing ‘stinging’ eyes when hauling in nets full of the algae"

Isn't that a dam shame!!

Find somewhere else to trawl your nets then!!

[golf_fish]

But thanks for posting that MrsS....

[qnut]

Thank you very much for the reply Mrs Swordie.. I have noticed the weed has dissipated alot. And you know for sure its dissipated with you have 3 to 8 pro haulers sitting 120m off the end of my street by 6:30am of a morning. Insane how many co-op boats are about.

[fook]

hi, just wondering about the algae conditions? is it better after the days of rain? is it safe to prawn?

thanks

[qnut]

hi, just wondering about the algae conditions? is it better after the days of rain? is it safe to prawn?

thanks

I myself havent spotted any algae for a few weeks I believe the bloom had something to do with the rapidly rising water temp & has since died down. Prawning has been VERY GOOD with large specimens comming into the nets & quite heafty hauls. Yes - Prawning is Safe - Had a few friends get some good catches with NO ill-effects.

[fook]

Thanks for the advice. will be prawning the next new moon.

[qnut]

This post can be removed - The lake is clear of any *Related* algae growths mentioned in this post

[nbdshroom]

There is a number of informative posts in this thread, so rather than deleting it, I'll unpin it.

[gregh1]

Just wondering if there is still red week in the lakes system!!!

[Bruce the Postie]

No ,all gone .

[whatdoiclick]

May as well point it out that this algae is now up around the toukley-gorokan bridge too, so its by no means gone entirely from the system sadly

Edited January 27, 2017 by whatdoiclick
additional information added