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community weblog
The "mudcrabs" battling to remediate Sydney's sickest waterway
The "mudcrabs" battling to remediate Sydney's sickest waterway. Scurrying about the banks of Sydney's Cooks River, an army of volunteers known as the "mudcrabs" is working to bring one of the nation's most toxic waterways back to life.
posted by chariot pulled by cassowaries on Apr 13, 2026 at 8:20 PM
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"we overestimate what can be done in a year and underestimate what can be done in ten years"
Also, trying to think of a cute nickname for mud-accountants:
the sheet metal piling sits on land owned and managed by several different bodies — including Crown Lands, NSW Public Works, and local councils.
posted by clew at 9:28 PM
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Good for them! Doing the government's work there. Glad to see that they aren't just removing trash as important as that is, but also working on healing the land.
posted by Art_Pot at 12:19 AM
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Thanks for this, chariot. Had no idea about this work - and I walked down this river on the weekend.
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 1:18 AM
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Mentioned in passing in the article is the Cooks River cycling path. Whilst it is getting better, Sydney has historically been hostile to bicyclists. This cycling path was one of the few good paths back in the day and I rode it many times. It was my introduction to the Cooks river, and it is really a fascinating place to see nature being actively restored in an urban environment.
posted by Birriwell at 4:07 AM
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Dechannelization is generally politically difficult. But removing the piles will have huge impacts.
posted by Mitheral at 3:23 PM
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The persistent chemicals locked in the sediments are likely the hardest problems. In the cases I'm aware of, state of the art is still sequester or remove. Natural sedimentation to lock the metals away is possible if there is enough of the right deposition every year to do the job. However, dredging to remove the contaminants is often one of the main options.
But it all depends how bad it is. I'm used to dealing with mine tailings and other industrial wastes from long-term use. Lighter industrial uses might not need higher intensity remediation.
posted by bonehead at 7:33 PM
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