A sediment basin at a residential development in Bahrs Scrub will be upgraded into a bio-detention basin in the coming weeks to stop muddy stormwater runoff from entering Windaroo Creek, according to a Logan City Council spokesperson.
The planned works will address a pollution issue that has persisted over the last seven years, which saw a section of Windaroo Creek next to Albert Valley Drive consumed by brown, muddy runoff whenever it rains.
Local Des Grevell first noticed the issue in 2013.
He says there were platypus in the creek, and numerous other wildlife, including ducks which have mostly disappeared.
“It’s completely stuffed the creek,” he said of the Albert Valley Drive, Bahrs Scrub section.
“When I first came here in 2007, there were ducks, turtles, pelicans, long-neck white cranes, and even a platypus, but there’s nothing here now.”
He said the mudflow happens whenever there is rain. It starts with small brown discharge and grows to cover a large patch, resembling a murky stagnant cloud against the clearer water.
“They [the developer] has a sediment basin where most of the runoff is supposed to go into, but what’s coming down here into the creek bypasses that sediment basin,” he said.
“It just runs straight into the stormwater pipes and then spits it out into an over-drain, comes across the park, comes into the creek right opposite my place.”
A Logan City Council spokesperson said a solution has been recently agreed upon with the developer.
“A plan to convert the existing sediment basin into a bio-detention basin has recently been agreed upon,” the spokesperson said.
“The works will be carried out in accordance with state government guidelines and will commence in coming weeks, weather permitting.”
The spokesperson for council said they were happy to arrange a site inspection of the bio-detention basin for any interested residents once the works were complete.
A bio-detention basin treats stormwater run-off before being discharged into a waterway.
The stormwater is filtered naturally without chemicals through a layer of sand or vegetation to capture sediment or pollution.
