Primary : Rivers and Creeks
Rivers and Creeks
Protecting our Rivers and Creeks
Our rivers and creeks are some of Melbourne's most precious natural environments. Melbourne Water looks after rivers and creeks throughout the Port Phillip and Westernport region and helps local councils to ensure the waterways in their areas are clean.
- Learn about Melbourne's most famous river, The Yarra River.
- Visit the Melbourne Waterwatch site.
How can we help to keep our rivers and creeks clean?
When it rains, any rubbish left on our roads, nature strips or in gutters is washed into stormwater drains. These drains carry it to the creeks and rivers before it ends up on our beaches and in the bays.
You can stop pollution entering our rivers and creeks by following these useful suggestions:
- Bin It Securely
Make sure litter cannot blow or fall out of bins or recycling containers. - Grass Clippings and Leaves
Help keep street gutters and drain entrances clear of leaves by starting a compost heap or using leaves as garden mulch. Debris can block drains and cause local flooding. Rotting organic matter can pollute rivers and creeks with excess nutrients. - Painting Clean Up
For water-based paints, paint out brushes on scrap material and rinse into the garden. For oil-based paints, use a recommended paint solvent to rinse or soak brushes. Store excess solvent and paint for disposal via your local Household Chemical Collection program. - Washing The Car
Tell your parents to wash their car on a grassed area so soapy water does not flow into the gutter and end up in a local waterwayriver or creek. Increased nutrients from detergents can contaminate our waterwaysrivers and creeks. - Motor Oil
One litre of oil can contaminate one million litres of water. Don't pour oil into the gutter. - Garden Fertilisers
Avoid applying fertiliser and pesticides in areas where they could wash into drains, particularly when storms are predicted. - Dog Droppings
Dog droppings that wash into stormwater drains and rivers and creeks may impact on water quality. Use a dog scoop bag or put the droppings in your garden.
Useful Teacher Resources
A list of useful teacher resources can be found under Educational Resources.