Waterways

 

The Park has three main waterways: Jingarmup Brook, Meelup Brook and Dolugup Brook. A tributary of Dandatup Brook starts in the Park and flows through residential areas of Dunsborough to Geographe Bay. These waterways provide habitat and food sources for a diversity of native fauna including freshwater crayfish, fish, frogs, waterbirds and terrestrial native fauna. While these waterways are protected, threats include increased development in the catchment, the spread of weeds and dieback as well as disturbance to flows via dams, access tracks or service infrastructure.

The 'GeoCatch River Action Plan for the Cape Naturaliste Streams'  developed by the Cape to Cape Catchments Group in 2006 outlines the characteristics, values, condition and management issues of Jingarmup Brook, Meelup Brook and Dolugup Brook. The Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER) has been monitoring the water quality of these waterways since 2006 and has found that the sub-catchments of these streams deliver comparatively low nutrient loads to Geographe Bay relative to other sub-catchments. More information on these waterways can be found on DWER’s Revitalising Geographe Waterways website.

The Meelup Regional Park Committee, the City of Busselton and volunteers, are actively involved in the ongoing protection and restoration of these waterways. Previous and ongoing works include rock armouring for erosion control, installation of culverts where firebreaks occur, foreshore re-vegetation and weed control. The Committee also collaborates with other groups on larger projects, such as GeoCatch, the Friends of Jingarmup Brook and Dunsborough Coast and Land Care.

Jingarmup Brook

Jingarmup Brook is the westernmost waterway in the Geographe catchment, located close to Cape Naturaliste. The brook is approximately 17km long and provides habitat for several fauna including the gilgie, a native freshwater crayfish, the swan river goby and sea mullet. The western half of the Jingarmup Brook catchment is in the Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park.

Meelup Brook

Meelup Brook is part of the Dunsborough streams catchment area. The upper half of Meelup Brook has numerous on-stream dams where it flows through agricultural land before entering Meelup Regional Park. A number of tributaries join the Brook before it discharges at Meelup Beach.

Dolugup Brook

Dolugup Brook occurs entirely within Meelup Regional Park and discharges at Castle Bay. The entire catchment of this waterway is vegetated and relatively undisturbed with the exception of an old gravel pit and recreational use near Castle Bay. This waterway is the least disturbed of the 14 waterways of the Geographe Catchment.