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Former Forestry Tasmania Project Officer Erin Trainer was highly commended yesterday by the Australian Water Association Tasmania for her research and development of the floating rising stage sampler, used to monitor streams pre and post pesticide use.
The Governor His Excellency Justice Peter Underwood presented the commendation at the Tasmanian Water Environment Merit Awards where Forestry Tasmania's project was among three short-listed for the award.
John Hickey, General Manager Forest Management, said Forestry Tasmania regulates its pesticide use with a water quality monitoring program designed to detect pesticides when they are most likely to be present in streams.
“The floating rising stage sampler was developed in response to concern that staff are not always able to respond to rainfall events in time to collect a water sample when stream flow is elevated by rainfall.
“Current rising stage samplers available on the market are fixed in position and often not effective if water levels fall after pesticides have been applied. Subsequent rainfall events may not elevate the water level sufficiently for a water sample to be automatically collected.
“Forestry Tasmania's innovative samplers are designed to fall with receding water levels, so that they are ready to collect a water sample whenever stream flow is increased by a small amount of rainfall. This increases the chances of detecting pesticides if they are present in runoff from plantations, with resultant improvement in practices and outcomes.”
ENDS
20 December 2011
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