Many urban waterways were once waste dumps. Restoration efforts have made great strides – but there’s more to do to bring nature back

<https://theconversation.com/many-urban-waterways-were-once-waste-dumps-restoration-efforts-have-made-great-strides-but-theres-more-to-do-to-bring-nature-back-206407>

"In the 19th century, many of Australia’s urban creeks and rivers were in poor
shape. Melbourne’s major river, the Maribyrnong, was full of waste from
abattoirs, tanneries and factories.

I live near Darebin Creek in Melbourne’s north, which was next to a tip and
often polluted until cleanup efforts began in the 70s. Now many creatures have
returned.

But while many waterways have been cleaned up, others have languished. As late
as 2011, Sydney’s notoriously polluted Cooks River was so full of industrial
waste and sewage it was dubbed an “open sewer”. Now, it’s starting to improve.

Here’s what the restoration of Darebin Creek shows us about the successes and
challenges of bringing life back to our urban waterways."

Cheers,
       *** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net               Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/                 Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/            Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/               Manager, Serious Cybernetics