Tarralla wetlands
Water in Croydon and Maroondah…our involvement…
Digging the pond depressions March 1999
The Tarralla Wetlands, for CCS was the renewal of Natures filtration system, a project done in conjunction with Melbourne Water. The Melaleuca swamp that existed in the 1950 and 60’s as nature had determined was undervalued and seen as a mosquito breeding ground. It was also a danger for youngsters, who unsupervised got into mischief and very dirty along the way. As was the fashion in the 60’s, the storm water was driven underground into a barrel drain in an effort to remove the swampy land that was being used as a dumping ground for disused car parts and general rubbish. Water feeds into this tributary from the storm water collected from the South East face of the Dandenong ranges and the flat plains between them and the Wicklow Hills of Croydon.
CCS lobbied Maroondah Council to get the project underway, and subsequently had the area renamed Tarralla Waterway replacing the unfortunate name of Croydon Main Drain! Water from here runs into Dandenong creek, then through some very environmentally important lineal parklands/waterways and then out to Port Phillip Bay via Mordialloc Creek.
The bare earth scraped into a catchment
The ponds begin to fill
The serpentine embankments ready for planting…
This is now a lovely walking or bike track, that is extensively used for leisure, dog walking and fitness by many in the community. It is possible to ride a bike all the way to Jells Park along this waterway. In only a few spots is it necessary to negotiate traffic as main roads are crossed.
The large falls of storm water still find a detour into a overflow channel after heavy rain, but otherwise the wetlands are a haven for frogs, birds and of course the vegetation collects nutrient matter, helping to clean the quality of the water on it’s way through.
Tarralla Waterway near the end of Oak lane, carrying heavy storm water collection.