Senior ranger Barry Olbar prepares to drop the tidal analysis buoy in the Bloomfield River. Photo: Supplied.
A new ranger team in Ayton is assisting with a much-needed tidal prediction update on the Bloomfield River to ensure a safer time in the water for all ahead of the 2024 wet season.
The Dabu Jajikal Rangers recently collaborated with engineers from the Queensland Government Hydraulics Laboratory to place a tidal analysis buoy on the river bottom, just inside the mouth of the Bloomfield River and slightly offshore from Banabilla.
Dabu Jajikal Rangers spokesperson Paul Devine said the existing river tidal predictions were based on a five-day assessment completed in 1905.
“An understanding of the tides is critical for anybody working or playing within rivers or the open sea,” he said.
“Whether you are collecting bulgigi on Balabay, mukirr in the mangroves or monitoring the number of magpie geese in the wetlands behind Plantation Creek, knowing how much time you have until high tide is critical.
“We know that climate change will lead to an increase in the number and severity of extreme weather events, so it has become even more important to gather as much information about our natural systems as possible.”
Mr Devine said the buoy was retrieved earlier this month, and that the data was currently being analysed to incorporate into local tidal charts.
“The rangers were on hand to help deploy and retrieve the buoy and assist in any other way they could,” he said.
“The rangers’ local knowledge of Country, particularly regarding the way the river channel changes throughout the seasons, was valuable in providing advice to the engineers on where they should locate the buoy.”
