Tag Archives: Yosemite Creek

Ruth’s Revenge

Thursday 1 April, 2021 @ 9:00 am 12:00 pm

Come and join Ruth’s friends to commemorate her birthday at Minnehaha Falls Reserve by attacking her arch nemesis – Montbretia! We will work towards fulfilling her goal of eradicating this weed from Yosemite Creek.

You are welcome to bring along treats if you would like to contribute to morning tea.

This annual event is held in the memory of Ruth Ley who dedicated so much time and energy into the Yosemite and Katoomba Creek catchments, and was a founding member of the Minnehaha Bushcare Group and active for 25 years.

For further information contact Steve Fleischmann at sfleischmann@bmcc.nsw.gov.au or 4780 5623 by Thursday 25th of March.

4780 5623

end of Minnihaha Rd Seventh Ave
Katoomba, NSW 2780 Australia

Bushcare News: North Katoomba wins Local Government Award for restoring the Minnehaha Falls pool

Minnehaha Falls plunge pool – full of sediment washed into Yosemite Creek from many years of urban development

This year at the annual NSW Local Government Awards, the Blue Mountains City Council  and the local North Katoomba community was recognised for its outstanding work over many years, winning the  Division C and Overall Category Winner of  the Natural Environment Protection and Enhancement: On-Ground Works Award, for the project the Return of the “Bottomless Pool’ in Yosemite Creek, North Katoomba.

The result is the culmination of decades of work addressing urban stormwater runoff and weed invasion, which had previously resulted in sedimentation, erosion and decline of Yosemite Creek’s water quality, as well as loss of habitat and aquatic biodiversity across the Katoomba and Minnehaha Falls Creek.

Local residents lamented the loss of their favourite swimming hole, as the ‘bottomless pool’ at the base of Minnehaha Falls had filled with sediment. A coordinated and collaborative approach with the Blue Mountains City Council, government agencies, businesses and the local community resulted in the successful restoration of Yosemite Creek and the return of the pools including Minnehaha’s ‘bottomless’ plunge pool.

Key to the success of the project has been the long term  involvement of a number of Bushcare and Landcare groups in the broader Katoomba  and Minnehaha Falls Creek both through on ground action and the coordination of annual  sub catchment planning meetings. These groups have, through the leadership of Lyndal Sullivan, provided  a well-coordinated approach to catchment management working closely with Council and NPWS through their yearly planning meetings.

The work of the Minnehaha Falls Bushcare Group needs special mention for its unfailing commitment and the positive results it has been able to achieve in significantly improving the health of the bushland and aquatic habitat of this stream.

The same pool – now clear of sediment and staying that way – thanks to bush regeneration (both paid and unpaid) and improved stormwater management throughout the Yosemite Creek catchment.