Coffin Bay water quality works

News article | 26 March 2024

Major works to improve water quality in Coffin Bay are set to begin in coming weeks.

Coffin Bay is a nationally-significant ecosystem with immense value to the local economy in terms of tourism and its seafood industry, however recent studies indicate declines in ecosystem health related to declining water quality.

To improve the situation, the Eyre Peninsula Landscape Board has been working closely with the Coffin Bay Water Quality Improvement Working group since the group formed in mid-2023 to investigate ways to reduce nutrients – which affect water quality – from entering the bay from land-based sources. The Board has allocated $375,000 this financial year to implement actions to reduce nutrients entering the bay.

Eyre Peninsula Landscape Board Planning and Assessment Officer, Andrew Freeman has been involved with the planning and implementation of works which are now set to begin.

“This is a priority project for our organisation and for all users of the Coffin Bay area. It has been great to work with other key stakeholders to work towards implementing change,” Mr Freeman says.

Some minor works have already been undertaken and over the next few months some major works will be implemented including:

In the Coffin Bay township, an ephemeral wetland and an additional raingarden will be built to improve stormwater quality entering the bay. Ephemeral wetlands are areas that temporarily hold water, typically in the spring and early summer, or after heavy rains. Raingardens are specially designed garden beds. Both ephemeral wetlands and raingardens provide a greater opportunity for nutrients to be filtered, by soil and plants, out of stormwater runoff.
Revegetation activities along the Minniribbie creekline will occur to improve the quality of water flowing into the bay which can be high in nutrients as a result of agricultural activities upstream.