State of the Environment

2006

Issue: Catchment scale influences - Land and vegetation condition - Nutrients and sediments - sources and loads

This is an issue under the Inland waters theme of the Data Reporting System.

Why we need to know about this issue

The degree to which water-borne erosion increases the supply of sediment to rivers can depend on the condition of the land and vegetation. Sediments from soil erosion, often as a result of the removal of riparian and other surrounding terrestrial vegetation, can alter the physical habitat of instream environments by, for example, shallowing of pools or burying coarse bottom sediments leading to a loss of habitat and spawning sites for gravel bed dependent fish. This can produce flow on effects through food chain linkages.

Erosion and surface runoff can also impact on water quality through increases in suspended solids. Nutrients are transported in suspended solids and these can have their own impacts (see Inland waters: Habitat scale influences: Water Quality (for surface and groundwater): Nutrients).

Catchment erosion and sedimentation can also have the potential for downstream impacts on creeks, rivers, reservoirs, lakes, estuarine and marine environments, as well as terrestrial vegetation and other biodiversity which depends on the water resource.

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