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Plume Intensity & Extent - Office of the Environmental Monitor

Plume Intensity & Extent Monitoring Program



The Channel Deepening Project’s rule book sets standards and controls to manage the dredging plume throughout the Project, and to minimise the intensity of the plume at locations of sensitive Port Phillip Bay plants and animals such as seagrass and fish.

The Plume Intensity and Extent Monitoring Program is one of nine Baywide Monitoring Programs. Its objective is to detect changes in the intensity and/or extent of the plume outside expectations identified in the Supplementary Environment Effects Statement.

Photo: The Queen of the Netehrlands surrounded by a plume caused by dredging. Courtesy of PoMC.

The program will use two types of monitoring to measure the intensity and extent of the plume:
1. Continuous readings from a meter towed under a boat that drives over the plume. This work will occur during dredging in key project areas in the Bay.
2. Satellite images and aerial photography will be used to identify and confirm the extent of the plume in the Bay.

The results from this program will be compared with modelled predictions that were used to predict effects of the Project. The intensity of the plume is also measured by the 20 turbidity monitoring meters.

The program is conducted by the Port of Melbourne Corporation

For more information on the Plume Intensity and Extent Monitoring Program please download the fact sheet.

Results



Date
Reports for the sampling event:
May 2008
First Quarter report
Aug 2009
Second Quarter Report, incl. Core Event 1 - Port Melbourne Channel
Dec 2008
Core Event 2 - Contaminated Material Dredging
Dec 2008
Core Event 3 - Non-contaminated Material Dredging
Dec 2008
Core Event 4 - South Channel Dredging
Sep 2009
Additional Event - Two TSHDs in South Channel


To view information and results from other programs that monitor Bay water quality click on the links below.
Water Quality Monitoring Program
Beach Monitoring Program
Turbidity Monitoring Program
Nutrient Cycling Monitoring Program
Algal Blooms Monitoring Program
Water Quality in Port Phillip & Westernport Catchment Monitoring Program
Bacterial Contamination in the Yarra River Monitoring Program

Return to a list of all monitoring programs


Please note: Document(s) on this page are presented in PDF format. If you do not have the Adobe Reader, you can download a copy free from the Adobe website.