Bungonia - where to harvest water?

[Luke001]

We did a training hike from Long Point Road to Bungonia Creek yesterday. Temperate was crazy. We got a max of 39.5°C and very little breeze at all I knew it was going to be a bit warm but damn. Beautiful area down near the river lined with pine trees and a good bit of shade. Took a few swims but it's very dark water so hard to see submerged rocks and trees and not the most pleasant water to swim in. Still *&%$#! terrific though in those temps.



Bungonia Creek was very green with significant green algae growth which was turning me off wanting to jump in for a swim or drink from that one.

I was wondering where people generally find it best to harvest water in this area. Shoalhaven River or Bungonia Creek. Neither looked particularly promising to me. I was also a little concerned re water quality being so close to the large mine that looks to drain into both the river and the creek nearby. We decided to return to a nice shady spot on the Shoalhaven close to the ascent to long point. Had a feed and a few drinks and some relaxing floating around in the river until late afternoon. Once the temps droped a bit we did a twilight/night hike back out.

[wildwanderer]

A side creek on the opposite side(to the mine) of the Shoalhaven would be a massively better option.

However if no side creeks available then the Shoalhaven definitely (and upstream of the mine). Bungonia creek is right below the mining operations.. dont drink it.

I wouldn't trust the mining company with keeping their $#@#$ from running down into the creek (and the Shoalhaven also) more than I could pick up and throw one of their giant rock haulers..

A ceramic filter that can remove some chemical contamination is best when fetching from the Shoalhaven.

Interesting..the new select filters from Sawyer 'claim' to remove metals and chemicals by using foam filtration in addition to ceramic. They only offer 400 'uses' before a replacement filter is needed and appear to very slow and heavy though. https://sawyer.com/products/select-filter-and-purifier/

[Mark F]

Yep, it's a real heat trap down in the valley - walked out many times in the cool of the evening. There are no side creeks, even semi-permanent between the bottom of Long Nose Point and Bungonia Creek. I wouldn't worry too much about the quarry, its only limestone, runoff from the upstream farms on Bungonia Creek are likely to be the culprits for the excess nutrients giving life to the algae. My suggestion is to get water from the Shoalhaven although the old Tolwong Mine(s) about 6km upstream release a bit of arsenic? into the Shoalhaven but very well diluted away from the source. Water from Bungonia Creek should be ok with a filter - no heavy metals but I am always a bit suspicious of algae.

[ribuck]

Take water from the Shoalhaven and boil it. There is farmland upstream, but it's the exact same water that flows into Tallowa Dam.

[Neo]

Yeah they are only cutting stone from the quarry so unlikely to be much or any chemical pollution. I've been through the slot a couple of times (awesome boulders) and the pools are always slimy.

Happily drank water from the Shoalhaven upstream from there, was past the old chimney. Did use the UV. Check to make sure no prawns got scooped up in your bottle first!

Luke the pines aren't really a pine tree. They would be She Oaks (not really Oaks either!) most likely Casurina species. Cheers

[Luke001]

Thanks for the replies. I generally don't carry a water filter but I've just ordered a sawyer squeeze to carry when I go into new areas that Im not sure about the water sources.

I wasn't sure what they were mining there (just notice some big trucks and lots of noise) and good point about the Tallowa Dam.

Sorry my botany skills are non-existent. Im generally good at identifying the ones that sting, stab or cut, but generally more by trial and error then a astute reckoning of my surroundings unfortunately .

Appreciate the feedback.

[Wollemi]

Happily drank water from the Shoalhaven upstream from there, was past the old chimney. Did use the UV. Check to make sure no prawns got scooped up in your bottle first!

Luke the pines aren't really a pine tree. They would be She Oaks (not really Oaks either!) most likely Casurina species.

Pardon... prawns in the freshwater Shoalhaven River?

[Neo]

Sorry, perhaps fresh water shrimp? Prawn-like critters in fresh water yes.

[Neo]

https://australianmuseum.net.au/freshwater-shrimp

[wallwombat]

Never had a problem drinking out of any part of the Shoalhaven, except for the salty section at the end. Been going down there for 38 years. Most side creeks don't flow into the the river, except after a lot of rain.

[clarence]

Totally agree with Wallwombat. I have drunk water from every corner of the Shoalhaven between Tallowa Dam and Oallen Ford for over 20 years. I don't ever recall boiling or treating it. Yes, there are farms and small towns in the catchment (like Braidwood), but huge tracts of the catchment are wilderness areas and forested country.