It is with regret that Outlaw Paddling advises that the Battle
of Barwon Heads race scheduled for this Saturday, 12th February, is
postponed due to a blue-green algae outbreak in the Barwon
River. It was hoped that the outbreak would clear in time for the
race, but the latest advice from Geelong City Council, Parks
Victoria and Barwon Coast Committee of Management is that the toxic
bloom is still a problem, with traces of the algae existing in the
lower reaches of the Barwon River and nearby beach waters. As such,
Geelong City Council has suspended our permit until the bloom
subsides.
Here's the official word from Parks Victoria, as at 3rd
February:
"Results from water sampling undertaken earlier this week show
that the blue green algae situation remains unchanged, with low
numbers still present in the lower sections of the Barwon River
Estuary. DSE and Parks Victoria recommend that people should
refrain from recreating in the river.
A number of swimming areas remain unaffected by the blue-green
algae, such as the Geelong foreshore, all coastal locations from
Geelong around the Bellarine Peninsula, including the Ocean Grove
Main Beach (15W)east of 18W, and then west from Barwon Heads to
coastal towns."
While the algal bloom is still present, Outlaw Paddling is
unable to confirm a new date, however, we are aiming for a date in
mid to late March (weekend of 17th or weekend of 24th) . If you
have already enetred the event, we encourage you to hang on to your
entry and wait for the announcement of the new date.
If you have any queries or concerns, please call Jarad on 0409
786 237. Please stay tuned to our website and Facebook page for
further updates. A newsletter will be sent out when a new date is
announced.
We once again apologise for any inconvenience.