Water sampling at Everlasting Swamp

Heat, hail and dancing brolgas: DCCEEW scientists conducting fieldwork at Everlasting Swamp in early November were welcomed with the full spectrum of beauty and hardship that the unique wetland has to offer. They left excited about its huge restoration potential.

Despite its natural beauty, Everlasting Swamp has been heavily degraded by historic drainage works and tidal restriction infrastructure, leading to ecosystem decline, black water events and some of the worst acid sulfate soil discharges of any NSW wetland.

Accurate environmental and water quality data are crucial for understanding the complexities of Everlasting Swamp and guiding its restoration. DCCEEW, in close consultation with project partners and the local community, will conduct a detailed site assessment that will inform a restoration options plan. This plan will address the site’s ecological challenges while considering its natural values and its potential for restoration.

In August, the Estuaries and Catchments science team installed telemetered water quality loggers at three Everlasting Swamp sites to support water quality monitoring and climate change preparedness under the NSW Marine Estate Management and Blue Carbon Strategies. With the loggers operational for three months, the team returned in early November to service them, "ground-truth" proposed water sampling sites and collect additional water quality data.

Dr Jeffrey Tsang, a Senior Scientist with the Estuaries and Catchments team in DCCEEW's Biodiversity and Conservation Science (DCCEEW – BCS) Group said the loggers provide real-time site-specific data on water quality in Everlasting Swamp, improving our understanding of the ecosystem and how it might change in response to various events such as sea level rise and runoff from land use.  

“We need to visit regularly to service them, ensure they are giving us reliable data, and collect water quality samples from additional monitoring sites," he said.

Ground-truthing came with challenges. On the first day of fieldwork, the team sheltered safely in their vehicle as a storm front pelted the landscape with hail. When the storm passed, sweltering heat and humidity took its place. Flooded trails and overgrown vegetation made some sampling sites inaccessible.

Beyond environmental hurdles, Everlasting Swamp’s mix of National Park land and private property requires careful collaboration with the National Parks and Wildlife Service, robust biosecurity protocols, and engagement with landholders to protect farmland and conservation areas from potential contaminants.

The fieldwork was a success, with 10 sites sampled, inaccessible sites flagged for relocation, and strong connections built with landholders. Despite the harsh conditions, the team was pleased to be able to revisit one of NSW's most interesting coastal wetlands.

Dancing brolgas greeted them on day one and farewelled them as they left, and the recent rains brought out many more examples of the Everlasting Swamp's biodiversity. The persisting biodiversity at the site highlights the potential for natural values alongside potential carbon sequestration benefits.

"The contrast of the site at different times of year is remarkable," Dr Tsang said.

"During our first visit, conditions were very dry. This time the recent rains meant that everything was growing, with a lot of different fauna to be seen.

It’s an ecosystem under a lot of stress, and the data we’re collecting will help us understand what kind of action can be taken to address the challenges it has faced. What we’ve seen really demonstrates the potential for restoration at the site."

The Estuaries and Catchments team samples water at Everlasting Swamp with the Marine Programs team and National Parks and Wildlife Service.

This work supports blue carbon research conducted under MEMS Initiative 3: Planning for climate change.

It is funded by the Marine Estate Management Strategy (MEMS) with in-kind support by MEMS Initiative 1A and DCCEEW’s Water, Wetlands and Coastal Science Branch.