The popular tourist town of Anglesea has long been a place for families to holiday, and enjoy all that the bush, beach and river have to offer. The Anglesea River has always been a focal point for the community, with swimming, canoeing, and fishing being some of the popular activities for visitors and locals alike.
The Anglesea River, or Kuarka Dorla meaning “place to catch mullet” (Forster 2021; McKenny 2022) was used by the Wadawurrung tribe for more than 25,000 years (Wathaurong Aboriginal Co-operative 2021).
Monitoring of the pH levels in the Anglesea River began in the 1970’s, with data showing short periods of acidification following heavy rainfall after long dry spells (Estuary Watch 2010). The pH levels have become progressively more acidic, resulting in intermittent fish kills beginning in the year 2000 (Maher 2011).
Despite the average rainfall in the catchment areas remaining reasonably steady over the last 100 years (see Figure 2, Pope 2010), according to members of community group, Friends of the Anglesea River, the volume of water flowing into the river has reduced by nearly 90% since the 1970s. Members also report that the Anglesea River has been experiencing an ongoing and unprecedented acidification event since 2019. This permanent acidification has resulted in a loss of seagrass, an important underwater habitat (Sharley et al. 2014).
With the future in mind, the community, and visitors alike, are looking forward to the return of a healthy, living river, and enjoying the benefits this will bring to all.